SOUND DESIGN

​

Soundtracks are created by mixing together noise and speech (as well as music). Good filmmakers will devote a lot of their energy to the soundtrack of their film in post-production, making such that it sounds rich and interesting, and also making sure that key moments are audible. Bad sound design can make a film seem clunky and boring. Good sound design brings a film to life, adding layers to the action as well as heighten an audiences sense of perception.

​

It’s important to emphasize how essential sound design is to filmmaking; sound is never an afterthought. It’s carefully constructed and manipulated, often completely separately from the images that we see on screen.

​

Consider the elements of sound design:

​

• Dialogue (spoken word)

• Music (creates tone)

• Foley (sound effects)

​

Sounds can also be described as diagetic  (from the scene) and non-diagetic (an addition to the story world for the audience only).

​

Sounds and music can be described in a number of ways. Visit this website to learn more about the different characteristics of music. In pairs, choose one of the characteristics to describe to the rest of the class. 

​

http://musicproductionhq.com/words-to-describe-music-musical-parameters/

​

• Rhythm

• Tempo

• Harmony

• Melody

• Instrumentation

• Dynamic

• Texture

• Genre

• Form

• Temperature

 

CASE STUDY

Analyse this scene from Wall-e (2009) in relation to how sound is used.