Effects of Sound Effects

Imagine yourself finishing your first short film. However, something is just not quite set. You have the main subjects walking through grass without talking. Can you hear the grass? Are there great sound effects when the window breaks? Can the listener really feel the presence of the crowd? Want to have the sound of a large crowd without paying for extras? Try layering a sound effect.

With the use of sound effects, you can have a foghorn while you’re filming the ocean. This creates the impression that there is a ship in the distance. Nearly every scene is filled with layers of sound effects. Most of the time, it is done without us knowing it! Imagine your subjects are sipping on sweet tea outside at night. What would you hear? Crickets? Perhaps an owl? Maybe you would hear wolves? Layer these sounds in editing.

The editor’s best friends are the sound effects. Some sounds do not capture well on camera. Some events need help with sound amplification.

The best part of using sound effects is the budget. Sound effects are rather inexpensive and can save your project’s budget. Instead of manually creating each effect, you can download a variety of sounds. There are quite a few free sites on the Internet. The best sound effects you’ll have to buy, but they are only a few dollars.

One of the biggest issues facing the entertainment business these days is legalization. When finding a site to acquire your sound effects, look for sentences like this one found on soundsnap.com, “Access 100,000 legal sounds with our economical Download Packs.” Take a look at Sound Snap. They are a great place to let sound effects inspire your creativity, legally.

Another great option is making your own sound effects. You can use your voice, your children, your kitchen appliances and even various taping speeds on your table.

Here, a youtuber named Esalaah gets creative with sound effects. He’ll give you a rather in depth description of making a gun shot noise using your mouth!

If you’re a twitter-aholic like myself, I suggest following @ProSoundEffects. This company, based out of New York City, updates Twitter frequently on their database of sound effects. On their Twitter page you can find a link to their website. A few other good ones to follow are @a1soundeffects and @sepulchra.

Remember, when creating, use what works for you. Create your own sound effects, or find amazing ones online. Either way, use sound effects to help you make your projects the best they can be! Good luck on your films!