In Merriam-Webster's On-line Dictionary, sound effects are defined as "effects that are imitative of sounds called for in a script of a dramatic production (as a radio show) and that enhance the production's illusion of reality." This definition first appeared in Webster's New International Dictionary issued in 1909.
In the 21st Century, sound effects have evolved considerably and are used in numerous industries and applications. Just a few of these include film, radio, video games, television, multimedia, and cell phones.
Sound Effects in the Film Industry
When reviewing sound effects specifically within the movie industry, there are five main categories. These categories include:
Hard Effects - Of the five primary types of sound effects in filmmaking, hard effects are the most typical. These are distinctive sounds such as a car horn, a gunshot, or the slamming of a car door. With hard effects, there is usually a fixed sound connected with the picture; for example, a trigger is pulled and the sound of a gunshot is heard. In such instances, intricate synchronizing of sound to performance - as is necessary with footsteps for instance - is usually not required to evoke realism.
Foley Sound Effects - These sound effects are recorded live by Foley artists and added postproduction to a movie to enhance both its audio quality and believability. Foley is the process of synchronizing sounds with on-screen action. Of all the different Foley sound effects, footsteps are the most common and well known. However, a Foley artist's craft goes well beyond synchronizing the sound of footsteps to its action on screen. When you hear the realistic whooshes, whacks, and whirls of a fight scene or the clinking and clanking of silverware and dishes in a dinner sequence, you can be certain that a Foley artist worked behind the scenes adding these sound elements to heighten the movie's realism.
Background Effects - These sound effects, also called ambiences, lend reality to a movie by giving it a sense of location. For example, if you were to watch a movie with a scene of two people talking on a busy New York City street, you would hear the honking of horns and the sound of traffic in the background. It should be noted that background effects (BG) are not directly correlated with a specific onscreen action. Even though car horns were heard in the background in the example above, if one of the individuals conversing on the city street were to get in his car and honk the horn (a sound occurs due to a specific onscreen action), this would be considered a hard effect not a BG.
Electronic Sound Effects - If you've ever watched a 1960's sci-fi movie, you probably heard an example of an electronic sound effect. These effects were initially created with synthesizers and keyboards. Today, with the creation of DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) plug-ins, electronic sound effects are also created from filtered or processed organic sounds. These effects are often used as production elements for movie trailer sound beds and title elements on commercials and television shows.
Design Sound Effects - There may be a sound or sounds needed in a film to assist in building suspense or creating a sense of reality that would be impossible to record naturally (such as the delicate metallic sound of a pin hitting a tiled floor). In such instances, the services of a sound designer - that typically uses a Digital Audio Workstation - would be required to create the desired sound(s).
Each of these sound effects is essential to bring a movie to life. From the skilled work of the Foley artist synchronizing each sound with an action portrayed on screen to the background effects lending atmosphere to each scene, when executed properly, sound effects serve to heighten the moviegoer's cinematic experience.
About SES - The Sound Effects Shop, is a worldwide distributor of the world's largest sound effects library publishers for post production and professional broadcast sound effects. The Sound Effects Shop includes sound effects libraries from Sound Ideas, The Hollywood Edge and Blastwave FX.
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