The impact of audio
Have you ever watched a scary movie with the sound off? Then you know that the film is suddenly not as scary at all. That is the effect that music and sound effects have on the experience. Maarten de Groot is an audio designer at C4Real. Together with C4Real owner Ton Kuper, he talks about the impact of audio in visual productions.
Let's start with some definitions. By audio, we mean various elements:
1. Voice-overs: this is a voice that provides commentary in a film outside the picture;
2. Sound effects and background noises that create the ambiance;
3. The music composition that you hear while watching the visuals. Preferably, this is specially made for the visualization.
Music is emotion
Maarten prefers to step in on a visual production that is already completely finished. Then the timing is already perfect, and it is clear which image will be seen for how many seconds at which moment. He works on this: “My main goal is to perfectly convey the emotion that fits with the visuals in music and other audio components. First, I watch the film a few times, and then I play some music to determine the feel. Usually, that’s piano or a small synthesizer. Ultimately, it could become ‘minimal music’ or even a heavy composition that is very bombastic. We have even come up with vocal lines for a singer that needed to be sung for a video. It can go that far.”
Different categories of film music
As with everything, there are also music categories in various types and styles. The simplest category is stock music. It works similarly to stock photos: you buy a music piece online and stick it under the visual production. Of course, this is not specifically composed for the production, and therefore it quickly comes across as somewhat generic or even cheap. Other companies can also use the same music. For budgetary reasons, some clients occasionally choose stock music, but we do not recommend it.
The second category is music loops. Here, the beat, melody, and other components can be used separately from each other. We use these already developed loops as a modular system under the visualization. The music then fits the production better because you can tailor it more, but in principle, it is still not entirely unique.
The last category is music that is specially composed for the visual production. This creates the most impact. You can also perfectly tune everything regarding timing, so that sound and image optimally enhance each other. And the beauty of it is: no one else has this music at their disposal, only your company. Its effect is great because the music optimally emphasizes every detail that comes into view with sound. This takes the viewer along in the story, creating an emotional connection between the viewer and the visualization.
Credibility is key
Creating a music composition is truly craftsmanship. The same goes for recording a voice-over. This is a task that requires experience and insight. For each visualization, we scout for a suitable voice-over. We then coach them for the right voice intonation. This is an important part to convey the right emotion of the voice in the visualization. The viewer must feel that the voice-over is telling the story as if it is their own story. And not as if it is a script being read, which you unfortunately often encounter. Credibility is key!
Activating the Subconscious
Image becomes so much stronger with the right music underneath, according to Ton: “It becomes truly unique with a composed piece instead of the usual fare. This really impresses the target audience as you convey the right feeling. You activate something in the subconscious of people. We are not really aware of what music does to us. Only when it is missing do we miss it. Research also shows that audio determines 60% of the impact on an emotional level. We have known this in our subconscious for a long time. This means that you can strongly influence the feeling that people have about a brand or product by applying the right music. That is why music is essential to us.”
Music must fit well
You can imagine that we wouldn't just place a fast techno track under a video about a healthcare application. And also not a string orchestra under a film about white-water kayaking. The music must match the visuals. Just as the voice-over must match the company and the subject of the visualisation. In terms of intensity and nuances, everything must be in line. Sometimes you want to emphasize something in the visuals, and sometimes you want to take a quieter approach with the audio. We all think about this for every production. Only then do you make the difference.
A step further, 360-degree audio
A step further goes binaural audio, audio in which sound is displayed 360 degrees around you. You can hear not only to the left and right, but 360 degrees from all angles around you, far and near, high or low. A very special experience that you can experience on any headphones. You can imagine that if you combine this with Virtual Reality, you get a lifelike experience where you can hardly distinguish between fiction and reality.
Finally, a few tips:
* No, you cannot just use music by Lady Gaga or DJ Tiësto under a video. There is copyright on that.
* We can indeed purchase certain existing music specifically for your application, so that no one else may use the same music under a video.
* By having your own music composed, you are essentially expanding your brand identity. Your target audience will start to recognize your company by the music you use.
* Do you really want to take a step further and have a professional appearance? Then let us develop a tune for your brand and have it come back repeatedly in the intro and/or outro of all your videos and animations.
