Sound Design Helps Football Hit Harder
Watching American football in recent years is a much more immersing experience than years ago. Of course the HD revolution brought us gorgeous picture detail, ability to rewind/replay/record, and closer cameras that put us right on the field. But let’s talk about some of the audio engineers’ more subtle techniques for getting us all riled up.
First off, we have 5.1 surround-sound. Mix a little crowd into those surround speakers and suddenly the viewer is immersed in the weekend insanity of 30,000 bankers, bartenders, and bookkeepers. Surround-sound adds another layer of realism and intimacy of the game.
Long-time football fans will also remember the days before the shotgun microphones were able to pick up every little grunt of the quarterback, players, and refs. And now sound designers enhance critical moments of snaps, catches, and tackles by laying stock sound effects into the mix. Ball hits player, player hits player, player hits ground - and you FEEL each one of them - thanks to impact sound effects. Whether recorded live or placed by hand, impact effects are a welcome addition to football in recent years and definitely help the hard work and pain of the players to hit home - right in the gut.
Filmmakers can use these same techniques of laying in sound effects and ambiences to enhance crowd scenes, fight scenes, and almost any drama. Stock sounds are widely available both for free online and as part of commercial sound effects libraries so why not use them? With a careful ear toward creating a more full-featured mix, filmmakers don’t have to let their films ride on just dialogue; they can create immersive worlds that help viewers feel what their characters are feeling.
photo courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/padrian2/
