Music and Sound for Media | Sound Design
- Charlotte Pollock
- Feb 17, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 2, 2024
by Charlotte Pollock
In this article, I will be discussing the basics and importance of sound design. Sound design, in itself, is the practice of creating (designing) soundtracks for various purposes, such as for TV, video games and film. Such soundtracks will involve sound effects, dialogue, ambience and music.
In order to achieve this, a sound designer has many tasks. These can range from sourcing and recording sounds, digitally creating sounds, editing, mixing and mastering. It also involves a practice called "Foley", wherein the artist will physically perform the actions on screen in a studio and the sound will be captured via a microphone.
5 Main Aspects of Sound Design
Sound Effects (SFX)
Foley
Ambience
Dialogue
Music
Disclaimer
Sound Design is less about creating a sound for every possible thing and more about being selective, using the sounds to convey storytelling and emotions.
Overloading a scene with sounds can cause it to become messy and confusing. This can cause an audience to be distracted rather than immersed in the story.
Choosing Appropriate Sounds/Instruments
Your choice of instruments and sounds can give an indication of the time period or setting. For example, strings, brass and woodwind instruments can indicate an older time period, whereas country-style instruments can suggest a wild west theme. Synthesisers and electronic instruments can point to a more modern, or even futuristic setting, depending on how electronic-based you go with it.
When choosing sounds and instruments for your scene, consider the technology available in the time period or in the setting. There is (generally) no technology in a jungle, so you might opt to go for more natural sounds and instruments, like animal sounds, weather, and acoustic instruments. In contrast, a cityscape will be more technological and sound more industrial, so you may choose sounds such as vehicles, crowd noise, and electronic instruments.
Sound effects also draw attention to location, for example: birdsong in a forest, wild animal sounds in jungle, traffic noise in a city, metallic bangs in a creepy castle, etc.
My Examples
I created three short (30-40s) tracks, all set in different worlds: a jungle, the sky, and a creepy castle. I took note of what kinds of sounds and instruments would be associated with each and applied these to the soundscapes and music.
African and Asian style instruments: bongos, woodblock, marimba, guiro, xylophone, shakers.
Wind in trees and animal sounds such as crickets, birds and monkeys.
I also considered musical themes in traditional African-style music, such as lead rhythmic percussion parts, lead melody on keys (xylophone), and the volume and textures gradually build.
Softer instruments such as synth pads, drones, woodwind (flute, clarinet), piano, chimes, harp and strings.
Airy wind sounds and "sparkly" sounds (chimes).
Ambient music themes were also used, such as lots of atmosphere (pads/drones/soundscape), high frequency sounds (associated with safety), free form (not in time with metronome) and volume automation to create fades.
Low frequency instruments such as cello and double bass, noisy synths with lots of distortion, high pitch screeching sounds.
I created sounds of lava boiling and hissing by blowing bubbles using a straw in a glass of water then pitched it down, and dropped cold water droplets on a hot pan (quick evaporation = sizzle).
I also applied heavy compression and distortion to create a dark, creepy sound, as well as used a fast tempo and low frequency sounds to create suspense.
Layering and Variation
Layering is key to creating great sounds that sound full and realistic! Don’t just use one sound for each effect; think about the details that make up a sound and add layers.
Spectral vs. Elemental Layering
Spectral layering is the practice of breaking down a sound into its frequency bands (lows, mids, highs) and layering them to create the full sound. Its name refers to the frequency spectrum.
Elemental layering is breaking down a sound into its elements and layering those, e.g. an explosion has an initial explosion (impact sound), the body (the main sound), and the tail (the sound decaying and coming to an end).
Sound designer Marshall McGee discusses both of these concepts in his video about layering. The first example of layering is from Jurassic Park (1993). Gary Rydstrom, lead sound designer of the film, discusses how he layered two animal sounds on opposites of the frequency spectrum to create the raptor screams for the movie. This is an example of spectral layering.
The second example is from video game Hyper Light Drifter (2016). Sound designer Akash Thakkar shows his elemental layering process where he uses various metallic sounds to produce the sound of a pillar ascending from the ground. This is elemental layering as each metallic layer is an element used to make the whole sound full.
Hyper-Realism
Hyper-realism is the idea that sounds seem grander and more exaggerated in film and media. This is why sounds in film/TV aren’t a reflection of how they sound in real life, for example, punch sound effects in movies are particularly exaggerated to make the scene more tense and impactful. Another example is over-pronounced footsteps to highlight a character's entrance.
Take a listen to this cinematic punch sound effect. Does a real life punch sound like this?
Regardless of the unrealistic nature of this sound, it is still appropriate in a film or TV show setting as it is what we, as an audience, expect it to sound like on screen. If a punch in a movie sounded like a real life punch, it would have far less impact and feel out of place.
“The idea of hyper-realism is simply that an unreal sound can sound ‘more real’ than a real sound." (Mengual et al., 2016)
Hyper-realism is particularly prominent in weapon and explosion sound effects. You may have never heard these sounds in a real life situation, but due to the influence the sounds of film, TV and video games have on us, you probably still have an expectation of what a gun or explosion sounds like.
In conclusion: don't be afraid to exaggerate! In fact, it is encouraged due to sound design customs influenced by decades of film and television.
Useful Resources
The Foley Grail (Ament, 2014) [pdf]
The Sound Effects Bible (Viers, 2008) [pdf]
The Guide to Sound Effects
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