So what is sound design? How is it used in different media, and what is the process by which sonic tableaux are brought to the big and small screens? The purpose of sound design is to augment or enhance the telling of a story. In most cases, that involves the creation, manipulation, and organization of non-musical sonic elements. It may be hard to believe, but in the case of film and television most of the sound is recorded at the post-production stage, which means the work that happens after pre-production and production of the project. Sound design is the process of adding sounds to the areas of a production that aren't recorded properly during the shooting. Most projects begin with a spotting session, which is attended by the sound designer and film director or game producer. Spotting is the process of watching a scene, making a list of the sonic elements that are needed, and dividing them into their constituent layers. These layers usually consist of thus;
Hard SFX.
All sounds other than speech, music and the natural sounds generated by the actors in synchronous filming are considered 'sound effects'. (Handzo, S. "Film Sound Theory and Practice" 1985 p.406) Hard or principal sound effects are the primary up-front sounds that are synchronised to important events on the screen. They also highlight the drama and help to tell the story. The lead sound designer typically works on these sounds, and in large-budget projects the hard sound effects are further subdivided into editorial and principal effects. Editorial effects are routine, everyday sounds such as doors closing and cars starting. Principal effects are the big, production-specific sounds such as laser zaps, explosions, and dinosaur footsteps.
Background or Ambience.
Backgrounds, also called atmospheres, are sounds that are not synchronised to events on screen. These sounds are designed to set the mood and define where something is taking place. Distant city traffic, the ever-present rumble of a star ship, or a chorus of birds in the jungle can serve to reinforce the visual image and enhance the story's believability. Backgrounds also come in two types. Ambiences are long, continuous recordings that set a mood with something that doesn't call attention to the track. Stingers or specifics are short elements added to the ambience tracks at certain times to spice things up. Imagine them as non-musical embellishments.
How do sound designers attain these sounds and ambiences? The truth is to ask yourself how and why a scene becomes so realistic. What brings a winter-clad field to life? What is it that makes one jump when a New York cab blares its horn while crawling down Wall Street? The answer is one of the few facets of post-production that all sound engineers would agree on, and that is that the best sound comes from the source. If reality is what's required then that's exactly what is recorded. This is by far the most approved approach to sound design, which brings into play location recording and Foley, and is also one of the more desired posts in sound production for a couple of reasons. Firstly the post offers much opportunity for travelling, and secondly it's a lot more fun to arrive at work with the days schedule involving car door smashing, window breaking and fruit splatting, as opposed to sitting in front of a computer and staring into a wave editor all day. At this point I feel it is necessary now that I explain where the term 'foley' came from. |
