Questions tagged [sound-effects]
Sound effects (or audio effects) are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films.
84
questions
2
votes
0
answers
146
views
Trope about the hot desert sun makes a high pitched squealy noise [closed]
I recently heard a noise described as "sounding like those movie scenes where someone is stranded in the hot desert and they look up at the sun and there is this high pitched squealing noise"...
- 121
36
votes
3
answers
8k
views
Origin of the whistling sound when things fall
When objects fall in cartoons they often make a whistling sound. It seems to have spread to video games and even some live action movies.
What is the origin of this sound? Things don't generally ...
- 2,479
2
votes
0
answers
153
views
When was the first occurrence of the bleeping sound when letters appear on the screen?
Oftentimes during TV shows, when a location or a character is introduced, there is a bleeping, digital noise each time a letter appears on the screen.
I have seen this mostly in cop chase shows when ...
- 327
62
votes
2
answers
14k
views
Why does the roadrunner say "beep beep"?
What is the reasoning behind having the roadrunner say "beep beep" constantly? Do real roadrunner birds make a similar sound?
- 30.7k
4
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How was the rattling Kodama sound made originally?
Kodama are forest spirits depicted in the movie Princess Mononoke. Their heads act and sound somewhat like a rattle when they're rotated, as displayed in this movie clip.
I'm interested in how this ...
- 143
13
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Is there a female version of the Wilhelm Scream?
The Wilhelm Scream is a sound effect of a man screaming, and has been used in hundreds of movies and TV episodes. Is there a female equivalent of this sound effect? Specifically, the sound of a woman ...
- 1,349
3
votes
0
answers
149
views
Water drop sound effect in Lost [closed]
What is the water drop-like clicking sound we hear in the camp or barracks all the time in Lost? Is there an explanation or meaning for this sound?
- 31
2
votes
0
answers
52
views
Term for when the sound of a movie starts before the image [duplicate]
Is there a technical term for when the first sound of a movie is heard while the screen is still black?
A hypothetical example: we hear the sound of howling wind for a second or two before we see an ...
- 121
3
votes
1
answer
426
views
Why is the HBO "stinger" sound a semitone lower in English than in German?
I have been watching a number of HBO shows (Game of Thrones, Westworld, Watchmen, and The Plot Against America) on Sky Ticket in the last few years, and I noticed something curious about the "...
- 1,041
8
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Is Archer's ringtone a real song outside the Archer universe?
In the early seasons (1-3?), Archer uses a song for his ringtone that is just awful enough to be real, but I have never heard it anywhere else. Another character has the same song as a ring tone but ...
- 7,357
2
votes
0
answers
3k
views
Is the "dolphin call" from the TV show Flipper and The Bourne Identity (2002) actually a modified kookaburra call?
A comment below Who pioneered the use of Laughing Kookaburra birds to create the impression of a jungle setting? links to a The Sound and the Foley blogpost That Jungle Sound which explores the use of ...
- 2,415
9
votes
0
answers
792
views
Who pioneered the use of Laughing Kookaburra birds to create the impression of a jungle setting?
I was sent a link to the first video below and it immediately sent me back to my childhood watching reruns of what were already old films on Sunday afternoon television.
I'm sure I've heard this bird'...
- 2,415
2
votes
0
answers
234
views
What is the effect used in Tron Legacy to give voices a "digital" sound?
In Tron Legacy several voices have some kind of effect applied that makes them sound "digital".
For example, the voice over at the start of this video.
It's ...
- 2,479
16
votes
1
answer
12k
views
Was Rami Malek singing or lipsyncing?
In Bohemian Rhapsody Rami Malek played Freddie Mercury from Queen. In the scenes where his character was singing, was the actor really singing with his voice, or only lipsyncing to recordings of ...
- 5,251
12
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Is the dynamic range (audio) of some movies way too high?
As the title implies, I tend to think the dynamic range of movies is too high.
I often find myself scrambling to change the volume after listening at a previously acceptable level. Why would I want ...
- 126
2
votes
1
answer
248
views
Why do some movie remasters replace the original sound effects with new ones?
Why do some movie remasters (and I wonder if there are TV shows remastered this way too) replace the original sound effects with new ones?
For instance some movies edit the gun sounds in the original ...
- 739
2
votes
0
answers
657
views
Has Hollywood used the same recording of cat meows and screeching in multiple movies?
I know about the repeated use of the same "Wilhelm scream" and thunder sound effects in Hollywood movies and TV shows. Viewing the recent film Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, several scenes with the ...
- 2,817
29
votes
1
answer
13k
views
Do they still use tiger roars in the 2019 "Lion King" movie?
In the original Lion King movie, the lion's roars (or at least Mufasa's) was not actually a lion's roar; it was a combination of other sounds. From the wikia:
The roar that Mufasa roars offscreen ...
- 1,457
9
votes
1
answer
165
views
Do other-language dubs rerecord sound effects?
I was watching a Spanish version of "Circle of Life" from The Lion King (1994) and noticed that Simba's sneeze-- presumably recorded by Jonathan Taylor Thomas-- sounded the same.
When dubbing a movie ...
- 249
4
votes
0
answers
473
views
How did they make these gun sound effects from the 1970's?
Gun sounds from old films often had a whining sound like an electric motor or a 500CC motorbike. What materials were used to record that sound?
- 123
52
votes
6
answers
16k
views
Why do old gun fight scenes sound so weird and cartoonish?
In older movies (pre-90's), many gun fight scenes have cartoon sounds. I can almost imagine the scene drawn and the words KAPOING, POW, ZOINK being shown. Here's an example from 007.
...
- 27.8k
1
vote
0
answers
203
views
What were the firework noises in First Man?
At the beginning of the movie First Man (2018) there was a message displayed to the audience warning about some firework noises which were an intended part of the movie and not to be alarmed. I was ...
- 30.7k
-2
votes
1
answer
686
views
Why native Russian series sound dubbed even in Russian? Almost unnatural [closed]
I have been watching a few Russian series lately. In some of them, when Russian actors and actresses speak, the sound seems unnatural, almost dubbed. Or it does not blend in naturally with the ...
- 105
8
votes
1
answer
712
views
What is the reason for using this sound effect for Gus Fring (season 4 episode 2)?
In "Better Call Saul", season 4, at the end of the episode 2 when Gus Fring pronounces the final sentence, his voice tone is made lower, the voice itself is made louder and some reverberations are ...
- 3,546
4
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Are there any movies with binaural recording?
Basically a binaural recording is an audio fragment that is recorded as if the device had two ears, simulating human properties. Whenever you hear a sound that is, say, coming from the left, you don't ...
- 151
3
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Origin of on-screen location sound in spy movies
In spy movies, there are often sequences showing an overview of the ocean or a city, with a location like "SOUTH PACIFIC SEA" being written, letter by letter (often uppercase / fixed width / green / ...
- 505
3
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What is a layback sound mixer?
Inspired by this question:
Fun Friday: What even is a layback sound mixer anyway?
"Layback Sound Mixer" appears in movie credits. What does that job entail? Clearly, it involves mixing layback sound,...
- 11.1k
1
vote
0
answers
145
views
In Darkest Hour, what was the sound each time the date changed?
In Darkest Hour, several times the date appears onscreen as a graphic, and it switches from one date to another. The change is accompanied by the sound of an egg timer's "ping", and then a heavy ...
- 23.6k
71
votes
2
answers
18k
views
What actually happens when a telephone rings in a movie or TV show?
In a movie or TV show, when a telephone rings is the sound coming from
The actual telephone in the studio/location?
A person from the crew creating a ringing sound?
Post-production?
For example, I ...
- 730
2
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Dustin's Grrrr - Fake or real?
Dustin in Stranger Things performs a "grrrr" at multiple occasions.
The sound is weirdly pleasing. I dont think anyone else could produce the same sound. One could ...
14
votes
1
answer
845
views
What sounds from the Star Wars franchise feature the "Robin Hood Arrow"?
Sound designer Ben Burtt has worked on 7 Star Wars films as a sound designer. He claims that his favorite sound is from the 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood.
My favorite sound is the "...
- 27.7k
16
votes
3
answers
7k
views
Was the famous “Wilhelm Scream” used in “The Last Jedi?”
Did the famous Wilhelm Scream, used in all the previous Star Wars films, appear in The Last Jedi?
- 740
1
vote
0
answers
49
views
North America version of BBC Radiophonic Workshop (RE: Sound FX)
I'm re-watching The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits and have heard several different sound FX and sound samples that I know were used in other shows like Star Trek (TOS).
Does anyone know if there ...
- 599
5
votes
1
answer
179
views
Why does Nolan fill his recent hits with permanent noise/music?
I just watched Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk (2017) on the big screen, and all I could focus on during the projection was Nolan's permanent use of noise/music that tries to manipulate emotions to the ...
- 547
11
votes
1
answer
2k
views
How is the "skid to a stop" cartoon stock sound effect done?
You know the one I'm talking about. A cartoon character is running, and then suddenly they have to stop, so they dig their heels in, lean back, and skid to a stop, accompanied by a rapid-fire series ...
- 3,921
4
votes
0
answers
135
views
Where did Gilligan's Island get the sound for the Mars probe in S02E04?
While watching Gilligan's Island 2x04 "Smile, You're on Mars Camera", I was amused to note that the probe makes the same sound as Spock's scanner/viewer on the Enterprise bridge does in Star Trek (TOS)...
- 187
6
votes
2
answers
7k
views
What movie does the dramatic sound effect come from?
Where does this sound effect (3 notes) come from?
It's used for dramatic effect, so I'm assuming an old and famous drama movie?
- 27.8k
6
votes
2
answers
725
views
What is the difference between Sound Mixing and Sound Editing?
I would like to understand what the difference is between Sound Editing and Sound Mixing. Could someone explain?
- 5,380
1
vote
0
answers
235
views
Did the Red Dwarf Season 3 intro steal the crash sound from Empire Strikes back where Luke lands on Degobah?
I was watching the honest Trailers review of Empire Strikes Back, and I heard the crash sound for Luke on Degobah. It made me think of something.
Here is Luke's crash on Degobah.
Here is the intro ...
- 887
6
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Do sound effects, specially in horror movies, use emotion initiating frequencies?
The background score of horror movies, tends to use digital sound effects these days, rather than original sound from instruments like a cello, drum or keyboards.
Emotions
Music impacts the part of ...
- 3,517
5
votes
0
answers
337
views
Judge Doom and the Wicked Witch of the West sound the same when they melt
At the end of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, the villain Judge Doom gets to take his own medicine: he gets doused with the toon-destroying Dip that he'd produced for use on Toontown.
The sound effect of ...
- 607
4
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How do actors create the same emotion during sound dubbing sessions?
When you record your voice in the studio to sync it with the video, how do you make sure to create the same emotion that you had while shooting?
Somehow dubbing seems like a very cut-off process ...
- 187
3
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Name for this common stock scream? (not the Wilhelm scream)
NO NO NOOOO AAaAaAaAAAAARGH
I first came across this scream when I viewed Timesplitters 2 (when players get set on fire), and while it's nowhere near as popular as the tediously overused Wilhelm ...
- 131
21
votes
2
answers
4k
views
What was used to create the hyperspace jump sounds in the original Star Wars trilogy?
In A New Hope and the other original trilogy movies, the Millennium Falcon would make a couple sounds as it jumped to light speed. First there was a kind of charging effect sound as the stars begin ...
- 1,583
4
votes
2
answers
592
views
What is the cultural significance of the "kaiju screech"?
Last night I watched The Mighty Peking Man for the first (and probably last) time. It's a 1977 Cantonese King Kong ripoff, made purely "to capitalize on the craze surrounding the 1976 remake of King ...
- 534
4
votes
1
answer
7k
views
Which sounds are genuine in BBC's Planet Earth?
The BBC nature documentary Planet Earth has a mixture of genuinely recorded nature sounds and artificial sound effects. I have found articles in the press which confirm this.
So is there any way to ...
- 731
39
votes
2
answers
13k
views
Adult talking in Peanuts
I have always wondered: why do adults in Peanuts not really talk?
Why do they only make that wah wah wah noise? (By the way, what was it? That sounds like a trombone or a trumpet with a mute.)
- 6,045
8
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Why are sound effects done so different from reality?
While filming captures both the audio and video of an actor's performance, producers will often dub over sound effects for the interaction between the actors and objects. The horse walking down a road ...
- 394
5
votes
1
answer
2k
views
How are the sound effects of the Shaw brothers martial art movies produced?
Beforehand I admit I like those old martial art movies from the Shaw Brothers. Recently looking "Five Element Ninjas" after a long time I noticed that the sound effects are very distinct from the now ...
- 1,306
53
votes
3
answers
12k
views
Why do movies think the speed of sound is as fast as the speed of light?
In action movies where things blow up or heroes are shot by snipers from a long distance, or where fireworks are shown, the sound and the flash of the thing making the sound usually occur ...
- 22.5k