Note: I originally wrote this article for Crunkish.com. It was first published in April 2007. Three years later, allow me to post this on my own blog.

Watching a movie without sound effects is like not watching at all. Even back in the early 1900s, when films were all silent, people have tried to simulate real-life sounds by producing sound effects live, while the movie was being projected. Sound effects make a better movie-viewing experience by producing sounds that we hear in real life. They also add to the emotions and effectiveness of the scene.

image courtesy of pic.leech.it

Usually, sound mixers and editors record sound for a particular scene. These recordings are then archived to be used in other films that they can be useful to in the future. As years go by, some of these recorded sound effects have been used over and over again that they have become ubiquitous. In fact, a few of these sound effects have found a following with many observant movie fans and editors. Others find these repetitive sound effects annoying and absurd.

Whether you are pleased or irritated, here are the top 10 most famous and most commonly used sound effects in Hollywood movies that will surely make you go “Why haven’t I noticed that before?”

10. Animal Sounds

In movies, animals always make noise. Dogs always bark. Cats always meow. Cows always moo. What is absurd is the idea that they still make sound even when they are not supposed to. This is because animal sounds are used to set the mood.

If you have a very good attention to details you would realize that the animals actually make the same noise. In many films:

• Snakes rattle even when they are not rattlesnakes.
• Dolphins make the same “chatter” sound when jumping, spinning and whatever they do — it’s the same sound.
• Insects always sound like they are all wet.
• In open fields, the sound of a red-tailed hawk screeching is heard even when the bird being shown is actually an eagle or a falcon.
• Many horror films also use the same sound of a wolf or owl howling in the distance.
• The sound of kookaburras, an Australian kingfisher, is also often heard even when the film is set in North America.
• Finally, haven’t you noticed that it is the same scream that cats let out over and over again in many movies?

Hmmm. Well?

9. The Martial Art Swish

Another commonly used sound effect is the funny “swish” sound that martial artists make when doing their moves. This swish sound is always used every time they jump, hit or kick. They also always tend to let out a high-pitched scream before the fighting-action.

image courtesy of www.jkd.com.au

The next time you watch a Chinese or Western martial art film, notice how their movements produce exaggerated sounds that don’t occur in real life. Moreover, notice how they all sound the same.

8. Explosion

If you are fond of watching action films, you might have noticed how common explosion scenes go. Another thing that you might have noticed is how sound effects are used in such scenes. Most of them sound alike.. Another unrealistic use of explosion sound effects is in space movies such as Star Wars.

image courtesy of scrapetv.com

In real life, explosions in space do not produce sound. Sound needs a medium, like air, to be heard. Since there is nothing but vacuum in space, there should be no sound. For the purpose of entertainment, however, sound effects are employed.

Read more

Viewed 1471 times by 550 visitors this month

3 Comments