Symphony of Hanoi

King Le Loi
project 7

A famous story about king Le Loi, who freed the Vietnamese people from the Chinese occupation, thanks to the dragongod Lac Long Quan and the turtlegod Kim Qui.

Direction: Jeffrey & Laurens
Editing: Laurens
Camera: Sang, Laurens
Music/Sound: Susanne
Translation: Kim
Voice-over: Cuong
Helping hand: Tung

Hope
project 2

A short abstract film about the past, the present and the future of the canal that runs through HCMC.

Direction/Editing: Laurens
Camera: Hoang
Music/Sound: Susanne, mr Lang
Helping hand: mr Ngoc

3 Vietnamese traditional music students
project 1

A short portret of 3 students from the Conservatory of HCMC. It’s an introduction in the Vietnamese traditional music and answers questions like the motivation for playing such music.

Direction/Editing: Jeffrey
Camera: Jeffrey, Ngoc
Music/Sound: Lukas
Translation: Kim

Take out the Noise (V1)
project 6

Inspired by the sounds from HCMC, mainly created by the traffic.

Direction/Editing: Jeffrey
Camera: Hoang, Sang, Anh
Music/Sound: Susanne, mr Lang
Helping Hand: Jenny

Meet the team!
A complete overview of all the people that were involved in making the movies in HCMC!

Notes of the different meetings we had in HCMC

Poem by Hàn Mặc Tử (September 22, 1912 - November 11, 1940)

Sung by Mai (North & Middle Vietnamese dialect)

This is the Middle Vietnam version

Is this a poem…?!
by Susanne

Hồn Lìa Khỏi Xác by Hàn Mặc Tử ^*

The famous poet, who is considered to belong to the romantic Vietnamese poetry, was only 28 years old when he died from lepracy. The poem is a self-refection on the unavoidable, and much too early arriving day of his death.

In Vietnam poems can be presented as spoken words or in a particular kind of singing. They are are called “ngam tho”, and are written with the melody already in mind. The artist is highly specialized, and therefore it is like looking for a needle in the haystack to find somebody who is still carrying on this tradition. Happily we met one singer who was able to help us out. To top it: she was able to perform the poem in the “tongue” from the north of Vietnam, and in the one from the middle.

This is the North Vietnam version.


Is this a poem…?!
by Susanne

Hồn Lìa Khỏi Xác by Hàn Mặc Tử ^*

The famous poet, who is considered to belong to the romantic Vietnamese poetry, was only 28 years old when he died from lepracy. The poem is a self-refection on the unavoidable, and much too early arriving day of his death.

In Vietnam poems can be presented as spoken words or in a particular kind of singing. They are are called “ngam tho”, and are written with the melody already in mind. The artist is highly specialized, and therefore it is like looking for a needle in the haystack to find somebody who is still carrying on this tradition. Happily we met one singer who was able to help us out. To top it: she was able to perform the poem in the “tongue” from the north of Vietnam, and in the one from the middle.

An introduction into the world of “Sound Design and Music”
by Susanne

On our second day in HCMC we explored the “Cinema Stage College”, where we found ourselves in a class room filled with future Vietnames directors. That afternoon we were allowed to observe the students in instructing their fellow classmates in acting a scene. Last Monday I found myself once more in that class room. This time however I was returning the favour by introducing them into my world: sound and music for film.

So far sound has been a subject they never had to take care for, but when entering the working field, very soon they will probably be confronted with editing sound and music themselves. Besides, it seemed to me to be a a great opportunity to emphasise the fertile cooperation between directors and sound people, if started in an early stage.

Except of a few hours of basic booming, they have never been talking about sound and the power of telling and supporting a story. Therefore I decided for a brief overview through the most important stages of the soundtrack for a movie. Covering the whole work process by starting with what to take care for when still in the stadium of writing the script, to what to take care for before the shooting begins, and what to take care for on location, I explained what happens in postproduction, and which options they have to fix a bad recording.

Most of the time we spent on watching a trailer to which I played several different soundtracks. It was very interesting to see their reaction and comments. Every body agreed on the impact sound and music have in suggesting different situations or feelings while using the same pictures. The demonstration stressed the significant of making a conscious choice to support the story, and to even take it a step further and “push” the story by using the right sounds.

I ended the overview with offering some tools they can use in case they ever need to edit audio themselves.

Afterwards some of the students came with specific questions about sound/music for their own movies, which they are currently shooting.

Working in the studio of the HCM Conservatory
by Lukas

We suspected the studio in HCM’s Conservatory to be difficult to use, but shortly after our arrival we had to realize that this was definitely not the case. Indeed, it is a very common analog studio containing an analog mixer.
After a short introduction by Tung, the main operator of the studio, we were able to use the studio by ourselves; an opportunity we often used. As one can expect, the studio’s routing is done via the patch bay, which has been well documented. Channel one is therefore also really channel one etc. All external devices including the 24 ADAT tape recorder are usable via the patch bay. This, too, is well documented containing all the inputs and outputs, including the names for the external devices.

The only thing one has to get used to is that the main program used is Nuendo for PC. But like Pro Tools and Logic audio can be recorded very simple in Nuendo, too, next to other handy functions, which the program offers. The difference is the look and feel, as well in many cases a different naming of the functions.

All outputs are pre-linked to an AD converter to record into the PC (there is no need for extra patching). It is also very easy to record into the Studer ADAT tape recorder, and to use the huge amount of external devices like preamps, EQ’s, compressors, reverberations etc. Though if one uses the ADAT a little patching is necessary.
Everything still works perfectly. All the channels, and even the the pot meters don’t or hardly crackle if one touches them.

All different kinds of plug-ins are available in case one records with Nuendo. The disadvantage is that the mix has to be done in Nuendo to be able to use its eight analogue outputs together with the mixer.

In short, it is fantastic working with the studio here; maybe even better than the studio at KMT. Here at HCM Conservatory, there are many more options than in Hilversum, which can be found in small options from which one can choose. Many different kinds of good microphones, various amplifiers, and also the other external devices are just a few to name.

Mieu (Altar)
project 3

Inspired by a poem of Hàn Mặc Tử, this movie is about the altars you see in the streets of Vietnam.

Direction/Editing: Jeffrey
Camera: Hoang
Music/Sound: Diep, Tien Dat, Lukas, Susanne
Voice: father of Cuong
Translation: Kim Dung
Helping Hand: mr Lang

Chu Kỳ (Cycle)
project 4

In this short movie you can witness the wares Vietnam has to offer and the cycle of a day (from morning till night), which the market and street salesmen in Vietnam walk through

Direction/Editing: Laurens
Assistent Direction/Camera: Hiep
Production: Jenny
Camera: Anh
Music/Sound: Lukas, Tien Dat, Diep
Helping Hand: Luong

Presentation

After a few last days of hard work we presented all our finished products to lecturers of the Conservatory and the Cinema Stage College. We were pleased to hear that they liked our work. The lecturer of the Conservatory wants to use the Symphony of Hanoi as school material, which is great news for us.

In the evening we went out to have a goodbye dinner and some drinks with everybody that participated in our project. Click here for some pictures.