Pre-Production Sound Planning

  Pre-Production Sound Planning 

Before filming: 

  • Script Breakdown – Highlight all dialogue, sound effects, and music cues. 

  • Identify: 

  • Dialogue (John and Will’s conversations) 

  • Background ambience (outdoor sounds, indoor room tone) 

  • Random sounds (footsteps, hammock movement, sweeping, dog collar, etc.) 

  • Ominous sound motif (used in corridor scene) 

  • Title screen music 

  • Create a sound list: 

  • Opening song (John’s headphones music) 

  • Ominous suspense sound 

  • Muffled scream 

  • Dog running sounds 

  • Video game sound effects 

Scene Breakdown: 

Opening Hammock Scene 

  • Record: 

  • Light outdoor ambience (wind, birds, distant traffic). 

  • Rustling hammock sounds. 

  • John’s music: 

  • Do NOT rely only on speaker playback. 

  • Record clean dialogue separately. 

  • Add music later in post-production. 

Chores Conversation Scene 

Record: 

  • Will: “You done yet?” 

  • John: “Fine what.” 

  • Natural tone differences (agitated tone from Will). 

  • Record multiple takes for clarity. 

Capture: 

  • Room tone (30–60 seconds of silence in the location). 

  • Sweeping sounds for montage. 

Corridor Suspense Scene 

Important: 

  • Record quiet room tone. 

  • Record Will’s lines clearly: 

  • “Anyone there?” 

  • “All the expensive stuff is not here.” 

Keep background quiet to allow suspense sound to stand out later. 

Video Game Scene 

Record: 

  • Controller clicking. 

  • Game sound separately (do not rely on live TV audio). 

  • Dialogue: 

  • “What are you doing!” 

  • “Do I have to explain what a video game is?” 

 Final Dog Scene 

Record: 

  • Dog collar jingling. 

  • Footsteps on the ground. 

  • John’s line: “What the—” 

  • “Huh” 

  • Capture a clean muffled scream separately (can be done later in ADR). 

Random Sound Recording (Post-Production) 

After filming, record extra sounds in a quiet space: 

  • Hammock creaking 

  • Sweeping sounds 

  • Footsteps (indoor & outdoor) 

  • Dog running 

  • Fabric movement 

  • Door creaks 

  • Controller clicking 

  • Heavy breathing (during tension moments) 

This makes the film feel realistic. 

Re-record unclear lines in a quiet room: 

  • Any outdoor dialogue with wind interference 

  • The muffled scream (record clearly, then edit to sound distant) 

  • Shock reactions 

Match: 

  • Tone 

  • Emotion 

  • Timing with lip movements 

Music & Sound Design 

 Opening Song 

  • Add in post-production. 

  • Fade in as the camera circles John. 

  • Lower volume when Will speaks. 

  • Cut completely when John turns it off. 

Montage Music 

  • Light upbeat track during chores. 

  • Add sweeping, movement sounds under music at low volume. 

Ominous Sound Motif 

Create or download a suspense sound: 

  • Low rumble 

  • Reversed whisper effect 

  • Subtle heartbeat layer 

Use it: 

  • First faint in corridor 

  • Louder second time (closer to Will) 

  • Slight echo/reverb for supernatural effect 

Silence 

Use intentional silence: 

  • After “Anyone there?” 

  • Before scream moment 

Silence builds tension. 

Final Scream 

  • Muffled 

  • Add reverb 

  • Cut suddenly to silence 

  • Then Title Screen 

Sound Editing & Mixing 

In editing software: 

  • Balance dialogue levels (make voices clear). 

  • Reduce background noise. 

  • Simple sounds (dog running left to right). 

  • Adjust volume levels: 

  • Dialogue highest priority 

  • Music slightly lower 

  • Effects blended naturally 

Final editing 

  • Ensure consistent volume throughout. 

  • No clipping or distortion. 

  • Test with headphones and speakers. 

  • Export final audio mix with film. 

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