The Tuesday session at the Discovery Science and Technology Centre focused on the fascinating science behind movie sound. Led by Tara and Briga, the session provided an interactive and hands-on exploration of how sound is produced and manipulated.
To start, participants placed their hands on their throats to feel the vibrations created by their vocal cords when making high and low-pitched sounds. Next, they listened closely to the sound produced by a ukulele string when plucked. They then experienced the vibrations of a tuning fork vibrating at 250 hertz, which they felt through their own bodies.
A key lesson was that sound travels more effectively through denser materials. This explains why sounds are often louder underwater than in air. Participants also experimented with different objects to explore how sound is generated. For example, they used a piece of plastic hose that mimicked the sound of a bird when spun at high speed. They also experimented with strings tied to a cloth hanger, which produced sound when struck. Additionally, they explored how passing a spring through the bottom of an empty cup could amplify sound, and how blowing through two empty cans held close together created a unique vibrating sound.
The most exciting challenge came when participants were asked to create sounds to accompany a scene from the animated movie Kung Fu Panda, the fight for the dragon scroll. With little hesitation, the girls eagerly produced a variety of sounds that matched the action in the scene, creating an atmosphere similar to an orchestra in rehearsal. Afterward, they were asked to identify the specific parts of the scene they had matched with sound and to demonstrate the corresponding effects. Their creativity and attention to detail were impressive, as they skilfully captured the essence of the scene through sound.
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