Sound Exercise: Recording Sound Effects

Unit 73 - Sound for Computer Games

Exercise - Recording Sound Effects

I have recorded 2 sounds with a high quality audio recording device called a zoom recorder. The first sound I recorded was of a tap running, while the second sound I recorded was the sound of typing on a keyboard.

I edited the first sound in audacity, and decided to make a rowing boat sound effect. I did this by adding various effects such as; echo, amplify, pitch, speed, compress etc. to achieve the sound I wanted.

The link to the edited sound effect below:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwrRCcaM3eftSWpHb2tyWUJwOEk

Here is the original sound I had recorded:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwrRCcaM3eftY3FSaDN6TWlzMTg

I also edited the second sound effect, and changed the pitch and speed to sound more like a type writer and less like a computer keyboard. I also amplified the sound so that the sound was louder and could be heard more clearly.

The link to the edited sound effect below:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwrRCcaM3eftNG1lTVcycGxWcVE


Here is the original sound I had recorded:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwrRCcaM3eftVURmaUFNdU01eU0

Sound Exercise: Producing Sound using Software

Exercise: Producing Sound

MY 3 PIECES OF BACKGROUND MUSIC

Background Music (created in Soundation Studio):

1)

Link to sound file: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwrRCcaM3eftVVJuYl9WaG5iWjg

I created this music in Soundation Studio, using pre-made sounds and combining them to produce a musical track. This is a good program to use for experimenting, but I found that some of the sounds sounded broken and forced because in the free version there is no option to fade the music so that it would mix better.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Genre: Funk

File name: game-background_music.wav

Mood/Atomosphere creation: Fun, Happiness, energy

Mono or Stereo? Stereo

Resolution/Hertz/ Bitdepth : N/A (software doesn't state)

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                                   Background Music (created in Audacity):


2)  

Link to sound file: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwrRCcaM3eftR1lOdmZQanZwNGM

For this piece of music, I expermimented with a free-to-use program called Audacity. I had obtained all the sounds from a website called freesound.com where I edited and combined each sound into a seperate track. The main advantage I found when using this software is that it is possible to add effects to each sound such as; echo, fade in, fade out, wah wah etc. However, because this is the first piece of music I have created it is not up to the standard I would like as it sounds quite choppy, although I have attempted to fix this.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Genre: Techno

File name: game-background_music_2.mp3

Mood/Atomosphere creation: Suspense, energy, tension

Mono or Stereo? Stereo

Bitdepth : 44100Hz

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3)


Link to Sound File: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwrRCcaM3eftSDJ0ZGQyYkluLVk

I created my third piece of music in Soundation Studio once again using the drag n' drop sounds available. In my opinion, this is my strongest piece of music out of the three because I have more of and idea of what works and what doesn't so am wiser in choosing the instruments that will play during the music to achieve a smoother feel to the music.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Genre: Trance

File name: game-background_music_3.mp3

Mood/Atomosphere creation: Energised, excitement, suspense

Mono or Stereo? Stereo

Bitdepth : N/A

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                                        MY 3 PIECES OF BACKGROUND MUSIC

1)       Link to sound:   https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwrRCcaM3eftX0lIUVhHS1ZkeFk

This sound effect I have created will play when the enemy spaceships in my Space Invader game move down. I obtained my sounds from freesound.com and basically created the sound using a ping sound and a jet whoosh sound. For the ping sound, I added the Wahwah affect so that it sounds digital and space-like.

Genre: Digital-like

File name: spaceship_whoosh_sound.mp3

Mood/Atomosphere creation: Intense

Mono or Stereo? Stereo


Bitdepth : 4800Hz




2)       Link to sound:   
           https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwrRCcaM3eftQmdHM256Y284WU0

This is a concept sound FX of a laser that I have created for a game I am going to create. I again obtained the sounds from freesound.org. One of the sounds is of a traditional whoosh, which I changed the pitch and speed on to make it sound quicker and more like a laser. The second sound I used is of a penny dropping which I edited the speed and pitch on also to make it sound higher pitched. This produces a laser-like sound effect when both sounds are combined.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Genre: Sci-fi

File name: laser_sound_effect.mp3

Mood/Atomosphere creation: Action

Mono or Stereo? Stereo


Bitdepth : 4800Hz

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3)       Link to sound:  
       https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwrRCcaM3eftME1Pc2p4UUl0SFE

This is an explosion sound that I have created using 2 different sounds from freesound.org. This is what will play when the player in my game destroys and enemy spaceship. I created this sound by using a firework bang and editing the pitch so that it is lower. I then added a hammer sound into the project to give the impression that matter had been ruptured which gives a more realistic effect. 


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Genre: War

File name:explosion_sound_game.mp3

Mood/Atomosphere creation: Tension, fierce

Mono or Stereo? Stereo


Bitdepth : 4800Hz

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Unit 73: Sound for Computer Games P1 - Exercise 2

L3 Extended Diploma in Games Design

Unit 73: Sound for Computer Games

P1 - Exercise 2

3 Games that use sound for...

Speech to convey information - 

Many games use speech to inform the player about something that has happened. This could be a deep male voice saying "Game Over" to tell them they have failed. However, it is also used to suggest something to a player if they are going off track during a game level. An example of this would be if the player said: "I wonder whats up there". This would suggest that there is something to be seen in the level and hints that that is how they move onto the next mission level.

An example of a game that uses this is Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. This is because the game has a linear story so there is only one way forward. The character would give a hint to the player by mumbling to himself. 


Iconography - 

This is something that is well-known to people and is sometimes over used. However, this has to be an icon for something. An example of a game that uses an iconic sound effect is in Metal Gear Solid. This is because when an enemy spots you, a iconic sound effect alerts the player that they have been spotted. This could mean that when the sound effect is played, most people would know that the sound is from Metal Gear Solid when you are spotted by an enemy. 







Symbolism - 

Watchdogs 2 - This game uses symbolism when the player is about to die. This is because a rapid heartbeat sound is played when the player is on really low health and is about to die. This heartbeat is a symbol of death because the heart is a fundamental part of life and if it is beating rapidly it normally suggests something is going to go wrong and that death is coming.

Below is a video from YouTube showing this. I have trimmed the video down to just show the players death. Full video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXPGut3Qvxg

L3 Game Design - Sound Exercise

L3 Extended Diploma in Games Design

Unit 73: Sound for Computer Games

P1

Game Music	Atmosphere	Mood	Link	Description
Until Dawn ‘The Shadow of the Mountain’ Soundtrack	-Tense -Sorrow	- Miserable -Spooky	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVybbRoY744	This music is played at the start of the game probably to give the player some tension between the game, and also to give them an overall feel of what is to be expected. If this was the intention, I think that the developer has done well because it makes everybody. Since the game is a horror, the spooky feel that is given was probably intended by the developer/composer because horror games are supposed to be tense and scary.
The Last of Us Soundtrack	-Desolate	-Loneliness -Companionship	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y97u-U0nvJM	This music is played during most missions and cut scenes of the game to most likely give make the player feel tense and immersed when playing the game.  Some people in the comments section described the music as being emotional. This is what the composer and game developer may have wanted because the game is about surviving in a zombie apocalypse which would definitely make people feel lonely and make the world seem desolate.
Uncharted 4 Soundtrack – ‘Cut to the Chase’	-Intense -Loud	-Extant -Intense	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M30Zt1FepW8	This music is used in the game where the player enters combat. The main intention of this music is probably  to make the player feel excited, but also to give an intense feeling. Having played the game, I this is exactly how I feel and makes me become more immersed in the gameplay.
Tomb Raider 2013 Main Theme Soundtrack	-Adventurous	-Uplifting -Heroic	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIqvSNDIlTs	Since I have not played this game, I do not know where this Soundtrack is played. However, having listened to it I can guess that it would probably used on the title screen of the game to give the player a feel of the game. The reason it sounds heroic is because of the instruments used in to orchestra.

Why is music and sound FX so important within games development?

Music and sound is really important in the game industry, just as much as film and TV, this is because music and sounds give the player information that wouldn’t be possible without any sound FX or music. Music is used to set a mode and atmosphere of a game. For eg: if a game featured slow music,  the mood and atmosphere would probably be sad, which would let the player know the mood so that they are automatically more immersed in the game.

Sound FX are really important in games because it adds more immersion to the game. This is because they can inform the player what is happening. This could be the sound of footsteps, gunfire, a power-up etc.

In my opinion, if the game is played with the sound turned down it eliminates any immersion because I do not know what is happening nor do have any feedback within the game. As well as this, without subtitles I cannot hear any dialogue so will lose track of the story.

Key terms

Waveform - This is a curve showing the curve of a wave at a given time. This means that if you opened up some music in a audio program like Audacity you would see loads of curves of the sound waves due to so many sounds in the music. 

DEFINITION: a curve showing the shape of a wave at a given time

Below is a image from the internent showing the curves in a wave

Image from http://www.dictionary.com/browse/wave

. 

Amplitude-  This is the maximum height limit of a wave. In sound, waves with higher amplitudes make more changes to the atmospheric pressure for eg: vibrations and loud sounds. 


DEFINITION: the maximum extent of a vibration or oscillation, measured from the position of equilibrium.

Frequency  - the rate per second of a vibration constituting a wave, either in a material (as in sound waves), or in an electromagnetic field (as in radio waves and light).

Pitch - the quality of a sound governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone.

Hertz - the SI unit of frequency, equal to one cycle per second. It is one of the units used to measure sound. For eg: 60 Hz

Decibel Level (dB)  - The decibel ( dB) is used to measure sound level, but it is also widely used in electronics, signals and communication. The dB is a logarithmic way of describing a ratio. The ratio may be power, sound pressure, voltage or intensity or several other things.

Reference: http://www.animations.physics.unsw.edu.au/jw/dB.htm

Since all sounds produce various amounts of Decibels I have found a image from the internet demonstrating different types of sounds and how many decibels they make. 

IMAGE REFERENCE: https://sites.google.com/a/njuhsd.com/waves3/decibel

Sound Generator - A sound generator is a device that produces a sound. This could be a mobile phone, laptop, TV, doorbell etc. However, a speaker is essential in each of these for sound to be produced. All speakers have a maximum and minimum volume. This means the maximum volume on a stereo speaker would be much louder than a speaker fitted into a mobile phone due to different hardware fitted in each device.

What is foley?

The dictionary definition of Foley is: relating to or concerned with the addition of recorded sound effects after the shooting of a film.

This basically means that sound effects are recorded either in a professional studio or normal environment. In games, the sound of gunfire would probably have been recorded in a shooting range and then enhanced to be used in a game. However, this gunfire sound could be mimicked to just recording a firework bang if real fire arms are inaccessible.

Below is a video of how Foley works:

In the video above, you can see how Foley works. For eg: when the characters went through the door, you could see the people in the studio slamming a door within a structure. This would then be added into the movie where the event had taken place. 

Timbre

Timbre is what makes an instrument sound different to another. This means that even if the same type of instrument is being played at the same notes, both will sound different. For eg: a bass guitar playing the same notes a an acoustic guitar will have a distinctive sound even if played together. This is because each guitar will emit different frequencies. 

Information gathered from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLoM9bBr8lc

Unit 78 Game Characters Used in Assignment

                                         

  My Characters

Unit 74 - Computer Games Story Development (Assignment 1)

Unit 74 - Computer Games Story Development 

Assignment 1

REPORT OF FILM

Introduction

The film commences with Mr. Egg Chen talking to his attorney about sorcery and 'black magic'. Egg Chen then demonstrates the sorcery by releasing lightning bolts from each of his hands. The next scene is of the protagonist Jack Burton talking in his radio whilst driving his truck 'The Pork Chop Express' which contains living pigs who are on the way to being slaughtered. 

Jack Burton is quite a witty character but also comes across arrogant. This is because of his particular remarks like 'it's all in the reflexes'. However, I think that this is part of the comedy in the film and had made me laugh. 

Jack Burton arrives at China Town in San Fransisco in his truck and drops off his delivery (living pigs). He then goes into a room and takes part in a bet with his friend Wang Chen. Jack wins the best and asks for the money he is owed however Wang says that he doesn't have it and that he needs to pick up a girl from the airport. Jack and Wang both get in the truck and drive to the airport. When inside, Jack sees an American woman called Gracie Law and flirts with her, however, a group of men push past her and walk ahead. The group of men then kidnap Wang's fiancee (Miao Yin) and drive off in a vehicle.

Jack and Wang both get in the truck and chase after the thugs known as 'The Lords of Death'. Jack pulls his truck up into an alley-way and parks his truck. Jack then see an army of men dressed in white coming through the alley ahead. This happened to be a funeral and Wang describes them as the 'good guys'. In his wind mirror, Jack sees another army dressed in brown and red sneaking past his truck, who fire at the army dressed in white. Another army appears out of the  alley and stands still. A stand-off between the two armies occur and both armies run towards each other and attack using melee weapons.

 Whilst this battle is occurring, a Chinese man wearing a traditional Chinese hat descends from the air. 2 other men dressed in the same fashion also descend from the air and all 3 men stand in a line. The 2 armies both distance themselves from the three men and fire their bullets at them, but this does no harm. All three men then simultaneously throw their knives towards the men at the front of the army, which causes the remaining men to flee.

Jack and Wang panic and  attempt to drive the truck out of the alley, however, a 7ft tall man (David Lo Pan)  was standing deliberately in the way so Jack runs him over and gets out of the truck. This clearly did not harm to the man because he was still standing. Lo Pan then releases blue light out of his mouth and eyes causing Jack to have limited sight.

 Jack and Wang flee the area and come across  a water puddle for which Wang splashes into Jack's eyes so that he can see properly. Shocked by the incident, Jack asks Wang what had happened and is puzzled as to why Lo Pan didn't die when he had run him over. Jack and Wang then escape the area, which Jack doesn't like because his truck is still in the alley. The next scene shows Jack on the phone to his insurance company about his truck however,  the phone stops working. A man called Eddie tells Jack that his truck was stolen by the 'Lords of Death' after they ran away. Wang tells Jack that they will help him get his truck back. Gracie Law (from the airport) comes through the door and tells Wang that the kidnappers took Miao Yin (Wang's fiancee) to 'The White Tiger' - (a brothel) to sell her.  

Middle

Jack, Wang, and Gracie all park outside of 'The White Tiger'. However, Wang and Gracie wait in the car whilst Jack goes inside slightly disguised (smart suit and glasses) asking the lady if they have a girl with green eyes (Miao Yin). 

The receptionist tells Jack that Chinese girls do not come with green eyes. Suspicions must have been raised because the lady walks away and enters  a hidden door to see Miao Yin tied up to the bed. 

Once Jack is with one of the girls at 'The White Tiger' the building starts shaking and a big green cloud is shown above the building. Then the next scene shows Miao Yin tied to her bed whilst it is shaking vigorously, and a sudden hole in the ceiling appears and Lightning (member of the 3 storms) descends from the hole in the ceiling, followed by Thunder and Rain (also members of the 3 storms). The 3 Storms un-tie Miao Yin, pick her up, and ascend to the sky through the hole in the ceiling. 

Jack and Wang make their way to Lo Pan's trading organization and tell the security guards that they're there to do some work. Jack and Wang make their way through and Wang accidentally opens a hidden passage, revealing an elevator behind it. They both get into the elevator and press the button to go down. Suddenly, the elevator fills up with water past their head height.  As a result of this, they swim down and manually push open the elevator doors. They then swim out of the elevator and up to the top of the water to find Rain standing in front of them. Jack and Wang are put into wheelchairs and taken to a tomb.

An elderly man in an electric wheelchair then enters the room through the doors ahead. He has a very aged face, a grey long beard, and grey long hair. Jack tells him that they want to speak to David Lo Pan and they find out that the man in the wheelchair is David Lo Pan. Lo Pan tells Jack that he needs to marry a woman with 'dragon green' eyes so that his curse can be lifted and will make him young again. Lo Pan looks at the CCTV monitor and sees Gracie, Eddie, and the journalist at the reception.

 It turns out that they were asking for a tour of the premises which the security guard declined and told them no visitors were allowed. Thunder (member of the 3 storms) then enters the reception and tells them that he would give them a tour. The next scene shows Jack and Wang blindfolded and tied in a wheelchair, where they are both put into a room and locked in. Jack manages to free himself and takes off his blindfold and then does the same for Wang.

Jack, Eddie, and Gracie are in the elevator with Thunder and they all (except thunder)  suddenly pass out after inhaling a mysterious gas. Thunder then instructs his henchmen to pick them all up and imprison them. Jack and Wang talk about how they're going to get out but hear somebody walking towards the door. They then sit in the wheelchairs and put their blindfolds back on. Jack and Wang attack Thunder and manage to escape the room. They later regroup with the others. On their way out, Gracie (who was behind) is taken by a hairy monster (sewer monster) and put into one of the rooms inside the tomb.

 Lo Pan enters the room in his wheelchair and  takes notice of  Gracie's green eyes, although she doesn't realize it at this stage. This is because he needs a second girl with green eyes to please the evil spirit. Jack realizes that Gracie has been kidnapped so puts together a plan for her and Miao Yin's rescue. 

David Lo Pan takes Gracie and Miao Yin to his lair where Thunder and Rain demonstrate complex martial arts which appears to be hypnotizing Gracie and Miao Yin. Lo Pan then tests if they can  survive the burning light/blade and both end up surviving it. As a result of this, Lo Pan decides that he wants to marry both girls .

 This is because he wants to marry Miao Yin to lift his curse and make him young once again, however,  he needs to also marry Gracie so that he can sacrifice her and please the evil spirit.

End

Jack, Wang, Chen, and the others finally find Lo Pan's lair and hide in the corner. But, a small alien-like head with multiple eyes sees them in the corner and alerts Lo Pan. 

Lo Pan then orders the 3 storms and the rest of his soldiers to attack them. A big stand-off between Jack, Wang, Eddie and Chen occurs and they are forced to fight all soldiers. Egg Chen uses his sorcery to his advantage by taking down by killing the soldiers using his 'black magic'. Lo Pan does his best to continue by using a needle to pierce Miao Yin's skin and sucks her blood in order to live as young Lo Pan in physical state (as flesh). 

This had worked and Lo Pan was now flesh and no longer just a ghost. Wang and Rain battle in a sword fight for which Wang wins and Rain is killed. This is the first member of the 3 storms to die. Lo Pan flees the lair with Miao Yin and goes into a different room. Jack rescues Gracie (who wasn't taken) and comforts her but Gracie insists that they must go after Lo Pan. Jack and Gracie kiss for a few seconds and then quickly go after David Lo Pan. Once they gain access to the room Lo Pan is in, Thunder stands at the entrance blocking the way. Jack and Wang work together to attack him so that they can kill Lo Pan. Jack launches a knife at Lo Pan (aiming to kill him) but is unsuccessful. As a result, Lo Pan pushes Miao Yin out of the way and fetches the knife. Lo Pan throws the knife back at Jack however, Jack catches it and immediately launches it back at Lo Pan's head, therefore killing him. 

Wang protects his fiancee Miao Yin from any more danger. Thunder runs into the room ready to fight Jack and Wang but notices that Lo Pan is killed. Thunder then suddenly inflates with air continuously until he explodes due to high anger levels. This is the 2nd member of the 3 storms to be killed. 

 Jack, Wang, and the others attempt to escape the lair and the building, but on their route encounter Lightning who is ready to attack. Gracie notices a gap in the ceiling that they can climb through to escape whilst Lightning launches unsuccessful lightning bolts towards them. Jack and Wang help lift Gracie and Miao Yin through the gap, then Wang jumps up, followed by Jack. Lightning who is about to come through the gap has a statue drop on him by Jack, therefore killing him. Jack, Wang, Gracie, Chen, Miao Yin and the others run to find a way out. On their way out, Jack finds his truck in the garage. Everybody gets in the truck and Jack reverses and smashes his way through the garage doors and escapes. Whilst Jack is driving, Wang and Miao Yin kiss and Gracie says "Look at that ! Doesn't that make you feel good?" This suggests that Gracie feels proud for helping rescue Miao Yin. 

The next scene shows everybody celebrating their victory (of killing Lopan) in a restaurant. Sitting in the corner is Egg Chen who is about to leave. Jack follows and asks him where he is going. Chen replies with "My work's done, Lo Pan is dead, and the evil spell has been lifted". He also says that when he was younger he promised himself a long vacation. 

Jack puts his coat on and collects his owed money from Wang. It is clear that Gracie wants a relationship with Jack but it appears Jack doesn't. Jack and Wang say goodbye to each other at the door and Jack leaves. The next scene shows Jack driving in a storm talking on his radio. The camera slowly moves to the right and shows the sewer monster (who was supposedly dead) on the back of his truck. 

The film then ends and the credits appear.

Is Big Trouble In little China story elements just a film or is it a book? 

Big Trouble In Little China which was once an 80's film but is now a popular comic book series. The first volume of the comic book series  (Volume 1) was first released in June 2014. Following this 2 more volumes have been released. The comics seem to be a popular choice for buyers with ratings of 4-5 stars. 

             Volume 3                     Volume 2                Volume 1                          

                  

- Volume 2 paperback was released in February 2016

- Volume 3 was released in May 2016. This is the most recent version released.

John Carpenter (director of film) 

writes the comic book along with Eric Powell. Brian Churilla is responsible for all artwork within the comic series for eg: illustrations, cover art , etc.

Who are the main characters? 

Jack Burton - Main character (the protagonist). His truck gets stolen so wants to get it back with Wang's help. However, Jack also helps Wang get his fiance back who was kidnapped. He seems to think he's the Hero and that he has everything under control but in reality he struggles to handle himself in Combat and has to rely on someone else to save him. He seems to pretend like he wanted to save Miao Yin and Gracie, when really he is in it for himself so he can get his truck back. 

Wang Chi - Main character's (Jack Burton) side-kick. He is an old friend of Jack's and helps Jack get his truck back, but also wants to save his own fiance Miao Yin who was kidnapped. Wang's relationship with Jack seems to be quite hostile at the start of the film but, as the film progresses their relationship seems to develop into a stronger bond. His first appearance is near the start of the film, when him and Jack place bets.

David Lo Pan - villain (antagonist). He instructs The 3 Storms (Thunder, Rain, and Lightning) to kidnap Miao Yin because of her 'dragon green' eyes which will lift his curse (1,000+ year man in a wheel chair) and help him rule the universe if he marries her. 

Who are the sub-characters?

Gracie Law - occupation is a Lawyer. She assists Jack and Wang to help get Miao Yin back. However, later is captured by the sewer monster and  is imprisoned. Her green eyes are an interest for Lo Pan because he needs to kill a girl (with green eyes) to please the evil spirit. Her first appearance was at the airport, when Jack and Wang was supposed to pick up Miao Yin. 

Mr Egg Chen. He helps Jack and Wang take down Lo Pan and rescue Miao Yin who is held captive. He does this by using Chinese 'black magic' to help everybody take down David Lo Pan.  Therefore, this makes him the 'hero' of the film because he saved everyone from danger and combat at most times in the film. He promised himself that if he takes down David Lo Pan he will go on  a long vacation. We first see Chen at the very beginning of the film where he talks to an attorney about sorcery and Jack Burton.

The 3 Storms - thunder, rain, and lighting. These three people each have their own sorcery. Rain is capable of releasing high amounts of water. Thunder is capable of building up lots of wind (causing him to inflate). Lightning is capable of releasing lightning bolts from his hands. All 3 men are Lo Pan's henchmen and are  all capable of complex martial arts.

What are the various emotional themes of the characters? 

There are many emotional themes in Big Trouble In Little China. The emotional theme for the protagonist Jack is that he feels courageous/brave because he rescued Gracie and Miao Yin from Lo Pan. However, Jack is also quite abrupt and aggressive at times in the film because he wants his money and needs to get his truck back. This makes the viewer feel that Jack is selfish and only looks out for himself. 

Wang's emotional film in the film is probably most likely to be love and bravery. This is because he sets out to rescue his fiancee Miao Yin when she was kidnapped and in danger. He is the typical cliché of most films because he acts as Miao Yin's 'knight in shining armour '. This makes the viewer feel that Wang really loves her and would do anything for her. 

The emotional theme of David Lo Pan is probably fear and audacity because he seems frightened of being stuck in his curse, whilst never being able to be young again. He is audacious because of the fact he is abe to take bold dangerous risks like returning back to his original state even if he is aware that it could not work. As well as this, he knows that Jack Burton, Wang and the others are a threat to him and could kill him however, still continues taking this risk. This makes the viewer feel that he has a 'death-or-glory' attitude and will do anything to get what he wants.

What is their (characters) motivation? 

The motivation of Jack is to help Wang get his fiancee back, so he can at the same time get his truck and collect his owed money from him that he won in the bet. In most of the film, the viewer would think that Jack's motivation would be to 'win' Gracie and start a relationship with her. But, it is apparent that he doesn't want a relationship at all and he was just happy he got his money and got his truck back. But, I think part of his motivation was to destroy Lo Pan as payback.

Wang's motivation in the film was to rescue his kidnapped fiancee and free her from danger, but also to take down Lo Pan and The Three Storms. As well as this, he promised Jack that he would get him his truck back and give him is owed money therefore, this may have also been some of his motivation.


I think the motivation of David Lo Pan was to marry a girl with 'dragon green' eyes so that his curse could be lifted (making him young again) and so he could rule the universe again.

Egg Chens motivation, I believe, would have been to destroy David Lo Pan and The Three Storms so that the world was not in any danger and so that he could have his long vacation he promised himself years ago. 

What and when is the beginnings, middle and end of the film? 

Please see REPORT OF FILM near the top of this page for a fairly detailed overview of what happened at the start, middle, and end of the film.

BRIEF OVERVIEW

Introduction -> Introduces the characters Jack, Wang, Gracie, Egg Chen etc. 
The intro also sets the whole story - Jack needs his money, Miao Yin gets kidnapped, Jack gets his truck stolen.

Middle -> Where the action happens - characters make their way to rescue Miao Yin. In process of this, Jack and Wang are captured by Rain and imprisoned. They escape and regroup with others. On way out, Gracie is captured by Sewer Monster. A Plan is put together for the rescue of Gracie and Miao Yin.

End -> where the resolution happens. Gracie and Miao Yin are rescued. Lo Pan is killed. The 3 Storms are killed. Everybody escapes and celebrates. Jack says his goodbyes. Cliffhanger at end of film (sewer monster at back of Jack's truck)

What is the relationship of the main characters? Does it change and why? 

At the start of the film Jack and Wang's relationship seems quite abrupt and hostile when the bet takes place. Then as the film progresses, we see that their relationship becomes more friendly and stronger when they look out for each other like helping each other out and having each others 'backs' when in combat. Towards the end of the film, we see that their relationship is probably stronger than ever because when they say goodbye they both seem to be sad to depart.

What’s the plot of the film?

A truck driver Jack Burton goes to the airport with his friend Wang Chi to pick up Wang's fiancee from the airport. Things then take a turn for the worse because she is kidnapped by chinese thugs. Jack and Wang chase the vehicle and pull up into an alley to only witness a chinese stand-off. Suddenly, 3 supernatural men attack these armies using sorcery and 'black magic'. Jack and Wang flee the area and Jack finds out his truck has been stolen by a gang called 'The Lords of Death'. Jack helps Wang rescue his fiancee and in the process to try and get his truck back. Jack and Wang, with the help of others, work together to fight Lo Pan and rescue Miao Yin and Gracie.

                     What genre is the film?

Big Trouble In Little China is an American fantasy-horror action film. It features lots of action, fantasy elements, and comedy.