This rare 16mm colour film of Newcastle (Australia) celebrations during Victory in the Pacific (VP) Day in 1945 was originally silent footage. In 2020 the entire soundscape to accompany the silent footage was created. This newly created audio and reconstruction has turned this historic silent film to what you now hear in this video. Implementation of the Sound Design method involved ‘Vertical Layering’ to build the soundscape from silent to what you hear now
“I meticulously constructed the audio world, first constructing the Base Ambience (crowds, street ambience) then the layer of Identifiable Sounds (off-screen & ‘sounds you can see but are far away’) then lastly Key Sounds (sounds you can see and are close to the camera and important to the narrative).” Joshua Webb (Sound Designer)
It may help to quickly mute and then un-mute the audio on your device whilst watching as to understand the full impact that Sound Design has on moving picture.
About the original footage
The original creator of the film is unidentified.
This rare colour footage was donated to Greg and Sylvia Ray in 2019 by Mrs Vera Findlay of Greta. Greg and Sylvia Ray donated the original 16mm film to Cultural Collections, Auchmuty Library of the University of Newcastle in January 2020.
The film was digitised by Phillip Lloyd (UON AV Digitisation Specialist) on 20 February 2020 at the GLAMx Audio-visual Digitisation Lab, Auchmuty Library, University of Newcastle.
Original Footage Courtesy University of Newcastle (Australia)
Reconstructed video Courtesy Joshua Webb in 2020
We sincerely thank Joshua Webb who designed the soundscape and new video reconstruction as part of Creative Industries (CIND3002) Major Project, University of Newcastle (Australia). We congratulate him on this significant work, the new audio not only enhances the original footage but makes the experience all so much more meaningful.
Testimonials
“Joshua has done a really good job with adding audio to the film. I appreciate the amount of effort and time Joshus has devoted to this project. The added sounds of motor cars and trucks, motor cycles and aeroplanes, people cheering and marching, bands playing marching tunes all richly enhance the film and place the viewer there. Well done, Joshua.” Best regards David Dial OAM”
“What an impact having sound makes! I almost felt like it was sensory overload at one point—such would have been the noise at the time too. Joshua, this production is outstanding, I can’t begin to think how you came to produce it and put it all together, it would have taken so much time and research.” Assoc. Prof Heather Sharp (UON School of Education)
Totally brilliant job executed by all. Congratulations to the donors and those involved in all aspects of the presentation, both sight and sound. Thank you!!!