Documentary Voice & Vision

Chapter 13Sound Basics and Equipment

The cinematic or televisual experience is as sensuous aurally as it is visually. Just as the picture transforms the spectator’s experience of the sound, the sound transforms the spectator’s experience of the picture.

Ilisa Barbash and Lucien Taylor, Cross-Cultural Filmmaking¹

■ The Importance of Sound

It is an unfortunate reality that the visual aspects of film and video are given priority over the sound aspects in most filmmakers’ minds, and in most film schools. We call it “film school,” after all, and not “sound school.” Perhaps not surprisingly, then, sound is often a blind spot for filmmakers, especially those just starting out. All too often, a lot of time, money, and preparation go into the production ...