The Art of Sound

            This most recent reading and viewing assignment for our class was a much-needed pep talk on my feelings towards recording sound for my films. Though I know good sound is essential when making films, I have always hated recording it, In fact, I recently just dropped a sound recording class for that very reason. For me, recording good, clean sound has always been too challenging and monotonous.

            Having just read and viewed the various articles and videos on sound, I have to admit that my feelings have been altered. In the short film “Listen,” the filmmaker showcases the sounds of everyday life that most people have grown to tune out. The man interviewed in the film views sound as an art and explains that if people would just listen to the world around them, their lives would be enriched for the better.

            In “Justin Boyd: Sound and Time,” the title’s subject, Justin, is obsessed with sound and has dedicated much of his life to recording it. He often spends much of his day out in nature recording and experimenting with various naturally occurring or man-made noises. Though I will probably never go to the extremes that he takes, I do think that building a catalogue of sounds that I have gathered myself instead of combing through royalty-free sound effects online will make my films much more personal.  

            As for the readings “Listen Up” and “The Father of Acoustic Ecology,” I became more aware of the dangers of noise pollution. I never thought that loud, continuous sounds made by man could affect the ecosystem and population of various species of birds and even whales.

            After having done this assignment, my appreciation for sound has grown substantially. I regret having dropped the class this semester and intend on taking it during the fall of the next school year.