Ear-E Noises

POP! A fist from the lead actor accidentally connects with the jaw of an extra...cue- LAUGHTER.

cue-Confusion

My brain tries to grasp what I saw, following multiple roads to final conclusions, often illogical. Visually, a signal of violence, a man punching another, is sent to my brain. Previous to the punch, my eyes and ears were able to discern that this was Take 3 of a student film, thus the connection of flesh and knuckle, should not have occured and therefore is an accident. This moment is a surprise to the actors, the crew, the extra, but my question is, why the laughter, especially from the extra who received a blow. It looked worse than it was.

The reason is the sound. The sound is harsh, the mic peaks, the reaction is a cringe and I don't laugh. But the reason the sound is so loud is the boom mic. The location is directly above the extra who is punched and for me this amplifies what on set was nothing but a dull thud.

Sound sound sound, in my opinion it is the key to good films, especially student films. Student films biggest pratfalls is lack of attention to sound. It becomes an afterthought, on the set which complicates things in post.

I enjoyed this article. I will focus more on sound, both creatively-using sounds as symbols, or motifs, and pratically.