SOUND DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS: BACKGROUND SOUNDS
Backgrounds in sound design serve to establish the environment and atmosphere of a scene. They can include nat sounds from the real-world locations as well as other ambient sounds such as natures elements, traffic, or people, adding depth and realism to the audio landscape. By layering backgrounds with foreground sounds, like dialogue or spot effects, sound designers create immersive experiences for audiences. Backgrounds also aid in storytelling by setting the mood and helping to convey the emotions and context of a scene. Additionally, they contribute to the overall balance and cohesion of the sound mix, ensuring that every element works together to support the narrative and enhance the viewer's engagement.
Differentiating Backgrounds and Ambiance
While backgrounds and ambiance are closely related in sound design, they serve distinct purposes and contribute differently to the overall experience of a scene.
Background Sounds Primarily focus on establishing the environment of a scene and providing diegetic sounds (i.e. sounds within the fictional environment and heard by both the characters and you) that immerse both you and the characters in the fictional world. These elements are spatialized with panning, eq, and reverb to match the visual cues on screen, ensuring a seamless integration of sound to visual. They consist of specific, recognizable sounds that help to ground us in a particular setting.
The sound of ocean waves crashing against the shore, vehicle pass-bys, or birds flying overhead, can each sound totally different in a variety of ways, and the choices of which characteristics to present via the sound design all help transport you to the setting. For an easy example, we can explore the podrace scene in The Phantom Menace. Compare:
The heavy thunk-thunk-ing of the antagonist Sebulba's podracer
To young Anakin's, with its high engine whine reminiscent of a high performance F1 car.
These sounds provide context and contribute to the characterization of the opponents in the scene, enhancing your sense of immersion.
Ambiances on the other hand, encompass a broader range of elements that create a general sense of atmosphere or mood and are often non-diegetic (i.e. sounds that come from outside the fictional world of the film and are not audible to the characters but are heard solely by you). While backgrounds are more literal and specific to the setting of a scene, ambiances typically include more abstract or subtle sounds that evoke a particular feeling or emotion.
While backgrounds are more literal and specific to the setting of a scene, ambiances typically include more abstract or subtle sounds that evoke a particular feeling or emotion.
For example, while the low hum of a city at night or the shrill, tense droning in a haunted house would both be considered ambient sounds, only the latter is non-diegetic. Either way, ambiances set the overall tone of a scene and intentionally influence your emotional response.
Backgrounds focus on specific diegetic environmental sounds to provide:
Context
Realism
And establish setting
Ambiances utilize a broader range of non-diegetic or atmospheric elements to:
Create mood
And evoke emotions
Both are essential tools in sound design, and work together to enhance the cinematic experience for viewers.
Walla and Background Dialogue
Backgrounds can also include voices, which will typically take the form of either walla or ambient/ background dialogue. While both serve to enrich the auditory makeup of a scene, they have distinct characteristics and purposes that set them apart. Let's compare the characteristics and purposes of walla and ambient/ background dialogue.
Ambient dialogue is specific lines or interactions spoken by background characters in a scene. These lines are typically audible and may convey information about the setting, context, or mood of the scene.
For example, in the opening scene of Jurassic Park, ambient dialogue is used throughout the scene while the park rangers are corralling the highly dangerous raptor from a cage to its enclosure. The erratic shouting and call outs from the rangers in the background lends legitimacy to the high stakes danger presented by the vicious dino. The tension builds as the crew prepares to open the gate, with more and more fearful shouts of ambient dialogue ringing out in reaction to the angry thrashing in the cage. When the gate opens, the raptor surges forward creating a gap in the enclosure, grabbing a ranger and mauling him as he screams out over the commotion of the panicking group behind the commanding dialogue of their leader, Robert Muldoon.
Ambient dialogue like this adds tension and realism to a scene by creating the impression of a dynamic and lived-in environment. It helps to establish the context and atmosphere of the setting while also contributing to the overall narrative. Imagine the scene with no screaming from the rangers but instead muted conversations and professional jargon, or perhaps laughter and workers unprofessionally taunting the animal. The original treatment in the film builds your fear of the raptor; the former change suggests a highly professional team, well practiced and unafraid perhaps to the point of overconfidence, while the latter gives the impression of a low trained crew likely to make mistakes. These changes highlight the importance of ambient dialogue in shaping your perception and engagement with the narrative. Without the ambient dialogue as it is, the scene loses its sense of urgency and danger by shifting your focus away from the raptor and lowering the build up of tension, resulting in a portrayal that is ultimately not as terrifying, and fails to set up the events of the film as effectively.
Walla refers to the generalized murmur or indistinct chatter heard in crowded or busy scenes. Unlike ambient dialogue, walla does not consist of discernible words or phrases and is often used to simulate the sound of a crowd without drawing focus away from the main dialogue or action. The purpose of walla is more about creating a sense of presence and atmosphere rather than conveying specific information or interactions, and to add texture to a scene, making it feel more immersive and authentic- particularly in settings like busy streets, parties, or sports events.
When selecting walla, I like to think of the mood I need to establish in a scene first, and then look at things like crowd size/ demographics etc. because often, the feeling is more important than being 100% accurate to the image, and some exaggeration will help the narrative.
For example, in A League Of Their Own, the crowd reflects an important part in the advancing plot. Early on, the women are playing in smaller parks with half empty crowds.
The walla reflects this with sounds of smaller, quieter crowds Interspersed with the occasional heckler.
The line "Girls can't play ball!" shouted from a man in the stands is followed by scattered laughter amid the sparse conversations of the mostly disinterested attendees. Later however, as the women gain popularity and find themselves playing in Harvey Field (aka Major League Baseball's Wrigley Field), the crowds are transformed into much larger, engaged groups capable of thunderous applause.
This evolution of the background walla throughout the film shows us a few things through audio alone:
How the initial hostility that the players faced was overcome
How the team has won the hearts of the fans
Lends a sense of realism to the environment
The walla contributes to the primary elements of the scene without distracting from the main action.
While both ambient dialogue and walla contribute to the richness and realism of a scene, they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics.
Ambient dialogue adds specific interactions and context to a scene, enhancing your understanding of the setting and characters. In contrast
Walla creates a sense of atmosphere and immersion by simulating the background noise of crowds or bustling environments.
Together, these elements work to bring the setting of the scene to life in vibrant detail.
Trans-Diegetic Elements and Scene Transitions
Occasionally, background sounds may be trans-diegetic and could even move into or out of the background at key moments. These trans-diegetic elements are often used to form scene transitions, typically utilizing a needle-drop of popular music that fits the scene. The track will begin as either diegetic (i.e. songs on a car radio) or non-diegetic (functioning as score), and then flip for the scene change.
Trans-diegetic sounds can be used to enhance the flow of the scene by creating a sense of continuity and immersion, blurring the boundaries between the narrative space and the soundtrack.
This type of sound design plays a big part in the narrative style of Guardians of the Galaxy for example.
Used as a way to highlight Peter's longing for a connection to his past on earth, trans-diegetic needle drops are used often throughout the series of films. In one early scene, after the guardians are arrested and arrive at the prison, a guard swipes Peter's walkman from his belongings and the song "Hooked on a Feeling" by Blue Swede starts playing over the headphones. Peter, hearing the song and desperate to preserve the one connection he has to his past, begins to struggle with the guard and gets tased, letting out a scream as the chorus enters with "ahhh// hooked on a feeling" now playing full range, non-diegetically. This trans-diegetic needle drop transition seamlessly bridges the gap between scenes while immersing you further into the film's universe. It’s also able to provide some comedic relief on top of it all.
Indicating Narrative Beats Through Background Sounds
Backgrounds and ambiance in sound design serve as more than just tools for creating immersive environments; they are also powerful indicators of narrative beats in film. At the beginning of any scene, the choice of background sounds and ambiance sets the tone, giving viewers a glimpse into the upcoming narrative developments.
For example, serene nature sounds might precede a peaceful moment, while ominous ambient drones could hint at impending danger, as is the case in the push and pull of high and low intensity sounds prevalent in 1917. These elements subtly guide you through the story's twists and turns. By gradually intensifying background sounds, filmmakers can create a sense of foreboding, leading up to a climactic narrative event.
Counterintuitively, lowering or removing backgrounds can have the same type of effect!
These often subconscious cues reinforce emotional beats in the story, amplifying our engagement. Soft background music and gentle ambient sounds enhance tender moments between characters, while discordant sounds mirror conflicts, deepening the emotional impact. Additionally, backgrounds and ambiance draw attention to pivotal moments in the narrative. Sudden changes in background sounds or ambiance, like a dramatic music cue or a sudden absence of ambient noise, underscore the significance of key events or revelations. In essence, backgrounds and ambiance serve as subtle yet effective storytellers, guiding our understanding and emotional connection to the film's narrative.
Conclusion
The world of sound design is a rich and nuanced one, where every element plays a crucial role in shaping the cinematic experience. As we've explored in this brief discussion of background sounds, these subtle yet powerful components add depth, realism, and emotion to the stories we see on screen, with each sound serving a purpose, guiding viewers through the narrative and immersing them in the world of the film.
Ready to elevate your project with expert sound design? Let's bring your vision to life! Explore my services or contact me today to discuss your project requirements. Thank you for visiting sameliaaudio.com. Stay tuned for more insights and analysis on cinematic storytelling through sound.