Hi this is Matt with Blend here to talk about how sound can influence your audience. The director Tony Kaye once told me that film is 51% sound. It’s a simple observation that gets at a profound truth – the auditory experience is just as critical as the visual in shaping a viewer’s emotional reaction and sense of immersion. It’s difficult to overstate the importance of sound design in creating the mood and atmosphere in video.
Sound Can Drive the Narrative
Nowhere is this more evident than in Jonathan Glazer’s haunting film ‘Zone of Interest’, which just won the Academy Award for sound. ‘Zone of Interest’ is a film adaptation of Martin Amis’s novel set in the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. The story revolves around the lives of various characters, including a Nazi officer, a Jewish inmate, and the commandant’s wife, all entangled in a complex web of power dynamics, moral dilemmas, and forbidden desires. The reason for the award is that the sound design becomes a major character, propelling the story more powerfully than any individual actor’s performance. Glazer uses amplified breaths, ambient noises, and visceral audio cues to instill a persistent sense of unease in the viewer. What’s left unseen drives the narrative.
While your next marketing video or brand film likely won’t be a major motion picture, it’s important to remember what you hear is at least as important as what you see in shaping the viewer’s emotional experience. And no, simply tossing in a generic music track isn’t enough. Thoughtful sound design – layering natural location audio, refined sound effects and complementary score elements – allows you to establish a rich tonal depth. It adds nuance, a sense of realism, and the intangible ingredients that connect with the audience on a subconscious level.
Even if you’re producing a seemingly straightforward B2B product video or simple client testimonial piece, sound design matters. It elevates the production value and helps immerse your viewers more fully. While big budget features like ‘Zone of Interest’ provide extreme examples, any video can benefit from more purposeful audio work. Don’t let the impact of sound be an afterthought.
Multidimensional Storytelling
There’s a tendency, particularly in lean corporate marketing productions, to focus almost exclusively on visuals and scripted narration. But much like music can make or break a film, nuanced sound editing is a simple and relatively inexpensive way to elevate your storytelling, engaging your audience’s senses on a deeper level.
Use sound to amplify the moods and emotional textures you want your audience to experience. Leverage this oft-overlooked craft to transcend merely informing your viewers and truly envelop them in your story. You won’t regret it.