Sound design is an incredibly important part of any media, and it can make or break the experience for the viewer. It’s not just about picking out some cool sounds to fit with a scene – sound design requires creativity and innovation to stand out truly. In this article, we’ll look at three innovative ideas that producers can use when designing soundtracks for their projects.
Inception-style sound design.
In movies, the concept of “inception” describes a method that uses one sound or noise as an instrument for another. In other words, it’s a way to use already existing sounds to create something new and unique. For example, imagine recording crickets chirping and then using that sound to create the ambiance of a forest.
The sounds don’t need to be similar, either. You could take an industrial-sounding noise like clanging metal on a construction site and use it as something completely different – for example, thunder in the background of your horror movie scene. This technique allows you to create truly unique soundscapes for your project.
Mixing organic with electronic.
One of the great things about sound design is that you have a lot of freedom to be creative, and one way you can use this creativity is by creating unique mixes between natural-sounding sounds and more modern or technological ones. Electronic music has become incredibly popular in recent years, so it’s not surprising that producers are starting to integrate the two worlds.
For example, imagine a scene where an actor performs some ritual involving hand movements and chanting vocals – it would be interesting if electronic bird sounds in the background accompanied this. The contrast between ancient-sounding instruments and modern technology creates a unique effect that will resonate with viewers, and it will make your project stand out from the crowd.
Using sounds in different contexts.
Since sound is largely abstract, you can use it to create ideas and concepts that aren’t present in the visuals of your project. This means you don’t always need words or dialogue when designing a soundtrack. Sometimes, even just environmental noise like wind blowing through trees can signify an atmosphere of mystery and suspense.
One example is the famous scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s movie “The Birds”: as viewers, we don’t see anything happening on-screen to indicate danger or unease. However, there are tense sound effects throughout, which immediately put us on edge and create a sense of suspense without any need for dialogue at all.
