Using the most effective sound equipment will lift the production values of your film immensely.
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Sound Design
Why isn't this article in the post-production section? Surely sound considerations come after the footage has been edited together? It's when you clean up inaudible dialogue, or add sound effects and music to enhance the scene, isn't it?
Well, no. Sound isn't there to rescue the work, to fix problems, or to hide failings - sound is as big a consideration as the visuals. And as such, sound design should be incorporated into every stage of your production, not added as an annoying after thought.
Sound is, and should be, an integral part of your planning and execution. Let's say, for example, you arrive at your chosen location, totally pleased with how it looks, but when you plug in the sound equipment, you realise you're directly below a flight path, or there's a busy road right behind the hedge. This simple example demonstrates why sound design should be incorporated throughout the process. Chances are, you're making a short film and have no ADR facility, so your beautiful shot is ruined by the noise of traffic, or the hiss of a bad cable connection, dialogue is inaudible, and a key plot point is lost in the din.
But planning for sound isn't just an excellent way to avoid problems, it's an essential part of the creative process. So, why not write with sound in mind? Maybe you have a scene in which your character is walking around his neighbourhood. His mood is to be reflected in the music - but you could be more subtle here. Why can't the sound of the neighbourhood reflect his mood? Anger is heard in the growling of a dog, or the roar of a damaged engine. Love comes through the birdsong, or fear is pricked with moments of silence punctuated by loud, surprising interruptions. Thus, the neighbourhood can become a character in the story.
Randy Thom, the sound designer on films such as Forrest Gump, says, "There is hardly any discussion of what should be heard rather than seen ... Starving the eye will inevitably bring the ear, and therefore the imagination, into play." Thus, he echoes a concern we first explored in our screenwriting article - how to engage the audience at a deeper level. He continues:
"When we begin to imagine a scene, the first few sounds that come to mind will usually be 'appropriate' in a general way, but not very deeply connected to what is really happening dramatically.
Let's say we have a scene around a kitchen table where two guys are arguing. One eventually jumps up, pulls a gun, cocks it, and points it at the other's head. The most obvious sound effect to feature is the cocking of the gun. Ironically, the other prop I mentioned (the table) could supply a more powerful sound. As our guy stands, maybe he shoves the table toward the other guy. The scrape of the table legs on the floor could be fashioned to evoke danger more effectively because it comes from a place we don't expect. Knowing we may want to use the sound of the table in this way will influence everything about the way we set up and block the shots."
So, let's summarise what you should bear in mind when designing the sound for your film.
- Look for ways in which the story can be told through sound as well as visuals.
- When scouting locations, listen as well as look. Find sounds that will be unique, or marry with the visuals to create something altogether different.
- Don't skimp on microphones and sound equipment. Cheap doesn't mean inferior in the same way expensive doesn't mean superior. Different equipment works for different situations. There will be times when the on-board mic of your camera will suffice, and other times when it will not.
- Listen to what you are recording. Plug the headphones into the socket and make sure you hear the sounds coming through them.
- Don't just record the sound of what you are shooting. Take time to gather sounds from the location, even if you don't end up using them, they might come in useful for another production. An uninterrupted wild track of the ambient noise of the location will help immensely when you come to mix the sound.
- When shooting dialogue scenes, be absolutely sure to listen to them through headphones. It may not be obvious with the naked ear what is coming through on the microphone.
- Take the same care in learning about your sound equipment as you do about your visual equipment.
Sound design is not the ugly cousin of film-making, to be ignored and shunned. It is an intrinsic part of the creative and technical process, as important as the script or the photography, if not more important in some cases. Visit FilmSound to read articles that explore the subject in much greater depth.
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Back to the How To Guides
Why isn't this article in the post-production section? Surely sound considerations come after the footage has been edited together? It's when you clean up inaudible dialogue, or add sound effects and music to enhance the scene, isn't it?
Well, no. Sound isn't there to rescue the work, to fix problems, or to hide failings - sound is as big a consideration as the visuals. And as such, sound design should be incorporated into every stage of your production, not added as an annoying after thought.
Sound is, and should be, an integral part of your planning and execution. Let's say, for example, you arrive at your chosen location, totally pleased with how it looks, but when you plug in the sound equipment, you realise you're directly below a flight path, or there's a busy road right behind the hedge. This simple example demonstrates why sound design should be incorporated throughout the process. Chances are, you're making a short film and have no ADR facility, so your beautiful shot is ruined by the noise of traffic, or the hiss of a bad cable connection, dialogue is inaudible, and a key plot point is lost in the din.
But planning for sound isn't just an excellent way to avoid problems, it's an essential part of the creative process. So, why not write with sound in mind? Maybe you have a scene in which your character is walking around his neighbourhood. His mood is to be reflected in the music - but you could be more subtle here. Why can't the sound of the neighbourhood reflect his mood? Anger is heard in the growling of a dog, or the roar of a damaged engine. Love comes through the birdsong, or fear is pricked with moments of silence punctuated by loud, surprising interruptions. Thus, the neighbourhood can become a character in the story.
Randy Thom, the sound designer on films such as Forrest Gump, says, "There is hardly any discussion of what should be heard rather than seen ... Starving the eye will inevitably bring the ear, and therefore the imagination, into play." Thus, he echoes a concern we first explored in our screenwriting article - how to engage the audience at a deeper level. He continues:
"When we begin to imagine a scene, the first few sounds that come to mind will usually be 'appropriate' in a general way, but not very deeply connected to what is really happening dramatically.
Let's say we have a scene around a kitchen table where two guys are arguing. One eventually jumps up, pulls a gun, cocks it, and points it at the other's head. The most obvious sound effect to feature is the cocking of the gun. Ironically, the other prop I mentioned (the table) could supply a more powerful sound. As our guy stands, maybe he shoves the table toward the other guy. The scrape of the table legs on the floor could be fashioned to evoke danger more effectively because it comes from a place we don't expect. Knowing we may want to use the sound of the table in this way will influence everything about the way we set up and block the shots."
So, let's summarise what you should bear in mind when designing the sound for your film.
- Look for ways in which the story can be told through sound as well as visuals.
- When scouting locations, listen as well as look. Find sounds that will be unique, or marry with the visuals to create something altogether different.
- Don't skimp on microphones and sound equipment. Cheap doesn't mean inferior in the same way expensive doesn't mean superior. Different equipment works for different situations. There will be times when the on-board mic of your camera will suffice, and other times when it will not.
- Listen to what you are recording. Plug the headphones into the socket and make sure you hear the sounds coming through them.
- Don't just record the sound of what you are shooting. Take time to gather sounds from the location, even if you don't end up using them, they might come in useful for another production. An uninterrupted wild track of the ambient noise of the location will help immensely when you come to mix the sound.
- When shooting dialogue scenes, be absolutely sure to listen to them through headphones. It may not be obvious with the naked ear what is coming through on the microphone.
- Take the same care in learning about your sound equipment as you do about your visual equipment.
Sound design is not the ugly cousin of film-making, to be ignored and shunned. It is an intrinsic part of the creative and technical process, as important as the script or the photography, if not more important in some cases. Visit FilmSound to read articles that explore the subject in much greater depth.
Tweet
Back to the How To Guides