A Closer Look at Sound Design: The Atmosphere
The whole process of sound design is, in reality, a rather complex chain of events that, at some point, intertwines with the no less than also complicated chain of events that describe the film production process.
Sound, as understood by the vast majority of individuals, is actually a pivotal part of the whole moving picture or moving images — which is why its importance requires a somewhat deep analysis in order to understand how a sound design project goes from its inception to the final mix or final stages.
For starters, one of the most important aspects every sound professional needs to pay attention to whilst working on the edition of a particular scene is trying to clean up the dialogue tracks as much as they can. For example, by applying an EQ filter, you can get the best version of the dialogue before proceeding with further steps. And although we’ve mentioned this technique in previous posts, there are many techniques to make the most out of every track during the early stages of the post-production process.
For instance: if the tracks you’re working on seem to have a lot of hum noise in the background, one thing you can certainly do is tone down the low-shelf frequency and then adjust the mid-shelf to turn the dialogue into a more well-done version of the exact same lines.
Additionally, you can also use volume key-framing for achieving a more detailed and meticulous work and for lowering the number of possible sound distractions between one scene and the next one.
That being said, it would be fair to assert that the whole idea behind the complexity of the sound production and post-production process as we know it boils down to one thing: creating the perfect environment for the story that is going to be told through a chain of moving images.
So, how does the process goes from its early stages to the final mix? Once at least one sequence of moving images has been taken care of in terms of pace, the idea is to begin by developing the storytelling whilst adding atmospheric sound and, of course, sound effects. This part is highly dependable on the very nature of the story the director has envisioned in their mind; however, this is, to some extent, pretty much applicable in every project.
There are several ways to create the aforementioned atmosphere. Atmospheric sounds and sound effects will help you smooth out every cut. Also, both things can arguably improve the film’s timing by compensating for what is initially missing in the motion picture. During this stage, is always a good idea to work with both the picture crew editing the images and your soundtracks until everything meets somewhere in the middle of what the production crew is expecting.
As a side note, always keep an eye on the overall pace of the moving images. Let’s not forget that sound and audio are means to an end: they are supposed to create, enhance and improve a film’s storytelling in order to achieve a seamless transition between scenes.
So how to come up with the proper atmosphere or environment for a film through sound? Many sound professionals have at hand a truly large sound effects library, and they always are fond of experimenting with those effects looking for the perfect combination, proper atmosphere and adequate environment. Their purpose? Create a world off the back of what the director has in mind for the moving images.
Depending on the nature of every project, sound professionals can either come up with their own signature sounds or resort to their library; however, everything needs to be tailored to what the director wants. Think of, for example, a movie set in an arid desert — where no animals, trees, insects, or other living species aside human beings can be found. A good starting point could be creating such an atmosphere by including the sound of the wind and sea waves to develop a compelling story.
Think of the sea or the wind slowly getting louder, gradually gaining strength and speed. That, for instance, could be the perfect go-to action to add more intensity to a specific scene, allowing the audience to perceive the whole thing as something credible.
If the project already includes a soundtrack, it is always advisable to be extra careful. If a scene’s pace is on point, then the music will fit in just right; however, and remember, audio professionals cannot compensate for the wrong pace in a film simply adding signature sounds and sound effects to provide the picture with the right atmosphere.
