Paul Dubrovsky

10 Best Examples of Incredible Sound Design In Films

examples of sound design

Creating a film is a complex process where many moments depend on the professionalism of each specialist. Director, cameraman, editing team, actors – they all create the masterpiece that we see on the big screen. But it is worth nothing the important role of sound engineers who envelop the picture with beautiful music and songs. Many of the world’s film masterpieces are remembered precisely for their unique songs that have become real hits and have been recognized for 30 or even 50 years. It’s not easy to choose only 10 movies with best sound effects, but these are the most incredible films that cannot be ignored.

Top 10 Movie Sounds

We perceive a film as a total combination of pictures, sounds, people, plot, and so on. But creating a sound track is hard work and has many facets. Sound designers and composers must feel the film, understand it and provide special music that complements each individual video. Many famous composers really create the incredible music that we know and love. Let’s remember the melodies from the movie Home Alone or Pirates of the Caribbean. The song from Titanic also became the hit in filmmaking. But there are other best examples of sound design in movies.

1. Star Wars

It was difficult for the composer to create an amazing melody for a film that was one of the first in the field of science fiction. The task was almost impossible because this saga was worthy of an incredible soundtrack. The success of the film was not yet known, even director George Lucas did not believe in such a stormy hype that his project created. The melody determined not only the fate of this film but also has been recognizable and legendary for more than 40 years. Try to find someone who hasn’t heard the Imperial March and other great tunes. This movie masterpiece can be safely put in the first place as the best sound effect Hollywood movies.

2. Only God Forgives

Music in this film is not just soundtrack. It sounds quite loud against the background of slow movements of the characters, in more active scenes it adds drama. This italo-disco captivates the viewer’s attention and creates a certain hypnotic effect. The melody sets the pace for the entire film and some scenes complement the soundtrack. It seems that the footage was created to emphasize the uniqueness of this soundtrack. This film can be put in second place in our rating of best film sound effects.

3. Blow Out

This film added to our rating because it describes the creation of music as a concept of sounds in some detail. The protagonist experiments and creates unique sound tracks based on the surround sounds: knives, the girl scream sound effect, the noise of a car. Any sounds can be edited, adjusted and the corresponding picture can be added. The film is perceived as a whole: the plot and the teaching methodology. The main theme music from this film is one of the best examples of sound design and we will learn about this art in more detail.

4. Barton Fink

This film can be called a musical experiment. We hear sounds that can be associated not with a horror film, a psychological thriller but not with a drama. The plot of the film conveys the atmosphere and mood of the protagonist through music. We feel his emotions: fear, desire, irritation, love, and so on. The musical transitions seem out of place, but the Coen brothers have always loved the bold. Each composition captures, delights, and makes you experience the emotions of the protagonist.

5. Wall-E

The film studio thought for a long time where to hire a sound designer; they were looking for an unusual approach. Some film critics have noticed similar notes from composer Ben Burtt, who created the music for the first Star Wars trilogy. The Symphony Orchestra is not the only one who worked on creating music for this cartoon. Experiments are inserted here again: the sounds around us can create surreal themes.

The sounds of robots are a separate musical universe and we can swear that every melody touches the soul. All music tracks are perfectly combined with the atmosphere of the cartoon to convey the life of the future and the theme of loneliness. Such sound effects in movies examples create an aura of suspense, mystery, perhaps horror and fear. But they are definitely remembered by the viewer and listener.

6. Stalker

The film features amazing melodies that are different from our usual eastern or western motifs. The director and composer wanted to show the psychological mood of the film, so they decided to play Western melodies on Eastern instruments and vice versa. This created a certain mesmerizing atmosphere with a veiled mystery and even mysticism. Examples of sound design in film showed different results, but this approach was quite creative and unique. The thriller turned out to be a masterpiece and experiments with sound were highly appreciated by many music experts.

7. The Professional

The legendary melody of Ennio Morricone will remain immortal for many decades. This tune combines classical tunes with smooth transitions. The composer did not experiment with tonalities, he wanted to create a lyrical mood with sadness and nostalgia that is embraced by a strong spirit and persistent character. For many, the great actor Jean Paul Belmondo is associated with this particular role and this amazing song of all time.

8. Mission Impossible

This is the best movie with sound effects in the genre of detective and spy movies. The main theme has a lot of cool transitions and musical mixes to emphasize the image of the protagonist as a professional spy. The composition turned out to be quite active and lively, there are no sad motives in it – only action, only motivation. The composer wanted to complement the overall plot with excellent musical accompaniment, and he could make a real hit.

9. Indiana Jones

Amazing musical composition in an adventure style. John Williams is recognized as a legendary composer who once again created a real masterpiece. We remember this captivating melody that sets us up for an incredible adventure. The playing of the symphony orchestra is magnificent, there are no experiments here, only the possibility of various instruments, where there were no pianos, drums, flutes and an organ. We may not hear the mixes, but there are a lot of sound techniques here that are really exciting.

10. Interstellar

Another one of the mesmerizing examples of sound effects in movies. The famous composer Hans Zimmer created another hit that is hard to forget. Given the storyline, you will enjoy this combination and musical mixes. There are various transitions here: from high to low, from loud to quiet sounds. This creates a fantastic atmosphere in the science fiction genre.

Conclusion

There are many virtual portals (for example, Netflix, Hulu) where you can choose a suitable movie and evaluate its sound and plot. There are many movie sound design for film and television that have remained in our memory. And music is a constant part of them. A quality soundtrack is a powerful weapon that captures our attention and affects our emotions. There are many sound design examples from films that have become world classics or have remained little known. Composers were not afraid to experiment and look for sounds in the world around us. Comedy or horror movie, drama or thriller – only really gifted sound professionals are able to create the perfect track.

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