Creative Choices In Sound Design:
Written by Brad Meyer MPSE, Boom Box Post
A common practice I see among newer editors is cutting sound effects directly from a library, and leaving it at that. Depending on your library, that’s not always a bad thing. Some libraries are putting out some incredible content right now, and sometimes you find exactly what you’re looking for. However, the plop-and-drop method of cutting sound effects doesn’t always get the job done. A lot of projects call for a more custom sound palette. Certain scenes, certain moments, sometimes even full series or projects call for a more specific, bespoke approach.
The Label Isn’t King
The biggest culprit I see in this regard is taking file labeling literally, as well as using the first couple sound effects that pop up in a library when using a simple keyword search. For example, searching “door” and then using the first sound effects that come up every time is an apathetic approach. How heavy is the door? How old is it? What is the door made out of? What is the length of the action (opening, closing, etc.)? These are all great questions to ask yourself when trying to create a door from scratch, shying away from cookie-cutter library sounds.
Below is an example of a door closing sound effect I made from scratch, using only non-door sounds. For the creak, I used a simple wood creak which I pitched using Waves Graphic Pitch. For the sound of the door latching closed I used some gun handling foley, an airplane seatbelt, a body fall on hardwood, and the sound of someone slamming their fist on a table.
The same goes for vocal, musical, or Foley design. Using the sound of a footstep labeled “wood” is too broad to be custom to your project or scene in any way. What kind of shoes is the character wearing? What kind of wood is the character walking on? Is it a hollow dock by the sea? Brand new hardwood floors in a nice house? Old, creaky floorboards in a horror film?
Don’t be afraid to dig deep and get more creative with the sounds you’re using, otherwise you’ll end up using the same few sound effects every time.
Don’t Always Use The Real-Life Sound Of The Object On Screen
Whether it’s a door, a footstep, a car, etc., the lure of cutting a sound that is exactly the thing we see on screen is a very easy option. Especially when time is tight and you have a deadline to make. I get it, we’ve all been there. But in reality, a lot of things sound way more lame and disappointing than how we collectively remember them; or how movies and TV have led us to believe. Sometimes recording or using the sound of the real thing is just… not good. And it can lead to entire soundscapes sounding unimaginative and unconvincing.
It’s always good to get your creative juices flowing and think of other things you can use to create the sound you need. When designing a car for example, try using other things with a motor or engine, like lawn equipment, power tools, boats, motorcycles, etc.
That’s exactly what I did when I designed the sound of Goofy’s Daily Driver in Mickey And The Roadster Racers. For Goofy’s car, we used go-karts, lawn mowers, cars backfiring, and more. Using a regular old car would not have given the personality audiences look for when it comes to Goofy.
Layering
When building something from nothing, layering is your best friend. Even the simplest sounds can have a lot of moving parts or components. This is another reason why using cookie-cutter library sounds might not always do the trick. Does the sound you’re using offer the same personality to your sound design as the visuals require? Usually, cutting one layer will not give the desired effect. Multi-layering a sound is a great opportunity to sneak in a broader frequency range, leading to a fuller, more well rounded final product.
Below is an example of a custom car I built for one of our shows. You can hear the individual layers I used, and then you can hear what they all sound like together. The layers I used were a Ferrari Testarossa which I EQ’d to make it sound fuller and fatter, a jet engine turbine to give a “high octane” effect, and a Harley Davidson that I EQ’d to give a bit of a throaty, low-end quality.
Processing
Don’t be afraid to noodle around with some plugins or software to help you create a one-of-a-kind sound. Even the stock plugins that come free with DAWs like ProTools, Reaper, and Logic can do some powerful things; worth exploring when creating sound from scratch. Sometimes, using straight source material works great, but oftentimes sounds need a little TLC to help give them the personality you need. Especially with shows that are incredibly stylized, you can push the boundaries of reality with some fun tools and toys.
Below, you can hear a custom toon sound effect I made using a simple slide whistle, paired with a human whistling. Both were processed using Waves Graphic Pitch Shift.
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