Sound design is one of the key elements in the production of a variety of arts. Visual arts such as theater, film, television as well as songs and music composition. To be a successful and celebrated filmmaker, music producer or even video game designer one must understand the importance of quality sounds. The audio and soundtrack contributes abundantly in the establishment of the subject matter in a film. Different genres, of movies and television shows, have an almost generic sound design. Notice how all horror movies, for example, have a similar eerie and sinister soundtrack and audios.
A soundtrack consists of various elements such as human voice, sound effect, actual sound, commentary, atmospheric sounds and music as well.All these sounds are crucial to have a realistic feel. The sound effects and dialogues should also be in synced with the visuals otherwise match on action would not be achieved, giving the scene an uneasy feeling. Some of the key terms of sound in media are listed below :-
-Diegetic/actual sounds
These are sounds that have a source visible in the frame or is implied to be present in the scene. These sounds could be on-screen or off-screen but are presented to be originating from within the scene. This could be dialogues or atmospheric sounds.
-Non-diegetic sounds
These are sounds that do not have a visible source nor it is implies to be coming from within the film world. Examples would be narration and background music that has no source but is rather edited just to elevate certain types of emotions.
-Synchronous sounds
Synchronous sounds are matched with the actions of the screen. Like hearing the dialogues while the actor actually is speaking. This elevates the realism of the film, if that is what the director is trying to portray.
-Asynchronous sounds
Asynchronous sounds are those that do not match or sync with what is being shown at the screen. These could be background sounds just adding realism to the story or convey a particular message to the audience.
Sounds in a film can convey many underlying messages and emotions. It would be a huge mistake to underestimate the importance of sounds in film and media industry. Sounds and music can very well be used to tell the audience about the location, time period and even the particular feelings of subjects. Different loudness and pitch are also used to instill different feelings in the audience.
As much as sound is important, it should also be noted that silence is also very impact full and can be a great device in conveying emotions and feelings. Silence has a way of captivating audience and leaving them intrigued. This could be used too create the feeling of mystery and suspense in any film or television show. Partial silence is very commonly used by directors to create a void in the scene. This void is then filled by audiences to better understand what the subject is going through and they somehow get involved in the subjects feelings and emotional journey.
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