Sound effects are an incredibly important aspect of filmmaking and storytelling. They can communicate information, create a world, and engage an audience more deeply into a film. However bad sound effects can also distract or disengage an audience. Luckily, we’ve put together a list of the best sites to download realistic, high-quality and free gun… Continue reading Best Free Gun Sounds Online — Reload Your SFX Library
When it comes to advertising, music can make or break a commercial. And it is no surprise that hiring a musician to score or create music for your commercial advertisement can be expensive. Finding royalty free music for commercial use that is high quality and unique can also be difficult. In this article, we aim… Continue reading Best Sites to Download Royalty Free Music for Commercial Use
Scoring your videos is no easy task when you’re on a budget. You want music that invigorates your vision without costing an arm and a leg. Luckily, the best stock music websites offer high quality material that’s only a click away. To save the expensive, back-and-forth process of working with a composer, you can simply… Continue reading 18 Best Stock Music Websites of 2021 For Video Creators
We’ve all been there. You want free music or free stock audio for a project, but don’t know where to look. One of the best sources for royalty free music is the YouTube Audio Library. That’s right, it’s an extensive collection of free music for YouTube, by YouTube, on YouTube. So how do you crack… Continue reading Guide to the YouTube Audio Library & Royalty-Free Music for Videos
Sound editing is a fundamental building block that adds another layer of intrigue and awe in any film especially your favorite ones. From foley artists recording in a studio, to gathering sounds in the woods (more on this soon), sound editing requires a level of exactness and imagination unrivaled by most artists. Sound is just… Continue reading Best Sound Editing — 10 Oscar-Winning Movies Ranked (2021)
For many viewers, Best Sound Mixing is often overlooked by all of the other categories at the Oscars. But it is a highly technical craft that is also incredibly creative. Mixing is the process of matching audio levels of every single sound in order to make the film sound seamless, realistic, and sharp. Sound mixers… Continue reading Best Sound Mixing — 20 Oscar-Winning Movies Ranked (2021)
What is a leitmotif? What makes it different from a regular motif? How is it used in cinema? These are the questions we’re going to answer as we look at the history of leitmotifs. We’re also going to show you how masterclass composers like John Williams apply leitmotifs to their films. By the end, you’ll… Continue reading What is a Leitmotif? Definition and Examples in Film
Music plays an integral role in how a movie communicates tone. When thinking about a movie, we often recall back to a moment when the soundtrack swelled at the perfect moment, how it transported us to other worlds, or interweaved popular culture into the narrative. We can learn a lot from how filmmakers use music… Continue reading 25 Best Movie Soundtracks That Changed the Game
Historically, sound effects were used as comic relief or to signify an action happening off-screen. But as cinematography has evolved, so too has sound design. Sound design has become a powerful tool and if you’re a filmmaker looking to increase the production value of your projects, these sound effect techniques can help get you there.… Continue reading Movie Sound — A Filmmaker’s Guide to Sound Effect Techniques
What makes a great music score? Does it need to dominate the soundtrack or can go unnoticed in the background? Should a contemporary movie always use modern music or is it blasphemy for a period piece to include pop songs? Whether you have answers to these questions or not, there’s no denying the power of… Continue reading 23 Best Movie Scores of All Time — Filmmaker Playlist
Never-ending. Eternal. Infinite. People speak in hyperbole quite often but, in real life, everything does come to an end. Everything, that is, except The Shepard Tone, which may be the one thing that truly doesn’t stop. This audio illusion is more than just a novelty, however, and filmmakers like Christopher Nolan have embraced it in… Continue reading What is The Shepard Tone? The Audio Illusion Explained with Examples
It is impossible to overstate how important a role audio plays in the film viewing experience. While it’s perfectly natural to be drawn to the visual side of filmmaking, those striking visuals don’t hold the same weight without strong cinematic sound design to back them up. Whereas a painting is purely visual and a song… Continue reading What is Sound Design for Film? Definition and Examples
Being a filmmaker, it’s essential to know what diegetic sound is and how to use it. In this article, we’re going to define diegetic sound in a short and simple way. Then we’re going to look at key examples from film to show you how experts incorporate diegetic sound into their works. Continue reading What… Continue reading What is Diegetic Sound? Diegetic Definition and Examples
Storytelling may start with an idea and a script. Along the way, it may garner tons of attention and praise for its directing and star-studded cast. But what can sound do for a story? Sound design involves much more than level dialogue and explosions. It’s highly technical, but requires an enormous amount of creativity. If… Continue reading Sound Editing vs Sound Mixing — What’s the Difference?
Using non-diegetic sound is a great way for filmmakers to support the worlds that they build. You may have heard this fancy term before but what is non-diegetic sound? The answer is much less complicated than you think. In this article, we’re going to define what non-diegetic sound is. Then, we’ll look at examples from… Continue reading What is Non-Diegetic Sound? Definition and Examples
There are three things in this life you can be certain of — death, taxes, and awesome Quentin Tarantino soundtracks. Tarantino is the master of the needle drop and knows how to place an existing song perfectly within a scene. It’s tough to narrow down the best Quentin Tarantino songs in his filmography, but that’s… Continue reading The Best Quentin Tarantino Songs Used in His Movies
One of the main reasons I personally love cinema is because it transports me to a world outside of my own. One of the ways it does that best is by manipulating sounds. I don’t know about you, but when I open a door at home, it does not sound like it does in the… Continue reading What is a Foley Artist? How They Bring Movies to Life
If you’ve ever been on a set, you know how important it is to stay quiet when the 1st assistant director signals action. Unfortunately, there are some sounds that can’t be controlled. Planes overhead, unexpected cast or crew coughs, or even car horns, all contribute to the need for re-recording sound. So what is ADR… Continue reading What is ADR in Film? Will it Save or Ruin Your Film?
From 2001: A Space Odyssey to pretty much every Edgar Wright film, some of the best films of all time have effectively used needle drops to take their films to the next level. This list runs through the best movie songs of all time, and as you go through the scenes, you will find they… Continue reading 60 Best Movie Songs Of All Time — Top Needle Drops, Ranked
When creating a filmmaking project, costs add up quickly. Whether paying for cast, camera equipment, PA’s, or countless other expenses, you wanna save anywhere you can. So how about music? Today, we break down copyright free music. We talk about what it is, how to use it, and copyright free vs “royalty-free.” We’ll get you one… Continue reading How Copyright Free Music Works and Where to Find It
What are some of the most iconic sounds in cinema history? Sure two lightsabers clashing or even the suspenseful score of Jaws make that list. However, one sound effect has been used throughout movies of all genres for over fifty years. It is none other than the iconic Wilhelm Scream. You may have heard it and… Continue reading What is the Wilhelm Scream? Origins and Iconic Examples
If you have ever heard a well-known song in a movie, then it (most likely) means that the song was licensed for use in said movie. This also applies for when you hear a song in a show, commercial, video game, or another visual medium. With how many songs show up in movies, you can… Continue reading What is Music Licensing — Different Types and How to Get One
Do you hear any disembodied voices right now? How about when you’re watching a movie, show, or commercial? Have you considered that what you’re hearing is known as a voice-over? They show up all over media, either for entertainment or informative reasons; from your television to even your phone when you’re put on hold. So… Continue reading What is Voice Over? Definition and Examples in Film
Composer Claude Debussy said, “Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art.” This struggle is especially true in the world of a cinematic score, where traditional orchestration dominates.Continue reading How to Design a Surreal Film Score like Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
We all know that a great soundtrack can stir emotions in the audience. But few genres have a direct line to the emotional centers of our brain than suspense and horror. Suspenseful music, when done right, can make all the difference. Great horror movie music doesn’t often win Oscars, but it does stay with us long… Continue reading How to Use Suspenseful Music: Mastering the Film Score
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