Sound design

Make the viewer feel the edit without hearing a pile of effects. Every sound should clarify an action, establish a place, shape a transition, or focus attention.

Map sonic roles

Watch the cut once without adding effects. Mark only moments that need one of these roles:

• world: ambience, room tone, traffic, wind, crowd, machine bed;
• action: foley that makes contact, movement, handling, or texture believable;
• interface: restrained clicks, typing, camera, notification, or confirmation sounds;
• motion: whoosh or movement texture matched to direction and speed;
• impact: a hit, thump, snap, or bass accent for a real visual or narrative arrival;
• transition: rise, reverse, tape, suction, or tonal bridge that prepares a change;
• motif: a recurring sound family that gives the piece identity.

Leave quiet moments quiet. Do not add an effect to every cut, title, or zoom.

Choose and layer sounds