How far we've come

     I remember learning, in my audio post production class at Full Sail University, about sound design. The instructor had us watch a video on early sound design and how it was implemented in film. The sound designers had to be creative to not only portray what was going on and establish mood but to draw the audience in as well. They often used instruments as sound effects for crashes, hits, slaps and other animated uses. The orchestral sound effects were innovative for that time but as time progressed so did the technology for the sound design. Sound designers began to use random things lying around to create their sounds. They often designed and built custom contraptions for specific sounds. Below is a picture of an early contraption used in the sound design for early Disney animation taken from www.imagineeringdisney.com.

     Looking at movies today it is phenomenal how far technology and sound has come in film. I’m sure a sound designer from early film would be amazed at how the art form as evolved. Design has gone from instruments and homemade contraptions, to using field recorders and vocoders to manipulate and shape the sound.

     Wall-E is a perfect example of excellent sound design. The movie was done completely with sound design and very little dialogue. The sound design was crucial to this movie. The success of the film depended on the sound designers ability to build this world of sound and captivate the audience. That is no easy task and to take a better look at some of the details behind it you should read this article. Ben Burtt is known for his unique methods of sound design and in known to the sound design world as the "father of modern sound design".  He created a world of imagination in the film Wall-E and through his sound design, brought the characters to life. If there is anybody in the industry I aspire to be like it is this man. Here is a video from youtube about the sound design inside the movie. I hope you have enjoyed this post on sound design and maybe learned some things you didn’t know already.