Please see the post Drama!Drama!Drama! for the beginning of this series.

Part II

Where we left off: So when it came to making videos and plays at church,  I was already sold on the value of quality sound, or quality “noise” as my wife calls it. Each production had to have a great base (not bass as in treble) of sound in it to add to the overall effect of the production.

………. Continued……..

Sound effects are doors slamming, thunder rumbling, wind whistling, explosions, hammers hitting nails, breathing, rumbles, earthquakes, well…you get the idea. They can really modify a point you are making in a dramatic presentation.

WARNING -
don’t go too crazy. Use them only as you need them,
because if you over use an effect the mind’s reaction of what the ear is telling it can “normalize” an ambient level.
If the audience only hears rumbles, then the mind “normalizes” the rumble
and kind of moves it back in the priority list
to the point you don’t even notice it anymore
(this can be the case of using too many drones).

What an effective sound effect does is either re-emphasizes a point you are telling, or for audio alone, is something that catches the mind off guard. If you are watching a storm building with clouds on the background of your video and you have a constant howling wind, your mind will most likely normalize the constant wind sound effect, so that when the lightning flashes and the thunder clap is added done correctly) it can make people jump. because you have moved the mindset of the audience from out of a normalization zone into a vibrant adrenaline pumping moment.

But, again, it you have thirty thunder claps in a row, spaced out at 2 seconds a piece, then your mind will normalize that…so look at what effect you want to bring out. Use sound effects wisely. Too little, people are disappointed in the lack, too much and they are mind-numbed – but used in the right places, sound can be a powerful force for telling a message.

So, as a man with little budget, I Googled a search for “sound effects”. From there I found many “free” sound effects sites but these were of usually poorer quality that I preferred to use.

So for some truly great sound effects (licensing required – this means you purchase them) check out these sites to name a few:

There are many other sites as well based upon your need. Most of these you can purchase online and download a production quality piece immediately, licensing included.

The point is this: Sound can be a powerful and effect way to help tell your message and using today’s technology allows us access to what we would have never had the ability to do before (imagine trying to get an explosion sound effect in the 70’s – it just wasn’t available)

So use sound wisely and with anointing. Trust me, it serves well……watch the people get out of their own personal “normalizations” and wake up to the message of CHRIST you are telling.