Sound Effects: The Five Categories that Bring a Movie to Life

In Merriam-Webster’s On-line Dictionary, soundmovie’s realism.
effects are defined as “effects that are imitativeBackground Effects – These sound effects, also
of sounds called for in a script of a dramaticcalled ambiences, lend reality to a movie by giving it a
production (as a radio show) and that enhance thesense of location. For example, if you were to watch
production’s illusion of reality.” This definitiona movie with a scene of two people talking on a
first appeared in Webster’s New Internationalbusy New York City street, you would hear the
Dictionary issued in 1909.honking of horns and the sound of traffic in the
In the 21st Century, sound effects have evolvedbackground. It should be noted that background
considerably and are used in numerous industries andeffects (BG) are not directly correlated with a
applications. Just a few of these include film, radio,specific onscreen action. Even though car horns were
video games, television, multimedia, and cell phones.heard in the background in the example above, if one
Sound Effects in the Film Industryof the individuals conversing on the city street were
When reviewing sound effects specifically within theto get in his car and honk the horn (a sound occurs
movie industry, there are five main categories. Thesedue to a specific onscreen action), this would be
categories include:considered a hard effect not a BG.
Hard Effects – Of the five primary types ofElectronic Sound Effects – If you’ve ever
sound effects in filmmaking, hard effects are thewatched a 1960’s sci-fi movie, you probably
most typical. These are distinctive sounds such as aheard an example of an electronic sound effect.
car horn, a gunshot, or the slamming of a car door.These effects were initially created with synthesizers
With hard effects, there is usually a fixed soundand keyboards. Today, with the creation of DAW
connected with the picture; for example, a trigger is(Digital Audio Workstation) plug-ins, electronic sound
pulled and the sound of a gunshot is heard. In sucheffects are also created from filtered or processed
instances, intricate synchronizing of sound toorganic sounds. These effects are often used as
performance – as is necessary with footstepsproduction elements for movie trailer sound beds and
for instance – is usually not required to evoketitle elements on commercials and television shows.
realism.Design Sound Effects – There may be a sound
Foley Sound Effects – These sound effects areor sounds needed in a film to assist in building
recorded live by Foley artists and addedsuspense or creating a sense of reality that would be
postproduction to a movie to enhance both its audioimpossible to record naturally (such as the delicate
quality and believability. Foley is the process ofmetallic sound of a pin hitting a tiled floor). In such
synchronizing sounds with on-screen action. Of all theinstances, the services of a sound designer –
different Foley sound effects, footsteps are thethat typically uses a Digital Audio Workstation –
most common and well known. However, a Foleywould be required to create the desired sound(s).
artist’s craft goes well beyond synchronizing theEach of these sound effects is essential to bring a
sound of footsteps to its action on screen. Whenmovie to life. From the skilled work of the Foley
you hear the realistic whooshes, whacks, and whirlsartist synchronizing each sound with an action
of a fight scene or the clinking and clanking ofportrayed on screen to the background effects
silverware and dishes in a dinner sequence, you canlending atmosphere to each scene, when executed
be certain that a Foley artist worked behind theproperly, sound effects serve to heighten the
scenes adding these sound elements to heighten themoviegoer’s cinematic experience.