SOUND TECHNIQUES AND EXAMPLES
THE POWER OF SOUND Is part of the production process, but mostly with the POSTPRODUCTION process
Like any good editing, it should be invisible
THE PURPOSE OF SOUND? What purpose does sound have in TV/Film and Games?
1. Sets the mood/atmosphere
2. Emphasise reality
DIALOGUE Language (What they say and the meanings of the words)
Tone (Aggressive, serious, sympathetic) Accent
(Where are they from?) Volume (Whispering or shouting?)
ENVIRONMENTAL SOUNDS To fill the space with realistic and subtle sounds that you would miss if they weren’t there
MUSIC To fill empty space as well as matching and enhancing feelings and emotions to what is happening on screen
SOUND EFFECTS Creating Illusion A woman is sitting in her living room. The door opens and her husband walks into the room.
With the addition of a few sound effects, it is possible to inform the audience that he has driven up to the house, parked his car, walked to the door, and used his key to unlock the door. None of this was shot. It was an illusion created with natural sound effects
Simulating Reality In a western barroom fight our hero is hit over the head with a whiskey bottle. The bottle is fake in the scene. It becomes real with the addition of an actual glass bottle crash from the sound editors library.
This is taking a fake bit of on camera theatrics and making it real by adding a real sound.
GENERAL VOLUME CONTROL The sound designer will control how quiet or loud sound is.
This is to set or emphasize the mood When would sounds be quiet?
When would they be loud? When should there be silence? Impact on the audience?
SOUND PERSPECTIVE Sound recording that helps us place a sound as either near or distant of coming from a particular place on (or off) screen.
SOUND MOTIFS Sound associated with a character, place, or event to help recognition of what is on screen
SOUND BRIDGES When the scene begins with the carry-over sound from the previous scene before the new sound begins.
THIS WILL DO FOR NOW! There are many more techniques but this is a start for you to listen out for when you are playing games and watching TV and films!