Sound Design
Can you create a mood?
Listen to the scene again and this time think about how the audience should feel when Mr Utterson and Mr Enfield see Mr Hyde in the window.
Use the ambientmixer software (or any other sound editing software) to create underscores that will heighten the emotions felt by the audience in the Incident at the Window scene .
Tell us what emotion the actors are portraying and then share a link to the sound file you have created. Email your work to paul.graham-bell@leedscitycollege.ac.uk
We are looking forward to seeing your ideas!
Creating a sound design
What is the sound design doing?
Sound in theatre goes beyond finding the right sound effects for a production. Sound can be used to establish the time or location of a performance, or to create and enhance mood and atmosphere. Time and location are the ‘when’ and ‘where’ of a production. Sound designers need to consider the period and genre of a play, as well as the venue where the performance will take place. A sound effect of a car or aeroplane will be very different according to the period of the play and the type of vehicle.
Mood and atmosphere is the feeling that the production creates for the audience. Sound is very significant in creating mood and atmosphere, and audiences will associate different sounds with different moods. Mood and atmosphere can be created through the use of music or through a soundscape or choice of sound effects. Moods and atmospheres can also be achieved through the alteration of sounds, for example adding reverb or echo.
When you consider a sound design, ask yourself whether the sounds are there to indicate a specific time or location, whether they are creating a specific atmosphere or mood for the audience, or whether they are doing both: sometimes a playwright or director uses a certain location or time deliberately to create a mood or atmosphere, and this could be reflected in the sound design.
Have a play with this website (also available as an app) and see if you can create some different sounds appropriate for the moments/scenes you design for.
What decisions can the designer make?
A sound designer’s job is to make deliberate decisions about what the audience hear during the performance. Sound designers might make decisions related to:
Sound levels:
how loudly or softly the sound effects or music are played. The choice of volume can create an atmosphere for an audience. For example, the sound of a library is very different to the sound of a nightclub! Sound played at a very loud volume can have a physical effect on the audience: it is possible to feel very deep or very loud sounds vibrating through the theatre space. But remember, sound levels must always be set so that the actors can be heard.
Reverb:
as an effect added to a sound using editing software or occurring naturally in a performance space. Reverb (or reverberation) occurs when sounds bounce off the surfaces in a space. Even after the original sound has stopped, the reverb can continue. Reverb can sound different in different spaces: imagine the difference between playing loud music in a cathedral and a classroom. Adding reverb to a sound can help the audience understand the location or atmosphere of a performance.
Echo:
as an effect added to a sound using editing software. Like reverb, echo occurs when sounds bounce off surfaces. Unlike reverb, which is a blend of different sounds, echoes are specific sounds, for example if you shout your name in a tunnel and hear it repeated back to you. An echo can indicate a specific location, for example an empty cave, or can create a mood for an audience, like the isolation or loneliness of a character.
Fades:
how the volume of a sound alters. Music, sound effects or soundscapes can be faded in (gradually made louder) or faded out (gradually made quieter) during a performance. This might be used as a way to start or stop an effect, or to alter the sound level in response to the action on stage. Sounds can also be established at a higher volume, faded to a lower level when the action begins, and brought back up at the end of a scene, giving the impression that the sound has been played at the same volume throughout.
LCC Backstage sound and Video tutor Simon Powell training students on the theatre's sound desk
Simon's design tip
Sound is a constant part of our daily lives: it is very, very rare for the world to be absolutely silent. Take a moment to listen to the world around you and try to list all of the sounds you can hear. These sounds make up the soundscape of your life at this moment. Soundscapes can be used effectively in performance to create a location or an atmosphere. For example, a play set in a seaside town might need a soundscape of waves, families playing and seagulls to tell the audience where the action is taking place. Watching a horror film can give you a clear idea of how sound can create atmosphere: creaking doors and sinister music are used not only to tell the audience where the film is set, but also how they should feel about that setting!