The human voice can evoke so much meaning and emotion. Therefore, it is an invaluable vehicle for expressing the mood of a location. As a result, this month’s theme is one of my favourite types of sound effect for creating interesting and evocative soundscapes.
This theme lies somewhere between ‘exterior crowd’ fx and crowd ADR. It is not general chat or crowd sounds. It is more specific than that, and should only consist of one or a few people. It is not crowd ADR, it is more distant and worldized than that. The voices need to be raised, if not shouting, in order to carry over this distance.
These type of recordings are perfect for poking through between dialogue to give a scene character. Using distant voices in this way is a really effective way of controlling the vibe of an environment – making it seem anything from intimidating or welcoming to posh or slummy.
A couple arguing in a courtyard; a drunk shouting in an alleyway; noisy scaffolders: a baby’s cries heard from an open window; or a few people talking loudly and laughing in the park – these are the sort of sounds I’m after.
More here.