As much as we love a Charlie Chaplin slapstick comedy, it also reminds us how much the industry has evolved in terms of sound design. We once had films that directed the emotional state of the audience with mere words on screen, and how it’s the bits of music, background noises, and even foley sounds that drive how we feel in a theatre. There is obviously a lot to a sound design, types of sounds used in a film, and the kind of work put behind it, but right now we are exploring how one bit of the film score can completely change how you experience the scene, understand the character, or feel when leaving the cinema hall.
Sound design can also have a major cultural impact. Some of the most iconic examples could be as simple as the lightsaber hum or the Force sound in Star Wars. We wouldn’t be using the words “Pew-Pew” in everyday conversations if it weren’t for the blaster noise used in the franchise. Or Jurassic Park wouldn’t be as terrifying if not for the way the dinosaurs sounded in the theater all those years ago. Not just props and character, but even background score changes the way a film feels. The existential isolation of space in Gravity drives how the film makes you experience the character’s journey.
Audio isn’t just around to fill the silence, but it shapes mood, narrative, and emotions, making it an equal partner to visuals in movie-making. Even the absence of one can turn things around for the character, the film, and you.
The Role of Sound Design in Storytelling
Sound perceived and audible to its characters is diegetic. But the ones heard by us, the audience, are non-diegetic sound. It is the latter that often drives the audience’s immersion and the emotional depth experienced by us. Musical scores and voiceovers enhance the mood of the scene, evoke emotions, and provide insights into characters’ inner thoughts and feelings. But the best comes from balancing both. In films like The Shining, it isn’t just the hacking sound when Jack tries to break through the bathroom door, but also the subtle low hum through the film, the threatening background score in the scene itself that makes us clutch to our seats. It immerses us into the film’s reality, keeping us there and holding our attention.
Crafting Atmosphere and Emotion Through Sound
Coming back to The Shining, the film, throughout its runtime, builds up to the horror of the climax with its sound design. Tension grows on screen from the beginning with ambient soundscapes that create a sense of dread and unease. We feel it every time Jack begins to work on his book, but is unable to or gets distracted. The subtle low hum hints at the supernatural, and the distinct sound of Danny’s tricycle in the empty hotel. It all brings us to the conclusion of what’s going on and where it could lead us. It moves the story forward, building up the tension with unnerving music, even making the otherwise peaceful environment feel eerie.
John Williams’ score in Jaws also played with similar emotions of dread, but with silence in some scenes. Chrissie’s death comes after she experiences a very simple life with friends, surrounded by aimless conversation, acoustic guitar, and crackling firewood, making the scene far worse for something as simple as an animal attack film. Meanwhile, another scene, where the lack of sound is used just as poetically, when Steven Spielberg inserts a close-up of the report titled “SHARK ATTACK”, while we never actually hear any of them use the words in the scene.
Building Realism and Immersion
A Quiet Place from 2018 is probably one of the best films that managed to capture the realism and ambience while maintaining the absence of sound; this, too, is sound design. While realism focuses on creating a believable and authentic atmosphere with environmental sounds, ambience is the background sound that establishes the environment and mood for the specific scene. And the layering of these sounds brings the world out to the audience. The film explores a world where monsters hunt by sound, and the audio design by Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn (both editors) builds unbearable tension. The film’s sound comprises of simple rustling of leaves, the creaking of a floorboard, which influences moments of terror throughout the runtime.
Driving Narrative and Audience Perspective
Director Quentin Tarantino emphasizes sound’s ability to be as important as dialogue, stating, “Even if you can’t hear the words, you can understand the story,” and that sound can “make you feel what’s going on.” This is also why even with subtitles, foreign films are so easy to watch. Sound design often works as cues of action, on and off screen, narrates what’s about to happen even before it does. It is the unseen guides for world-building, especially in films like Dune, the soundtrack for sandworms helps portray them not as monsters, but as spiritual, godlike creatures. Without which the meaning of the film, and an entire tribe would change completely.
Artistic Innovation and Technology In Sound Design
Innovations in film sound mixing have played a crucial role in enhancing the cinematic experience over the years. Apart from collaboration between directors, composers, and sound teams, it’s the use of 3D audio, AI-powered design that’s defining the growth. Dolby Atmos and DTS: X have revolutionized audio by placing sounds in a 3D space. As the sound moves, it makes the experience more immersive and intense for films like Gravity and more terrifying for films like Hereditary. AI-powered designs might not only make this experience tailored for VR, but also easier in films. Imagine hearing a dinosaur that sounds more terrifying with every scene throughout the runtime.
Little Piece of Sound Design History
The evolution of Sound design didn’t come from the formula films, or the ones that packed the theatres when we were kids, it came from classics that changed the game in their genre and the industry as a whole. One of the big cultural impacts you may have missed out on is this screaming sound from Star Wars. Called the Wilhelm scream, it is a stock sound that has been used in over 400 films and TV shows (but more on that later). Discovered and first used by Ben Burtt, he incorporated it into other films that he worked on, including Willow, Gremlins, Anchorman, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Lethal Weapon 4, The Fifth Element, and several others directed by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. This, in itself, is a little piece of cinema history that adds to the storytelling on those films.
Sound design stands as one of the most vital yet often unseen forces in filmmaking. It breathes life into visuals, shaping the emotions, atmosphere, and storytelling in unexpected ways that visuals cannot achieve alone. From the subtlest background noises to sweeping musical scores, every sound is carefully crafted to immerse audiences in the story’s world and guide their emotional journey. Learning to listen deeply can unlock a richer, fuller cinematic experience and develop a newfound appreciation for the artistry behind every whisper, footstep, and note. Sound design is not merely an accompaniment; it is a powerful storyteller in its own right, fundamentally transforming how films resonate with us.
