Top 10 Greatest Sound Effects in Movies

A movie is a work of visual arts that consists of various elements, stories, dialogues, and audio. It’s not only about enjoying the sense of visuals but also enjoying the sense of sound that makes any visual art more realistic and alive. 

In other words, choosing the right sound effects are just as important as visuals in the film industry. Have you ever been so interested in watching movies because you were amazed at the sound effects that they produced? 

Many Hollywood films have finally won prestigious awards in the class of Oscars because of the quality of the sound effects in the movies.

There is a technique of taking sound effects that are done separately with the sound designer. This technique of taking sound effects is often done to make the sound in the film more realistic and harmonious in every scene. 

Plus, It takes great effort and special skills to be able to produce a representative and maximum sound effect. You wouldn’t think that the process of making this sound effect is more stunning than watching the movie.

Here are the best movies of all time with the greatest sound effects that will amaze you in the film industry.

1.A Quiet Place (2018)

A Quiet Place was an unexpected hit in 2018. It is worth remembering that this film not only carries the horror genre but also shows a family bond that is well described by John Krasinski and Emily Blunt, who also become husband and wife in real life.

With a horror premise, of course, the role of sound effects is very important in this film. However, the presence of sound will cause death, so somehow this film must remain calm.

American sign language is the means of communication within it, but what about sand tracks, boy toys, creaking monsters, and even the sound of feet stomping on nails? Well, it’s also an additional layer of sound in this “silent” film.

While watching it, you will be compelled to remain silent to hear and appreciate the sound effects in this film, which in some moments puts us into this silent world.

2.Roma (2018)

Rome is a recreation of Mexico City in the 1970s, with its unspoiled urban landscape. While making this film from his childhood memories, Cuaron often spoke about the outward appearance of the film. However, when it came to his voice, he had to dig deeper into his memories.

A recurring motif in it is the sound of water, which keeps dripping throughout the film. Also, the mix of city noises, protests, dancers, and the usual household chores further adds to the great atmosphere of this film.

From the original scoreless sound effects, we can actually hear what the characters in it are listening to. Cuaron manages to arrange all of this to transport us back in time but is left adrift in the distance.

We can also see how special foley is used for each scene, which further adds to the mastery of detail in this film.

3.Dunkirk (2017)

The next movie is Dunkirk. Christopher Nolan as the director of the Dunkirk movie has successfully caught people’s attention with the great stories, amazing actors, and greatest sound effects. 

From the sunken destroyer, gunfire in the sand, the Spitfire engine, the frantic breathing of soldiers, to Hans Zimmer’s score, this trifecta of Nolan’s vision is successfully portrayed in Dunkirk.

Since the narrative is divided into air, sea, and land, we can hear voices from these worlds very specifically, even during overlapping moments. All sounds are realistic because Nolan uses real planes and engines dating from the 1940s, making his voice even more accurate.

Since Nolan wanted a stunningly cinematic experience, one that would put us together with the soldiers in Dunkirk, the sound design is perhaps the most integral part of this film.

4.Mad Max: Fury Road (2016)

Many films with CGI effects in the 2010s era, the presence of Mad Max: Fury seemed to be a breathtaking film.

When CGI technology is developed rapidly, director George Miller remains confident in using practical effects techniques as visual effects. The visual technique is also supported by sound effect settings that make this film sound even more magnificent.

In addition to visuals, the sound effects of Mad Max: Fury Road also use classic film techniques, you know. The film’s sound designer, Mark Mangini, revealed that they used organic sound effects.

For example, Mangini used the sound of a whale as a sound effect for the villain Mad Max: Fury Road. Who would have thought that the old-school sound effects technique made this film look magnificent?

5.Gravity (2013)

Without bringing in a lot of players, Gravity features an interesting story about an American astronaut stranded in outer space after the destruction of the Space Shuttle in mid-orbit.

Being stranded in such a silent space is of course a scary thing. Well, Gravity builds that eerie silence through sound effects.

To keep the film in line with scientific requirements, director Alfonso Cuaron avoided using sound effects that were too dramatic. 

Since outer space is a place where neither air nor sound exists, you won’t hear an explosion when an object explodes or collides. Instead, Cuaron uses music to fill the void and tell Gravity’s story.

6.Inception (2010)

Christopher Nolan seems to understand that sound effects have a very important role in building the mood of a film. Besides the Dunkirk film, Nolan also displays sound effects that are no less magnificent in his other films, namely Inception. 

Telling the story of a thief who acts by infiltrating people’s dreams, Inception certainly features dramatic sound effects.

Inception is the film that started the trend of using the dramatic trumpet sound effect known as the “BRAAAM!” sound. 

If you look at the visual effects displayed by Inception, you will agree that this film does require dramatic sound effects. Moreover, this film is also filled with various tense actions.

7.SpiderMan (2002)

This film tells the story of a student named Peter Parker who gets bitten by a radioactive spider. Peter’s body suddenly has super strength, speed, and extraordinary abilities like a spider. Since then, Peter’s life has changed, and became a superhero called spider-man. 

Sam Raimi as the director of the spiderman movie has successfully produced the best movie of all time with the greatest sound effect of web-slinging which makes the movie more realistic.

As he soars and swings to the city, every sound he produces is always distinct when letting loose a new string of web to keep him airborne.

8.Lord of The Rings (2001)

Lord of The Rings is the legend of an adventure movie and has become the most popular movie of all time. The film directed by Peter Jackson, tells the story of Frodo Baggins’s journey to Mount Doom to destroy Sauron’s (Sala Baker) ring. 

There are various mythical and fictional creatures in the movie which are necessary to make a great quality of sounds. These creatures are goblins, dragons, and talking trees alongside human characters. 

You can’t even imagine how difficult and extraordinary the sound effects will be in the Lord of the rings movie. From the mythical creatures’ sound to supranatural activities.

9.The Matrix (1999)

This film represents a modern world in which most of production relied on digital effects contained in a simulated digital world.

Dane Davis as the sound designer created a range of new digitized sounds to show this new online creation.The sound editing uses everything from old computer noises to new artificial effects and sounds.

The Matrix film, starring Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Hugo Weaving, became the highest-grossing R-rated film in North America in 1999. The film has won 4 Oscars including Best Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects.

10.Jurassic Park (1993)

Watching Jurassic Park in the 90s was cool and tense at the same time. It was the first time dinosaurs felt alive in a movie. However, The most difficult part about making the film is not only presenting the dinosaurs but also making the sound effects.

It is pretty obvious that the sound in the film is not a sound recorded from a real dinosaur. So, How did a movie maker produce the Tyrannosaurus Rex sounds?

No one knows how real dinosaurs sounded. Therefore, the sound designer of the film must create it by modifying the existing sound into a sound that is ‘approximately’ according to the type of dinosaurs.

The sound designer, Gary Rydstrom enlisted a turtle or even a baby elephant to produce the terrifying dinosaur sound. You might wonder how that is even possible and what those animals did not even sound like in the movie.

This is exactly the interesting part about sound editing. The sound designer slows the sound down of a turtle or baby elephant and ROAR! The sounds have been made. 

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