Audio

It's just as important as the footage. Dont cut corners there.

Audio can make or break your film.

Terry

#1 - The script is spoken DIALOG between characters; that's AUDIO. Insuring that the audience can understand the dialog is just as important as the shots of the characters delivering the dialog. The smaller the budget the more you should put into your production sound in terms of budget and time.

#2 - The characters live in a world of sound as well as a world of sight.

#3 - If you have captured quality production sound you have the capability to be subtle with the sound design. Even a characters footsteps can tell you a lot about a characters emotional state. The ambient sound used can provide just as much about a characters environment as the visuals.

Diagetic vs. non-diagetic music will be determined by the script and the editing. It is not unusual for music to start a scene as diagetic (from the radio, for example) and then turn into the score (non-diagetic) as a bridge into the next scene.

Sound design is an art form just like cinematography, make-up/hair, set design, editing or any of the other crafts, and can greatly enhance a film if embraced during preproduction and not treated as a post-production afterthought.

Lose yourself in filmsound.org for a few days, especially the articles by Randy Thom and Walter Murch.

Also read "An open letter from your sound department." http://filmsound.org/production-sound/openletter.htm

You should also check out my blogs on production sound here on IndieTalk.

Thanks for your comments, I am collecting this data as part of my pre production for coursework. Just to further the discussion do you feel there is a certain ingredient/element for a good soundtrack for a short?

Thanks

Short Films said:

How important do you think audio is in shaping the narrative in shorts??

Click to expand...

Very important. As important as removing the lens
cap before rolling film or tape.

Go back to the silent days. Watch a short like Keaton's
"The Goat", Lloyd's "High and Dizzy" or Chaplin's "Easy
Street" without the sound. It's not even half the experience
it is watching those "silent" movies with the audio.

I made a five minute short with one line of dialogue. The
audio was essential to the shaping of the narrative. Without
it no one would watch for 40 seconds.