Sound Planning Equals Powerful Storytelling

By Lisa Horan and Kevin Hill

If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times (at least, from us here at Studio Unknown, that is!) . . . when you are preparing your script for your project, don't neglect to consider and plan for the sound. We stress this not just to help you save time and money (although, these are obvious benefits, of course), but also to help you tell the story your piece is trying to convey most effectively. Here's how . . .

Sound Establishes Setting
Imagine a scene that takes place in a bustling marketplace filled with people. How much more powerful and interesting would that scene be for the audience if the actual voices of haggling customers, the ring of cash registers, the tinkling of change, and the ruffling of paper bags,
were audible? To put it another way . . . how blah would that scene be without these sounds? That said, consider taking the time to capture ambient location sounds to help establish the scene's setting. (One caution, however: be careful not to compromise the quality of the location dialogue you are recording and ensure a "quiet set" as much as you can. If ambient sounds are too loud, be sure to address this on location and adjust your levels appropriately.)

Sound Helps Set Mood
Sound can serve as one of the biggest emotional "helpers" when establishing and creating the mood of a scene, but don't wait until you're on the set to make decisions about what you want to create. Think about this during pre-production and add mood-related sound notes to your script then. You can take these notes with you to your shoot and relate them to your actors and production crew so they have a firm understanding of what you're going for. By communicating what sounds you expect will be taking place in the final project – such as creaking floor as a character tip-toes across it trying to avoid being heard, ominous music playing as a violent storm is heading straight for a character’s home, or the chirping of birds and buzz of insects as a character sits on his balcony sipping his morning coffee – you can help actors better understand not only what they would be hearing in a real-world scenario, but also how he or she can react and respond most appropriately.

Sound Serves Picture
In any creative piece, it is imperative that you ensure that sound and picture are collaborating with one another most effectively. One of the best ways to do this is to help accurately establish distance. For instance, let's say a young boy is lost in the woods and is crying out from deep within the thicket. His parents are standing in a clearing and hear his voice but can't see him. With every step, he is getting closer to the clearing. To give the picture the most impact and help it to make the most sense, it is important to adjust audio levels of his cries for help.

When writing, you should consider laying out sound ideas, such as this one, much like you would with shots and storyboards for visuals. In animation, this is particularly important, as the soundscape plays a major role in helping to tell the story and set the stage for characters' motions, location, etc.

Sound Helps Tell the Story
While many sound-related elements are brought in during post-production through sound design, Foley, and the music score, it can be very helpful to discuss the "theme" of these elements and the overall soundscape prior to shooting. Talk to your sound designer or editor during pre-production and discuss what you envision your projects embodying upon completion. This ensures that you can take as much information to the set as possible and best communicate your goals with the actors and crew. But don't stop there! Why not take the extra step of selecting or at least working on the music for your project during pre-production, as well. Many directors and producers begin the music selection process after footage has been captured and editing has begun, but having an idea of what music is going to accompany a particular scene can greatly assist actors in understanding and relating to the intended mood of a piece, not to mention helping the crew to capture angles, lighting, and shots that will complement your intended effect.

For more information, contact Lisa Horan at lisah@lisahoran.com

Visit www.lisahoranwriting.com or www.lisahoran.com.