Pick an episode of Tunnel 29 and describe the different layers of sound that are used to set the scenes in that episode. Are any particularly effective (or ineffective)? Imagine this episode without those sound layers, how would the story be different?
Episode 7: The Interrogation
I truly love the eerie and suspenseful background music. I feel like that it effectively reflects the danger and high stakes that the diggers are in and that the story would be far flatter and not as engaging without it. It is my favorite layer of sound in the entire series.
Due to the extreme conditions and unusual circumstances of the characters in the story, adding elements of realism help ground podcast. For example, having Merriman describe the prison while actually inside of it adds visceral credibility to the picture she is providing. The echoes bring to mind a dank and dark cell in a way that pure aural explanation couldn’t. It makes it far more real. Additionally, recording interviews with Wolfdieter bring home the fact that the people in the story truly exist. Though the story described seems fantastical and so far from the reality most people are familiar with, the fantastical aspects of the story become harrowingly palpable with the inclusion of first-hand accounts. Without these components, the story would not have nearly the impact it does.
At first, I didn’t really appreciate the sounds of the street and digging that pop up throughout the episodes. However, after learning about the fact that the diggers could actually hear things on the street and that people could potentially hear them in the tunnels, it seems ingenious. Because audio played a part in the survival of the diggers, using an audio-medium to describe the story becomes very nuanced as the story unfurls.
Audio Experiments 