Half the Experience is Sound
Have you ever watched a horror movie on mute? Sounds not really that scary, isn’t it? Sound does so much more than we give it credit for, more than just accompanying visuals; it tells us how to feel. An effective sound effect at just the right moment in a cue of music can vivify an otherwise okay moment into something that is unforgettable.
Sound Effects: The Glue of Realism
Everything we do in this world has a sound attached to it. Footsteps. Doors creaking. Raindrops hitting on a window. Stripped of these little details, the movies and games seem hollow. Something feels “wrong.” You are not going to notice it consciously, but you absolutely notice when it’s gone.
Like video games. For example, first-person-shooters. You hear a twig snap behind you, and immediately you tense up and turn and—boom—someone’s sneaking up on you. This one little sound cue just affected your game play.
Or how about RPGs? You find an ancient sword deep within a dungeon. If you pick it up and it makes a little whimpering clink, it just doesn’t feel powerful at all. But if, as you lift it, it makes a deep, metallic shiiing, it’s Excalibur. That is the power of good sound effects.
Music: The Emotional Backbone
What visuals alone will never do is touch emotions, and music does this. This is why they have those dramatic orchestral buildups–or dramatic piano lines, even–in movie trailers. Without music, a sad scene is just some people looking at each other with tears in their eyes. If you add just the right production music? Now you’re crying too.
The Super Mario theme. That thing, like, the second you hear it, it elicits some sort of response in you, be it nostalgia, excitement, fun, whatever; it’s a feeling. Or the Imperial March from Star Wars. You know when those first notes start, Darth Vader is coming, and that’s bad news for anyone in his way.
An example of music as a pace and energy setter: A race game with extremely fast tempo beat gets your adrenaline flowing. A horror game with haunting droning sounds creeps you out. Even software has a way of getting into the mood influence through music: ever noticed how productivity apps tend to use such soft ambient sounds to keep one focused?
Silence is Just as Important
Most people think good sound design requires putting more sound into the picture. Knowing when to take sound away from the elements is also good sound design. Silence, or near silence, can be as powerful as either the music or the sfx.
Have you played a game when suddenly, the music stops right before something terrifying is going to happen? That silence pulls you in. It makes you aware of every little creak or whisper. It’s the calm before the storm, and your brain knows it.
Bottom Line: Sound Better Everything
You can have the best visuals in the world, but without a proper understanding of the use of quality sound, it turns out flat. Creating immersion in everything, guiding emotions, making everything feel real: that is why we still remember that music from games and movies we loved as kids. It’s that bad sound design that usually makes an even beautifully shot movie look cheap.
Next time you watch a movie or play a game, even use an app, stop for a moment to really listen. You might be surprised at how much royalty free sound effects and production music are doing behind the scenes.