Giving an article a title like ‘The Importance of Sound Effects in Film’ rather seems to be suggesting that the importance of sound was ever in doubt. It really isn’t: most accounts of early cinema indicate that synchronised sound recording was an eventual goal, and as early as 1900 exhibitions of phonographs running in synchronisation with films were witnessed publically. As the technology matured and sound on film became possible, the death of the silent film was inevitable. The importance of sound isn’t quite the straw-man I want to attack. However, I would argue that the importance of sound effects (rather than sound in general) is something that we take for granted in film.
It’s very easy to look at any aspect of early cinema and marvel at people’s naiveté. Wilfred Jackson’s use of percussive sound effects for the seven and a half minutes of Steamboat Willie should be tedious to watch now. But the apparent awe of the creators for synchronised sounds is itself entirely fascinating (though the bizarre animal cruelty will keep your eyes glued to the screen for one reason or another anyway).
Taking sound effects for granted is perhaps a sign that film-makers are using them correctly. Unlike Music for Film, sound effects aren’t supposed to make themselves known in the majority of circumstances. But people buy film soundtracks and discuss their merits, whilst appreciation of sound effects and editing is limited to only the most enthusiastic audiophiles. There’s also a growing sense that sound effect work is becoming clichéd, stale and just plain disliked in many high profile films.
Perhaps it’s because so many films out there are abusing sound effects? I’m not even talking about the culture of ‘in-jokes’ that has given us the ‘Wilhelm’ and the ‘Howie’ screams. These effects do take you out of the movie, but are usually intentionally hidden in the track so you have to be specifically listening for them. No, the real problem is with those movies that insist on using the small gene-pool of mechanical door effects (there’s one in particular that seems to appear in everything from the Aliens to the computer game Doom. It sound pretty terrible to begin with), squealing tires and gun reloading cues.
Seriously, if you’re a sound designer, please get out there are source new effects, or at least use a provider like Audio Network who have a decent library.
