Film is an audiovisual medium, so sound is as important as the visual part in film. The soundtrack helps create meaning and mood in a scene and enhances our understanding of character's point of view.Filmmakers have always understood the power that sound and music have to enhance storytelling. Although silent films did not have dialogue or soundtracks as we know them, organists, pianists or full orchestras supplied live musical accompaniment in theaters, and often sound effects were created on the spot by sound-effects specialists. 1927, saw the debut of Warner Bros.’ The Jazz Singer, a 90-minute film with a sound recording that featured a few synchronized songs and lines of dialogue, including Al Jolson’s famous declaration “You ain’t heard nothing yet!” Although Jolson was not the first person to speak or sing on film, audiences raved.The film won a special Academy Award as “a pioneer outstanding talking picture, which has revolutionized the industry.” This was the first movie with synchronous sound: recorded simultaneously with the image.
Recording sound
Shotgun mic has a very narrow recording area, ideal for picking up an actor's voice without background noise. Usually mounted on a boom. Multidirectional mic has a much wider recording area and is generally used to capture ambient sounds. Lavelier is most commonly used for interviews where it isn't important whether they are seen. They can be used with wireless transmitters hidden on the actors.
Types of sound
Sound can be divided into two essential areas:
Diegetic: Generated by things we can see in the picture ('from within the world of the narrative')
Non-Diegetic: Generated outside the picture ('from outside the world of the narrative') e.g. voice over or music
Diegetic sound
Diegetic sound begins –but doesn't end– with what you record on location at the same time as you capture images. It's source is in the story world, and it is audible for screen characters.
Location sound is often enhanced with sound effects (used to add or heighten individual sounds for narrative effect e.g. a phone ringing, or an explosion off camera).
Ambient Sound(outdoors) or Room Tone(indoors) is layered in for realism (and to hide the moment when a plane zoomed overhead or car doors slammed nearby). And is also known as the ‘buzz track’ and it consists of sound that naturally occurs in the environment of a scene or the location in which the scene is meant to be set.
Dialogue is an important part of diegetic sound, and depends on vocal delivery. A good actor can vary pitch, tone, volume and accent according to what the director wants on set, but an interviewee will only speak in their natural voice. Dialogue can be enhanced in post production, or even replaced as ADR. Automatic Dialog Replacement is a film sound technique involving the rerecording the dialogue after photography. It is also known as looping, post-synchronization or post-sync.
A major part of our attention to sound in the modern film is naturally directed toward understanding the dialogue, for in most films dialogue gives us a great deal of important information. Film dialogue is different from stage dialogue, and we need to be aware of the unique characteristics of film dialogue. Dialogue in a typical stage play is an extremely important element, and it is essential that the audience hear almost every word.Because film dialogue can be heard distinctly in every theater seat, this limitation does not apply to film, and dialogue can be treated much more realistically in the movies than on stage. Film dialogue can also be delivered at a much more rapid pace than can stage dialogue.
Sound motifs (e.g. birdsong) can be added as part of post-production sound design, but may seem to come from within the frame.
Subjective sound, also known as internal diegetic sound refers to sounds that are inner world, such as audible thoughts, memories, dreams and imaginings.
Source music is diegetic background music that comes from tangible sources in the story world, such as radios, or songs that are performed by musicians on screen.
Non-diegetic sound
Comes from an unspecified source, external to the world of screen narrative and cannot be heard by screen characters. Raw footage is usually enhanced through the addition of non-diegetic sound, usually in the form of music or voice over. Adding music to images is an art form. Music creates mood and atmosphere, often by manipulating the emotions experienced while viewing. Music can be classified as either soundtrack or score. Music can also be used to support characterisation and establish a sense of atmosphere and locale by giving the audience cues about place, culture, subculture, class and value systems. In many narratives, characters are associated with a theme tune that communicates messages about their role and their personality.Another important function of the soundscape is that it directs attention. Sound can be used to focus the audience’s attention on the important action in a scene.
Voice-over narration: is speech that does not originate from a visible source on screen, and that cannot be heard by other screen characters. It is dialogue to which only the audience is privy, and which often seems to emanate from an unseen narrator or from a protagonist’s thoughts.
Soundtrack: Previously-recorded music chosen because of its fit to the rhythm, content and mood of a sequence. If a song, the lyrics may add meaning to the images.
Score: Music specifically composed to accompany images. As well as enhancing mood and atmosphere, it can be used thematically - e.g. a character can be represented by a musical theme every time they appear, or the audience can be reminded of a situation every time a musical theme recurs.
Underscore, or composed score (usually music without vocals created especially for the film or television series), which prompts assimilating identifications.
Compiled score (usually consisting of familiar songs already circulating in popular culture), which prompts affiliating identifications.
Sound effects: refer to noise other than dialogue or music. Sound effects like footsteps and background traffic noise typically enhance realism by focusing attention, establishing location, developing atmosphere, and so forth. Fidelity is to sound what verisimilitude is to image: the term refers to the degree of realism or similarity that a recorded sound has when compared with its source. Foley (named after Jack Foley, the first Hollywood practitioner of this art) is recreating everyday sound effects to be added to the sound edit. (Here are some ideas for foley.)
Tempo relates to the speed or slowness of sound or music, accelerated tempos can generate anxiety or adrenaline, whereas a slow tempo can be monotonous or relaxing. Pitch refers to whether sound is high or low.
Digital sound manipulation
Spotting (annotating the script to highlight particular sound effects that will need to be recorded and places where music
will be required) involves careful annotations on the film or
television script to registers, and composers working on the musical
score of the film will try to make the soundscape evoke the emotion and
and added in post-production.
Subsonics are very low-pitched sounds that reverberate beneath the register that is consciously audible to human perception.
Synaesthesia refers to the evocation of intersensory links, where one kind of sensory experience is perceived, expressed or translated in terms of another sensation.