Walter Murch on Sound

Walter Murch discusses sound in two different ways: "Womb Tone" and how people perceive sound differently, and clear density in sound mixing. When we are born, our hearing sense is the first to be activated. It allows us to hear the world around us and experience different sounds. When this principle is applied to filmmaking, it can become difficult to create a soundtrack or mix that everyone can relate to since we only know what something sounds like if we have heard it in person. The sounds of various objects can be recreated for us on screen for people to get a basic understanding of, but will not know to the largest extent of what that object truly sounds like. Sound mixing is a delicate process where a simple visual scene may be composed of various complicated soundtracks and mixed to create a genuine environment on screen. By careful sound editing, a film can convey any message they would like by combining visual elements and sounds.

Theory of the Film: Sound

Bela Balazs discusses sound in its raw, natural form. She discusses how different sounds are heard by people every day, but how our minds drown out the unimportant sounds. However, people can listen to whatever they want to hear if they choose to focus on how many sounds they can hear. If they close their eyes and think about what they can hear, they can paint a picture in their head about their surroundings. The lack of sound, or silence, also plays an important role in the world of sound. Without silence, sound would overwhelm our senses, but thanks to silence, we are able to focus on what is in front of us and are able to relax. Despite sound being around us constantly, it cannot be separated from its acoustic environment without being altered. The sound in its original form only exists within its acoustic environment. That is the beautiful thing about sound, we have so much of it but can only be truly appreciated when we listen to its source.

Sound Observation 2: Fraternity

Its the beginning of the semester, meaning that students across campus are looking to get messed up on questionable substances while mingling and having a fun time. As you walk into the house, you can hear music in the next room blasting loudly with people having various conversations with each other. A few minutes later, the house is completely crowded. The sounds of people singing along with music, alcohol bottles being broken and thrown onto the ground, ping pong balls landing in cups, and glass "tobacco" pipes carry on throughout the house. When stepping outside, the chaos happening inside can still be heard, but now you can hear the sound of crickets and other people mingling with each other. It helps you relax for a moment before you hear a strange siren sound. Blue lights start flashing, and all of a sudden a loud panic washes over the house. Suddenly, people are trampling loudly out of the house and running into the darkness. This chaos will most likely be repeated next week somewhere else by a different fraternity.

Sound Observation 1: Wrightsville Beach

As I walk onto Wrightsville Beach, I can already hear the sound of waves crashing onto the shore. I hear seagulls chirping across the beach, people laughing and yelling, and boats riding on the Intracoastal Waterway. The dunes are waving around in the wind, sounding very similar to the waves of the ocean, but a bit drier. Wind is blowing strongly across my sun baked face, making my body feel comfortable despite the burning sunlight. While walking on the sand, I can hear it crunching beneath my feet. It transitions from soft, to medium hard, to wet sand, each with a different texture. I stand in the water, looking out past the horizon, looking to see if I can see the European coast. As I look, I am comforted by the sound of the ocean gently surrounding my legs.

Amateur vs. Professional

When comparing amateur film making to professional film making, there are some large differences. An amateur film maker does not have a large budget, access to a large crew, a star cast, a huge distribution deal, or a designated production studio. Professional film making, on the other hand, involves large budgets, huge crews, big salary casts, and large executive distribution decisions. Despite all of the benefits of professional film making, an amateur film maker has two key tools that professionals don't: control and time. An amateur film maker has complete control over their own product and can produce it on their own time with whatever equipment they have available to them. By focusing on their passion and effort into creating something out of nothing, an amateur film maker can perform at the same level, if not better, than a professional film maker ever could.

What is Experimental Film?

Experimental film is a difficult genre to define. Since experimental film is not bound to the same rules as, say, narrative or documentary film making, it gives a film maker more creative flexibility to make whatever they want. An experimental film maker usually is in complete control of the product and takes over most managing roles of the film, including directing, editing, recording sound, rolling film, and distributing the film. Experimental film is made from personal passion and a desire to share a message with the viewers as opposed to finding commercial or mainstream success. Because of the independence that comes with being an experimental film maker, it is up to the creator to put their heart and soul into their own productions and to make something that others will not only watch, but will remember for the rest of their lives.