Skip to main content
No Film School

Listen:

How 'Nope' Editor Nicholas Monsour Creates Perspective and Meaning
Login
No Film School
  • Popular
    • 1. If You're from Poor or Middle-Class Families, Hollywood Is Nearly Impossible to Navigate +387,196 views
    • 2. John Carpenter Says Horror Directors Take Themselves Too Seriously Now +5,904 views
    • 3. 'Nope' Explained—the Meaning Behind Jordan Peele's Alien Movie +256,330 views
    • 4. From Start to Finish, How I Filmed an Indie Feature in 14 Days +1,385 views
    • 5. Are the New DJI RS 3 and RS 3 Pro Gimbals Worth Upgrading from the RS 2 and RSC 2? +2,537 views
  • Topics
    • Newest in Screenwriting What Is the Plot of a Story? (Definition and Examples)
    • Newest in Directing What Is the Plot of a Story? (Definition and Examples)
    • Newest in Distribution & Marketing David Lynch Knows 'Inland Empire' Is Ugly, So He’s Remastering the Film
    • Newest in Movies & TV How New AI and Digital Technologies are Changing the Future of Filmmaking
    • Newest in Marketplace & Deals Film Gear Under $100 That You Absolutely Need In Your Kit

alasdair mcwilliams

NFS Score 74 (Freshman)
  • Recent Activity
  • Recent Posts
Boards Comment – Audio editing for a horror short

In some ways it doesn't...it will depend on setting and the type of horror/suspense, and the scene... a great way to up the tension on a scene where you're playing on a moment of anticipation/dread is to treat the ambient and incidental sound the same way you treat the visual background to the scene; close in on the protagonist, shallow depth of field- and at the same time fade down the ambient sound a bit and bring up the protagonist, so you get more sound of their breath, any small noises they make... be careful to do it gently, and don't over tip it or you'll sound like an early 80's straight-to-vhs flick (sometimes not a bad thing... Video Dead remains a favourite of mine) ... at the same time, as Raguel says, the ambient sound is really key - think carefully about the key emotions, then use layers of sound to induce that, but be subtle unless you want to really hammer a moment home; want the audience to feel a little uncomfortable about the abandoned shack? throw in a low level sound of flies in the background... want them to throw up when the heroine opens the bathroom door and finds the 6 month old corpse of the cop? push those flies to fore (and maybe throw in a "my shoes are sticking to the floor" kinda noise)

8 years ago
circle

The DSLR Cinematography Guide

Get your FREE copy of the eBook called "astonishingly detailed and useful" by Filmmaker Magazine! It's 100+ pages on what you need to know to make beautiful, inexpensive movies using a DSLR. Subscribe to receive the free PDF!

No Film School

  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Community Guidelines
  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • DMCA Takedown Notice

Sections

  • Gear Guides
  • Podcasts
  • Popular
  • Topics
  • Pitch to us
  • Boards

Follow NFS

  • circle Facebook
  • circle Twitter
  • circle YouTube
  • circle RSS
© 2022 NONETWORK, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
No Film School