Momi !

     I participated in the interactive sound effect exhibit. Movie clips were shown in which particular sound effects were taken out.  Then we were given a few different audio replacement options which we could pick to fill the various muted moments. It was fun to change the roars from the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park to different, less threatening noises. The exercise really demonstrated how vital sound effects can be to the movie. Although it is often thought of as secondary by the audience, or at least not explicitly given consideration, a sound effect can really change the mood of the movie. A switch between a dinosaur’s roar to a kitten’s meow suddenly turns a scary and dramatic scene to a humorous one. There was also a part where we could dub the voices in the clips of some movies. I dubbed over some Marilyn Monroe lines.

     Both of these demos illustrated just how vital sound is to the overall outcome and effect of a movie. Often when I watch a movie my awareness of the sound work done on the film is minimal. I usually only consciously think about the musical score of the film and how that effects the mood and feel of whatever it is I am watching. I never really gave much thought to how the actors and actresses have to rerecord their lines and how the editors have to work to make it fit smoothly into the piece. I guess the fact that I never gave it much though before is a testament to how well the editors, foley artists, and actors/actresses do their jobs. It was really interesting to see work that goes behind something that, despite perhaps not being noticed as much as the visual sometimes, is very vital to the outcome of a movie.