While sound design often exists to recreate the common sounds of everyday life, in many other films, sound design exists to invent new sounds for universes purely of the imagination.  If laser guns were real, what would they sound like? Or rather, in the context of creating a new cinematic universe, what should they sound like? According to Ben Burtt, the acclaimed sound designer behind films such as Star Wars and Wall-E, it should sound something like the striking of a stretched out slinky: the now world-famous “pew-pew” sound.  Scientifically accurate or not, this is how the sound of lasers is now heard in the minds of millions.   

Whether it’s in music, film, advertising, or any other context, understanding sound design opens up a whole new world of creative opportunity.  Between its capacity to alter human emotions, and the possibilities of imagining new worlds, sound design should be understood to be one of the most important components to any work of media.  

"Get Down Tonight" KC and the Sunshine Band
Label | TK
Songwriter(s) | Harry Wayne Casey Richard Finch
Producer(s) | Harry Wayne Casey Richard Finch

 

"Stagger Lee" Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Label | Reprise Records
Songwriter(s) | Nick Cave 
Producer(s) | Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Tony Choen, Victor Van Vugt

 

"Night Rider" Dick Dale and the Del-Tones
Label | Capitol Records
Songwriter(s) | Dick Dale
Producer(s) | Dick Dale, Jim Economides, Jim Monsour

 

"Sabotage" Beastie Boys
Label | Grand Royal
Songwriter(s) | Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz, Adam Yauch
Producer(s) | Beastie Boys Mario Caldato Jr.

 

"World of Pain" Cream
Label | Reaction Records 
Songwriter(s) | Felix Pappalardi, Collins

Producer(s) | Felix Pappalardi

"Hungry Eyes " Eric Carmen
Label | RCA Arista
Songwriter(s) | John DeNicola Franke Previte

Producer(s) | Eric Carmen

"Blinding Lights " The Weekend
Label | XO Republic

Songwriter(s) | Abel Tesfaye Ahmad Balshe Jason Quenneville Max Martin Oscar Holter

Producer(s) | Max Martin Oscar Holter The Weeknd

"Lost Myself " Longpigs
Label | Mother Records 

Songwriter(s) | Crispin Hunt

Producer(s)
| Kevin Bacon, Jonathan Quarmby

Producer(s) Finneas O'Connell

Elvis presley Jailhouse Rock
Label | RCA Victor
Songwriter(s) | Jerry Leiber

Producer(s) Jeff Alexander

Roddy Ricch "The Box"
Label | Atlantic Bird Vision
Songwriter(s) | Rodrick Moore, Jr. Samuel Gloade Adarius Moragne Aqeel Tate

Producer(s) Datboisqueeze Zentachi

Sean Paul "Temperature"
Label | Atlantic VP
Songwriter(s) |  Sean Paul Henriques Adrian "IZES" Marshall Rohan Fuller

Producer(s) Rohan "Snowcone" Fuller

Pop Smoke Gangster
Label | Victor Victor Republic
Songwriter(s) |  Bashar Jackson Alex Petit Ellis Newton

Producer(s)  CashMoneyAP Swirv

Smooth Criminal Micheal Jackson 
Label | EPIC
Songwriter(s) |  Micheal Jackson
Producer(s) Quincy Jones Michael Jackson (co.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 |  | Sound Design 
 |  | ADR
 |  | Foley 
 |  | Editing 

QUESTION 2

If I am creating an original sound that resembles a spaceship or laser beam using a synthesizer , this process would fall under the category of:

 |  | Sound Design
 |  | Mixing 
 |  | Foley 
 |  | All of the above 

QUESTION 3

Air conditioning, electrical noise such as 60 cycle hum, wind, rain and birds chirping in the backround all qualify as: 

 |  | Foley
 |  | Dialogue
 |  | Environmental ambience
 |  | Room Tone

QUESTION 4

The audio engineer in charge of processing and balancing the final mix of a film or show is called the: 

 |  | Production Sound Mixer
 |  | Re-Recording Mixer
 |  | Dialogue Editor 
 |  | Boom operator 

QUESTION 5

This entry level position requires strength and stamina, as your job is to handle the production sound microphones for long periods of time in a variety of challenging positions while keeping them out of the shot. 

 |  | Re-Recording Mixer 
 |  | Boom Operator
 |  | Foley Recordist
 |  | Director 

QUESTION 6
When audio sources are competing in a similar frequency range, what common processor can you use? 

 |  | EQ
 |  | Reverb 
 |  | Compressor
 |  | Gate

 |  | Shotgun
 |  | Condensor
 |  | Lavalier
 |  | PZM

 |  | non-diagetic
 |  | sound design 
 |  | diagetic
 |  | dynamic

 |  | Reverb
 |  | Walla
 |  | Dizzyness
 |  | Noise

 |  | Color corrected
 |  | picture locked 
 |  | sound designed 
 |  | edited 

 |  | The Producer
 |  | The Director
 |  | The Lead Actor/Actress
 |  | The Movie Studio 

 |  | Compression
 |  | EQ
 |  | Reverb
 |  | Delay 

 |  | -18dB
 |  | -6dB
 |  | -3dB
 |  | 0dB

 |  | Musical Score 
 |  | Soundtrack 
 |  | Sound Design 
 |  | Ambience 

 |  | Compression
 |  | Digital Distortion
 |  | Hearing Loss 
 |  | Depression 

 |  | Low Pass Filter
 |  | High Pass Filter 
 |  | Notch Filter 
 |  | All of the above

 |  | software
 |  | video archive
 |  | foley recordist 
 |  | Sound library 

 |  | Feet Per Second
 |  | Frames Per Second 
 |  | Fuzzy Peach Schnapps 
 |  | Frames Per Snapshot 

 |  | 1k Triangle Wave
 |  | White noise
 |  | Pink Noise
 |  | 1k Sine Wave

 |  | production sound crew
 |  | post production sound crew
 |  | crafts and services 
 |  | actor's union 

 |  | production sound roles
 |  | post production sound roles
 |  | audio engineers
 |  | none of the above 

 |  | Before the movie is shot. 
 |  | After the film is finished being edited and picture locked 
 |  | after the film is mixed
 |  | As the film is being shot

 |  | Editing 
 |  | Color Correction 
 |  | Shooting 
 |  | Scoring 

 |  | Sound track 
 |  | Musical Score
 |  | ambience
 |  | All of the above 

 |  | Lavalier 
 |  | Figure 8 
 |  | Shotgun 
 |  | Ribbon mic

 |  | EQ
 |  | Splosives 
 |  | Sibilance
 |  | Noise 

 |  | sound design 
 |  | Production audio
 |  | Foley 
 |  | an overdub

 |  | Overdub
 |  | Scoring session 
 |  | Spotting Session 
 |  | ADR

 |  | Sibilance
 |  | Splosives 
 |  | Clipping 
 |  | Artifacts 

 |  | 44.1khz 16bit
 |  | 44.1khz 24bit 
 |  | 48khz 24bit 
 |  | 48khz16 bit