Why sound is one of your most important post-production investments

Even though images are a significant aspect of post-production works, nobody denies the fact that sound is an indispensable part of our lives, as well as the perfect complement for those images. Thanks to sound, we communicate among people, we feel, we remember, we react, we feel safer. Without a doubt, for companies operating in the mixing sound industry, such as Enhanced Media, the importance of sound and its quality is such that we pay the same attention to it, or even more than to images themselves.

Although the teams in charge of sound work are often eclipsed in the film industry (let’s consider, for instance, the Oscar Awards categories related to sound in comparison to others…), people are not truly aware of the fundamental role of these professionals. They have to study and research extensively about the sounds and materials that will be included in audiovisual products, and they constantly innovate to provide many of the sounds that cannot be recorded during the shooting of a scene but are incorporated later in post-production.

The following assertion is drastic but true: post-production materials are nothing without sound. Yes, we all know plenty of examples of outstanding silent films: Chaplin’s, Buster Keaton’s, Eisenstein’s, Nosferatu, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, The Jazz Singer, etc., nevertheless, they did include music, and it was essential for maintaining the rhythm for the narrative. In current films, sound is not only important for this reason but simply because it is quite hard for a viewer to dive into a video product of any kind without audio. Have you tried watching a horror movie on mute? It is half the experience!

Now, a high-quality sound is not only fundamental when it comes to post-production works: it may be the distinguishing factor of it. A signature, so to speak. Some films, as well as the material directed by great figures such as Christopher Nolan, Darren Aronofsky, David Lynch, or Quentin Tarantino, can be identified by their sound design; not to mention hundreds of amazing series, video games, and commercials out there. In other words: sound could become one of the most important investments for your post-production material if you start considering it a pillar of your work instead of a secondary element.

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So, how to make the sound a differentiating factor? This question is the best guide for starting a long journey.

First of all, let's remember that all techniques used in post-production should always be at the service of the narrative itself. Many filmmakers have experimented with sound but have always integrated sound into a larger synergy. Think of Stanley Kubrick's filmography, for example.

Unlike the image, the sound is not limited by the framing and the quality and intensity of the light. Audio recording records what takes place in the environment of a particular space. Therefore, it is key to keep in mind that absolute silence is non-existent in human reality.

To this extent, a script should detail the different elements that make up the image in parallel with the audio. Try to describe the totality of the sounds that make up your audio. This is an interesting exercise in deconstructing reality: what sounds, however minimal, are present in a situation?

Moreover, it is very likely that during the recording of your project you will not be able to record all the sounds you described in your script. The idea is to later produce those sounds and post-synchronize them with what you captured on set.

To learn more about how we can improve your your post sound workflow, please contact us.

*The images used on this post are taken from Pexels.com