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A common misconception that the audio community has been battling since the beginning of time is the notion that audio is just sounds that accompany an image. Oh, they couldn't be more wrong. Sound is equally, if not more, important (depending on the case) than video.

Have you ever tried to watch a video or film where the audio was too quiet? Or the background music is louder than the dialogue? Sound can make or break the final product.

Podcasts are to be thanked for the greater focus and current popularity in audio design. With no visual elements, sound effects, music, and even silence need to be intricately woven to create a highly professional-sounding podcast. The quality of sound and dialogue add to the emotion of the subject matter and frankly, no one wants to hear something that sounds like it's been recorded a mile away.

Unfortunately, it's not just as simple as hooking up a microphone and pressing record. Nature plays a big role in getting that crisp, clean audio. For example, if you record in a big or empty room, sound waves are going to bounce off every surface. This causes reverberation, or echo, which the mic will pick up and thus ruin a good track of audio. Recording in a room with soft materials, like curtains, sheets, pillows, and mattresses, will work much better due to the reverb being absorbed by the fabrics. Even better would be creating a wall of blankets or pillows around the area of the mic, for more controlled absorption.

Research to Inform

Since the introduction of sound in film, producers, and designers have evolved with sound technology at an incredible rate. From foley to talkies, mono/stereo to multitrack mixing, audio has adapted itself with the evolution of video. I took a look at some iconic scenes from film and television that demonstrates the excellence in craft.

Ah, Alien. A masterpiece of a film that broke the ground for so many different reasons (a woman hero in sci-fi? We love that). Despite many snubs from popular awards, minus the Oscar win for Best Effects, Visual Effects, Alien paved the way for future films in terms of visual and sound effects.

The famous chest-burster scene has so many layers of sounds, but also good use of silence. The chatter in a small room actually sounds just like that, and when a character was focused in on, their dialogue was a little bit louder than everyone else's so we could hear what they were saying. The chaos of everything leading up to the chest burst also sounds very realistic with pained moans, frantic shouting, and clattering dishes. Then there's the gruesome burst, shrieking, squishy wet blood, and the alien noises ending with the silence of the crew that allows the viewer a few seconds of trying to figure out what the hell just happened, much like the crew.

The thumbnail says it all. Game of Thrones was an incredibly designed series, between the visuals, sounds, acting, and writing (not season 8 though I want to make that clear). It's hard enough producing something that is sci-fi or fantasy but elevating it to something this grand is truly unbelievable. Not only is it visually stunning, but the sound effects are also very complex. There are the sounds of the ships moving in water, the arrow of fire shot through the air, burning bodies, screams of agony, and much more. This assault of sounds leaves the viewer with a sense of horrific awe.

If you've been following my blog posts, then you knew this was coming. This remake of the 1978 original series is a cult classic and won an Emmy for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series in 2009. Almost all sounds that you can hear in this series have been created from the beginning and are recognizable with your eyes closed. It's easy to understand this fantasy world once you learn what raiders, cylons, and space sound like. But even better than the sound effects is the soundtrack. Bear McCreary developed a score that viewers could tie to certain characters or moments. For example, the President and Admiral have their own song for intimate moments.

Create

It's been a while since I recorded and edited a podcast, but I was excited to get back into it. Using everything I had planned in the pre-production, I interviewed my friend Amanda-Rae on her passion: British period dramas and UK television produced by Mammoth Screen. Have a listen!

Stephanie Cabral · The Niche Nook, Episode One

References:

https://blog.sonicbids.com/7-secrets-of-getting-pro-sounding-vocals-on-home-recordings

https://www.videomaker.com/article/c4/8862-sound-advice-editing-audio-for-video