History and Development of Sound Technologies and Sound Design in Film

¶ … sound technologies and sound design in Film

Sound in films

Experiments in Early Age

Developments

Crucial innovations

Commercialization of sound cinema: U.S., Europe, and Japan

Sound Design

Unified sound in film production

Sound designers in Cinematography

Sound Recording Technologies

History of Sound Recording Technology

Film sound technology

Modern Digital Technology

History of sound in films

Developments

Sound Design

Sound Recording Technologies

The film industry is a significant beneficiary of performing arts. The liberal arts combined with latest techniques and advancements experienced a number of stages. The introduction of films and sound in films was a significant development of its times. The introduction of first film along with sound was a unique event and it revolutionized the industry in such a way that it influenced every individual related to the industry to start thinking on creative and innovative grounds for improvements. The stages of films can be identified as silent films shown in theaters and they were narrated live. However the introduction of sound in films was a key development of early 20th century (1912 -- 1914).

Since then latest techniques and technologies are experimented and the journey of improvements is continuing through the time. The aim of the current research is to provide an account of developments in film sounds as well as investigate through the developments. The objective achieved through the review of secondary literature is focused to provide a complete historic perspective of sound in films. Furthermore the developments in the industry are also taken into consideration. The introduction of latest techniques and innovative technologies is a central theme of developments research.

Literature is also reviewed to develop understanding of sound design and sound recording technologies. Additionally the role of sound designers in cinematography is elaborated. The film sound technology has absorbed numerous developments and it is considered significant to develop resonance with the film sound technology. The innovations of digital developments are investigated to understand their impacts and offerings.

Later a discussion is carried out on the basis of learned history, developments, sound design, and sound recording technologies. The discussion is focused on combining the knowledge gained through historical developments within the industry along with the middle aged developments and latest technical advancements. The discussion will provide a focused approach towards understanding the impact of past, recent, and future developments within the film industry as whole as well as sound in films in particular. The results drawn from discussion are important to formulate a rational basis for conclusion. The conclusion will also provide key recommendations with a futuristic focus on technology and important timings. It is important for film and sound professionals to maintain close attention for significant technology and film sound trends in order to timely capture industry opportunities.

History:

The work done by Altman (2004) provides a significant account of sound history in films. The study states that the history of silent movies cannot be completed without investigating and relying on primary research. The secondary research provides only the documented account of sound history which cannot be relied to form a concrete conclusion. The research about history of sound in ancient films can only draw upon provided documented evidence of the concerning period. The availability and authenticity of such documents is also questioned.

The research further concludes that the secondary research of these documents does not facilitate in resolving issues. On the other hand it complicates the issues and history accounts. The previous work in history of sound is criticized in terms of two major unethical issues. The speculations are made to provide a clear picture of the history and secondly the despairing of available marital has occurred. Hence the conclusions of such researches cannot be regarded as authentic (Altman 2004). It is however a viewpoint and cannot be applied to define previous research in the related subject.

The historical account (Enticknap 2005) of films and sound in films is also an important addition to explore history of sound in films. The author takes an important perspective of technology advances and opportunities provided to the film making industry through various economic, industrial, and technologically developing eras. The approach taken by the research is unique in its nature as well as provides a detailed knowledge of key changes occurred in the film making industry as well as sound in films. The hearing effects are appreciated by the audience in relation of the visuals. The audiences are attracted to a particular scene with the help of profound hearing support. The impacts of a particular scene, film, and documentaries are increased when appropriate sound is coupled with the visuals (Smith 2004).

The experiments are a profound basis of developments in film making and integrating sound with films. The innovative film professionals, photographers, sound artists, and technical staff, in terms of their contribution provided a recognizable standing. The developments in the industry are through exceptional work done by various individuals with flair to innovate and offer visionary advances in the field of films. The sounds in films are particularly introduced through a number of experiments. A detailed discussion on these experiments is provided in the later sections of the research (Smith 2004).

The important segments of film making industry include films, documentaries, sound, music, television, and theater. The film making industry has grown over the years at a phenomenal rate and it is acknowledged that United States in particular has contributed in global expansion of the industry, despite the fact that Europeans played a significant role in industry improvements. The notable advantage of U.S. can be denoted as their universal appeal and film makings in English language. The influential role of audio appeal can be estimated through analysis of the above stated factor. The United States film industry has turned films into a global perspective. The Hollywood industry is identified as one of the major shareholders and driving force behind notable developments after the maturity of basic innovations. The moving film industry's growth and advancements provides a historical role in development of economics, culture, technology, and innovations (Enticknap 2005).

Sound in films:

The notion that films were silent in early years cannot be accepted in totality. The early movies were exhibited in theaters since 1908, and move theaters were considered a significant development in providing entertainment. The sound in movies was present in several forms. According to Pramaggiore and Wallis (2005) movies were narrated live during the early introduction of movie theaters. The critical elements of silent cinema-visual composition, camera movement, and editing are notable segments of film making developments.

The history of movies can also be defined as two distinct features of visuals and sound. The sound tracks of movies are described as a separate aspect including its technical requirements. The combination of sound and visuals in global cinemas created profound impact on the aesthetics, social, and cultural factors audience (Gomery 2005). These significant impacts of sounds on movie audience were demonstrated by a post-production of famous movie "Blond Runner."

The sound design is also a significant component for implementing sound in films. The development of sound in films is not long enough to be interlinked with the sound in theater films. Traditionally the implementation of sound tracks including their design and development is not regarded as technologically and professionally developed filed in film making. The inventions of coupling sound with images in films can be regarded as significant developments. The idea laid the foundation for inception of motion pictures. The traces of connecting sound with sight can be experienced in the work of Edison Company in 1894 (Dakic 2009).

The significant impact of introducing sound in films has opened another dimension for discussion related to large number of global audience as well as limiting the film to certain audience. The film sound is international as well as local in nature. The target audiences are considered prior to implementing sounds in films. English and French are most spoken languages throughout the world. However the films were also dubbed in local languages as described by Brockmann (2010). The film sound is also a critical factor in defining its success and appeal for particular target audience. The films are created with significant appeal designed to cater a set of target audience depending on the geographic location, demographics, age groups, and most importantly their interests.

Chion (2009) describes that visual images of a movie cannot appeal to audience in case sounds are not present to enhance its effects. The impact of a silent move can be defined as far less than the enhancements made by sound effects created to convey actual scene requirements. It is a significant development to align sound with the moving images to create an amplified effect. The audiences are facilitated not only with the narrative but the pitch and sound variations during the scene. The sound effects are later developments yet they provided increased control. The audiovisual effects instigated more sophisticated and technological advancements in film sounds.

Film Music also has a dynamic history as well as long debate. The introduction of film music is an innovation of its times. The synchronization of sound films was experimented during 1912 to 1914. These developments underlined the importance of technology and innovation in coming years of film industry. The history of film music also does not provide a coherent record of its developments as Lumiere brothers are also reported as introducing their film with music in 1895. However the confirmation of such records is a trivial task due to unclear documentation.

Phonographic sound and films were among the early films with music. It is also stated that a number of cinemas in Europe were dedicated for phonographic sounds. The introduction of phonographic and these cinemas throughout the world have influenced sound and music in films. It is reported that these cinemas showcased short films with operatic performances. Hence the traces of film sound and music can significantly be tracked to their roots.

Experiments in Early Age:

The historic account of experiments in combining sound with motion images can be traced back to 1895 with minimal recoded evidence however the actual traceable record is recognized as in 1912. Since then the industry embarked on a journey of experiments with sound records. William Heise is a notable name in experimenting film sounds. He experimented by synchronizing sound with motion picture. Later Dickson named his film as "Dickson Experimental Sound Film." The movie showcased him while he was playing music (DiMare 2011).

The experiments were vital in the revolution of films however the film was a collection of photographs placed in a sequence of scenes providing a motion effect to these photographs was the basis of motion movies. The sound track was also coupled with the moving images to integrate hearing along with the visuals. Dickson is regarded as a multilingual person having command on English, French, and German. He is also remembered in history as a fine artist with a flair for innovation and experimenting new techniques. His experiment was provided a name of positive paper prints. These prints were later copyrighted at Library of Congress (DiMare 2011). The motion record is notable advancements of the early 20th centenary along with other technological advancements and experiments in the form of Attire and revolution in building technologies.

Edison is remembered for his experiments with photography of live events and notable places and placing them together in a sequence to create a films effect. The technological innovations were not his interest however he managed to do notable advancements of devices invented by others. The experiment of his age laid the foundation of advanced film making techniques and presentations (DiMare 2011). The early record of experiment performed by Lee De Forest is regarded as inflectional in optical sound technology. These innovations were possible through usage of Audion vacuum tube. The limited number of experiments also incorporated optical film recordings to directly create limited musical sounds. (Holmes 2008).

Holmes (2008) also elaborates the significance of recording mediums. The role of recording mediums also played a vital role in innovations and advances of film sounds. Traditionally the electronic music was only available to live show's audience. The need for recording medium was understood by composers. The concept was based on reaching out to a large number of audiences as keeping a safe record of the music. Technological advancements in film sounds as well as music could be defined in terms of its journey from the megalithic tape to electronic music. The developments are also seen in the perspective of live performances to a library of records.

According to Holmes (2008) the phonofilms were introduced in 1919 having a musical addition. The process of phonofilms making is incorporated a conversion technique to transform audio signals to electrical waves form and they were recorded on the edge of the motion films. The recording of these signals used a photographical recording mechanism. The later developments included the offerings of optical sound-on-film as discussed earlier. The later era experienced wire and sic recorders as a medium for music and vocals along with the films. It took several years for film sounds to incorporate computer technologies to offer assistance in talking movies and movie sounds. The extensive usage of photoelectric cell enabled recording sound tracks and played in the background during the film. The technique also offered a two step recording and playback process. The movies are first to initiate and incorporate sound splicing. The processes included synchronization of audio content with movies using optical sound. Several other notable experiments were also performed by the John Whitney and James Whitney in 1940. However they only remained associated with experimental film makings (Holmes 2008).

Developments:

The significance of sound is recognized through various developments. The introduction of synchronized sound with images has created a notable difference in film industry. It also underscored in transformation of film making to a complete new paradigm as an economically influential industry. The innovative developments and successful utilizations of technology for making sound synchronized films have played a vital role achieving the current portfolio of industry. Sound as a major component of film is recognized as a half of film (Whittington 2007). The developments in mid to late 20th century took place in various parts of the world with a leading role played by United States. The contribution of various disciplines cannot be undermined. Innovative developments in film sound took place not only within the industry but several developments were also enabled by using other industry resources (Ballou, 2008). The developments of communications, electronics, and manufacturing are notable in this regard.

The film arts can be technically subdivided into five major divisions including narrative, music in scenes, cinematography, editing, and sound. The functionality and interrelatedness of these elements plays a vital role in narrative films. The role of sound and music is important to contemplate images. It is also significant in explaining a number of characteristics including the perception of abstract images. The combination of sound with images has also enhanced an overall film's outlook. The sound factors i.e. human voice, sound effects, and music have an important role in defining and reflecting non-story-based films. Documentaries and are an example of such films (Pramaggiore & Wallis 2005).

The developments in film making and sound in films contributed towards the aesthetics of the final products. The developmental moves are based on technology and implementation of innovations through experiments in the industry. It is also observed that these developments always played a vital role in taking a step forward for the techniques and practices applied throughout the industry. In terms of sound in films several technological developments improved the final quality of movies i.e. A speech centered to a prominence to noise. The film sound design has also experienced changes with the introduction of music. Film music has a direct impact on sound design technology and developments. The developments in digital surround film sound and sound design. The gradual development of digital surround sound has influenced production of films and improvements in quality of ambient music and sound (Buckland 2009).

Sound has fundamental importance in narrating the story of films, documentaries, and media productions. Walter Master, an eminent sound designer once described 'sound' as being responsible for creation of a better image representation in films (Dakic 2009). The complete whole of a film that audience views in cinemas is a combination of sound and picture. The role of sound in films is vital as it may be used as a medium to directly narrate the story or to enhance the effects of picture. The sound is thus used an integrative element to join different parts of the film, rarely is sound used as an element to draw attention solely. The sound design is therefore a process accomplished as post production construction of sound and picture, combining many sound and picture pieces together to form a complete film. The aspect of sound construction in post-production stage is known as the sound design.

The characteristics of sound have an influential impact on film making. The reliability of quality has increased with the developments in film sound. It has observed numerous innovative developments throughout the introduction of sound in films. A notable character of sound can be defined in terms of its independent nature from images. Sound is added to in post production stages hence it provides more room for experimentation and testing (Pramaggiore & Wallis 2005). The developments in past years including the introduction of Dolby sounds have played a significant role in creating a broader understanding of films. It has not only changed the traditional high and low culture perspective of quality. The developments of sound in films are largely dominated by American film making industry (Sergi 2005).

Segri (2005) denotes that the provision of studios with latest technology equipments and expertise of professional sound engineers United States is also the largest exporter of sound technologies and dubbings in films. The introduction of Dolby studio in 1970 has taken film sounds in contemporary periods to significant developments. It has played a role in terms of technological as well as creative developments while creating a significant impact on the film audience throughout the world. A notable example of Dolby era is the THX program introduced by Lucasfilm. The program has not only influenced cinema architecture, but at the same time it has also created a notable impact on film reproduction during Dolby era.

The contributions of the program are also endured in cinema building techniques and lead to renovation of theater building. The program also underlined the significance of sound in films. The Dolby era has not only played a role in setting new standards of sound but at the same time it has created awareness among audience and film makers regarding sound. The notable developments of Dolby contributed in offering numerous sound systems, including stereo, Dolby EX, and C-type noise reduction systems (Sergi 2005).

The section below are dedicated to provide a significant account of the crucial innovations and commercialization so sound cinema in United States, Europe, and Japan. The focus of the details is to elaborate the above mentioned developments in the context of history and provide a functional time line of major innovation observed in the industry. These developments and innovations are also considered relevant for commercialization of sound cinema in various parts of the world. The world market is different in terms of its economic, technological, and consumer demand. It is also observed that commercialization of products and services are based on the economic principles. The market demand, capacity, and financial strength are major factors for commercialization of the products and it is also similar for the sound cinema commercialization. The differences of various market characteristics are also elaborated to conclude the reverent section.

Crucial innovations:

The introduction of sound in motion pictures is denoted as a mechanical process in the research Gomery (2005) that is further explained in terms of recording and reproducing the synchronized sound showcased in Film Theater. There is a significant role of sound laboratories in innovating and implementing sound improvements in films. The theory of technological innovations denotes that an introduction of new products and process are regarded as innovative in terms of economics and business. Hence the introduction of sound in films is similarly treated as a new product and several innovations. Several innovations played a significant role in shaping sound in films including technology, introduction of techniques, and critical developments of procedures to couple sound with images. It is significant to understand the structure, conduct, and industry performance to highlight crucial innovations and their motives. The above mentioned perspective can provide a board economic view of innovations for sound in films.

The developments in film sound are achieved through innovations, experiments, and continuous dedication of professionals. The innovations in film sound are achieved through using latest technology equipments and introducing new techniques for developing a final product. The focus of equipment, technology, and new techniques in applying innovative solutions for mixing sound with images has major contribution in film making. Mixing itself is also a notable process including three major elements. The process is described as an innovative technique for combining film sound in one soundtrack added to the image tracks. The first element is explained in terms of image and sound based on aesthetic principles, innovative technologies, and commercial viability. The impact of these three elements and their integration played a vital role in instigating major innovations throughout the history of sound in films (Pramaggiore & Wallis 2005).

It is worth mentioning that in 1940s Walt Disney film Fantasia introduced an innovative mathematical format denoted as Fantasound2. This program has also played a vital role in sound innovations including click track, dispersion-aligned loudspeaker system with skewed-horn, and pan-pot. Furthermore control-track level-expansion, overdubbing of orchestral parts and multichannel sound system are also notable. The program also facilitated in development of simultaneous multi-track recordings. These programs were followed by other critical innovations in the industry lead by Dolby A-type noise reduction technology. There had been significant developments in the sound film industry throughout various periods. These innovations were designed and developed emphasizing on various important parts of sound including hyper-reality and correlation with picture. The innovations in sound were also with regards of storytelling denoted a narrating and story supporting as back ground music (Dakic 2009).

All these innovative techniques were developed over time through a continuous process. The process of these innovations can also be explained in terms of an integration of theory, experiments, and application of techniques. The purposes of these innovations can be well understood in terms of simplified economics principle of demand and supply. The innovations created value for final products and as a result appealed to target audience. According to Dakic (2009) the role sound is described on the basic functions of various sound types including speech, music, sound effects i.e. hard or cut, foley music, ambiance, and design sound effects.

All above mentioned types of sound and their implementation is self explanatory as an evidence of remarkable innovation in film sound during various periods of history. The introduction of various technological innovations can also be tracked through electronics research and developments, carried out for other fields than films. The assembling of components and electronic circuits has enabled the industry to utilize these innovations within their filed to enhance sound in films. The introduction of stereo sound is a notable example as the circuit was primarily developed for radar. However later it was used in film sound and revolutionized film sound. Later developments in film sound also incorporated mobile microphones and tapes to facilitate audience appeal and as a result achieve industry growth (Verstraten & Van Der Lecq 2009).

Commercialization of sound cinema: U.S., Europe, and Japan

The history of commercialization and theories rests on the economic principles. It is essential for a product or service to commercialize on the basis of basic principles of demand and supply. Economic resources with businesses and target audience of a market play a deciding role in innovative developments and commercial viabilities. The case of cinema commercialization it is vital to understand that most developed countries lead a primary role in commercialization of cinema and integration of sound with images (O'Brien 2005). The entertainment and arts industry was transformed through commercialization. It is also notable that it is commercialization that leads to such phenomenal developments for sound in films. Sound is now regarded as an equally important part of any film. The interests of large commercial communications and film corporations facilitated the integration of knowledge and techniques of other disciplines to enhance capabilities of film sound.

The introduction of sound in films was a major step in facilitating a concept of synchronized sound in films. The changing scenario of films from entertainment to commercialization took a long time as the sound in films was introduced in 192 and it took decades to showcase a talking movie. These movies are also called talkies. The films were showcased in theaters and narrated live. However the taking films era is late 1920s. The first talking movie was showcased in United States is named as Jazz Singer in 1927.

There is major impact of cultures and human perception on any new commercial technology and it takes time to be accepted as a viable commercial activity for any new product or service. The films are also similar in that regard. It is observed that in United States talking movie was a success and it was appreciated by major opinion groups. However a contrary argument was also supported that sound will interfere in images and audience will be distracted (O'Brien 2005). The presence of different options among normal public regarding a development is a normal course in any commercially offered product or service. United States and Europe are regarded as major markets for films in that era. The developments and film productions were also taking place in these markets.

There is a significant role of public opinion and businesses of United States and Europe, in transforming films into an industry. The developments in the industry were also targeted to the audience of these geographic locations. It is important to note that the inhabitants of various geographic locations responded differently to the developments in films and particularly regarding sound in films. The commercialization of cinema is also observed during different times in different locations. United States and Europe are regarded as sharing similarities in adopting and facilitating commercialization of cinema. It is also noted that Japan was a resisting force and a longer period was taken to adopt taking movies and sound in films. India is also regarded as a major region in facilitating talking movies and commercial cinema. In 1960s commercial cinema was introduced in India (Cooke, 2008).

It is also worth mentioning that a number of issues were present in initial stages of introducing sound in films including synchronizations. Commercial cinema and theaters were also among the facilitators for synchronization by playing two different mediums at the same time to create a synchronization effect to somewhat extant. Gramophone records or sound on disk was one of the standards followed in commercial cinema for a long period of time. It is also significant to note that Hollywood was also a development of early era of sound in films. The businesses including studios and film making agencies played a vital role in facilitating innovations and developments.

The European and Hollywood technology and film making techniques are similar as well as different at the same time. The European cinema also has a localized version of films including the films in local languages including French, German, and Greek (Cooke, 2008). However the European film making corporations also take advantage of the Hollywood facilities as well as technology innovations. Hollywood film industry is regarded as the largest exporter of technology, devices, and techniques in sound of films. It has established itself as a hallmark for film sound since the inception of Dolby laboratories in 1960s (Beck & Grajeda 2008). It is noteworthy that manufacturers of sound and digital devices in Japan have also contributed significantly in commercialization of sound technologies. They are also regarded as global leaders in innovating sound technologies and an underlying factor for contemporary developments. The increased availability of sound systems in theaters is a significant contribution of Japan.

Sound Design:

The development of sound design as a professional field is credited to film-making, although the technology and objectives achieved through sound design were already practiced in the theatre industry. Dickson Experimental Sound Film was first known attempt to incorporate sound in images back in 1894. However, Fox Studio and Warner Brothers are amongst the pioneering companies that first used the sound patent. Don Juan however was the first sound film that debut the market of sound films. Steamboat Willie (1928) is famed for being the first ever sound film. The sound track of the film was produced during the post-production process through the incorporation of sound effects, dialogues, monologues, and music. This indicates that sound design technology evolved and benefited to a great extent from theatre and early directors and producers willing to take the risk of experimenting with sounds in films.

The use of techniques in sound production requires increased emphasis formalization of this profession of sound designing. Not only does the sound enhances the represented image but also provides a connection to picture events. Sound is also used to create effects in the picture. The way that sound is used in different scenes depicts the mood of scenes that prepares audiences to connect and understand the themes and message. Thus, storytelling and story supporting are the two main functions of sounds in a film, former being the main function while latter is used as mood creation element, to suggest how audiences should feel about particular image representation. The types of sound used in film depend on the scene selection, the producers usually chose between speech, music, and sound effects (Dakic 2009).

Introduction

Being a technical creative field in film making, the sound design forms the non-compositional elements of films. Although the history of sound design in film in not as long as compared to the development of this technical creative field in theatre sound. However, the professionalism and exclusivity that sound engineers have achieved today is virtue of sound design in films. The major functions performed by the sound designer, in typical films are Dialogue recording, Sound effects recording, and the re-cording of sound track of film. The motion picture directors intended to create much rich experience for their audiences. This was to be achieved through the combination of 'picture' and sound. Edison company being the pioneer of sound designing in films were soon joined by other companies to record sounds as background to scenes and a medium to narrate stories. The aim of increasing or decreasing the dramatic effects was also achieved through specific designs of sound in films. Oskar Sala and Rammy Grassman were the first ones to experiment with the sound design technologies. One of the early films making use of sound designs was Eraserhead by David Lynch. The film made use of background sound to provide an ambient effect. The use of sounds was more to accompany the main act of the films rather than attracting towards itself. The use of sounds as a means to attract the audiences solely to the sound got started quire later. This indicates the gradual improvement as well as the transformation of sound design while being used in films. The use of autonomous sound environments in films can also be experienced in Sounds from a different Realm of Splet.

Unified sound in film production:

Traditionally, the sound design was managed in three distinct formats, sounds as dialogues, sound design as music, and sound as effect. This distinction has however been removed from modern film production. Currently, the film sound is managed as a unified sound abandoning the treatments of sounds as being music, effects, and dialogues. The modern tools of audio production have enabled the sound designers to treat all three sounds i.e. music, dialogue, and effect in a unified way. As put by Miguel, Mera, and David "Modernism is inherent in technologically enabled means of audio production in filmmaking that encourages alliance of music and sound design as a recorded and edited form, and thus is at odds with rehashed nineteenth century orchestral scores typical of classical cinema" (Buckland, 2009; 112). The unification of sound design in films is done to achieve greater perfection in depicting emotions, tone, and sequencing. Rather than just managing sounds as the requirement of picture representation, the sounds become the focal medium of non-verbal cues. Music and design of sounds in music has greatly benefited the film production. It is observed that of late, many films have constructed sequences as music or sound effects only. This is greatly represented in films such as Se7en released in 1997 and Ju-On: The Grudge being released in year 2003. The use of sounds in background and to give an effect of supernatural presences is also widely used in films, such as in Donnie Darko released in 2001.

Some of the later developments in the sound design in films are multi-track recording, surround sound and Dolby stereo, and digital sound recording technologies, all these sound design technologies were used in 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s respectively. The recent sound design technologies on films have enabled the effective use of sound effects, music, and voice in a synergetic format. The increase in complexity of operations in sound designing has also increased the labor in this field. Not many sound technicians used to work in the film industry prior to this unification of sound design. These days there are significantly more number of sound technicians working in film production. Therefore, it is music to which the film sound design owes its significant development. This phenomenon has however given rise to the issue of 'sound clash' in films (Sonnenschein 2001). This refers to the clashing of different 'sound effects' with the main sound design of the film. Gunshots and other sound effects do create disturbance in the main sound design but if mixed tactfully, these do not disrupt the flow of sound design of the film.

Music as sound has influenced the film producers more than any other thing in the production filed. The art of storytelling adopted by musicians such as Pink Floyd and Beatles inspired the directors of films to experiment with their sound design in films. The use of music sound and sound effects was so low in the traditional films that dialogue sound assumed much importance in the art of storytelling through films. However, as the role of music sound increased, it has significantly reduced the role played by dialogue sounds. Nonetheless, effective direction of films requires that sound designers understand the director's vision to create that film. The major processes involved in the sound design are envisioning the concept of sound and what role does the sound will play, either it will augment the picture or equally contribute in storytelling. Sound recording is another process that requires orientation with the tools and technologies. Finally, sound finishing is also an important process that sound designers perform in films. A significant differentiation that sound design novices shall make is between the public hearing points and the character hearing points. The motor and non-motor sounds are major elements of sound designing for films. The environments in which sounds are being presented are also relevant to the work of sound designers. An interior or exterior location as well as the time of the day also impacts the sound designing in films. The sound designer have significant role in today's films as they have to decide what feeling should prevail through the use of specific sound tracks. The action and reaction in sound tracks creates a captivating impact for the audiences and this has to be used as an added advantage by the sound designers.

Sound designers in Cinematography:

In Cinematography, the sound designers have been heavily relied upon to create masterful impression in the audiences' minds. This is achieved through many techniques and principles as well as experimentation used by the sound designers. Realism is also one such sonic character used by the sound designers to improve the sounds in film. The surround sound system is one such technique used by the designers that greatly increase the realism in film sequences. Such progress has been made by the sound designers is influencing the films that the sound design is considered as important as the visual design of a film. The film Black Hawk Down resealed in 2000 is considered one such film in which sound design was used effectively and the sound designers created several symbolisms and realism in the shot scenes. The use of graphic and violent images and sounds to enhance the appeal of picture and sound in recent films has also been experienced by the audiences. Not long ago did the sound engineers and designers were used as an aid to the overall creativity process of film, currently however there is an increased emphasis on exclusivity of each contributing department in the film production, sound being one of these departments. Some have argued that deafening sounds and de-saturated colors are increasingly used in the films of Hollywood and realism and fiction have been alternatively used in the current films. War films have been criticized for their approach of increasing realism and in the process, decreasing the sound design of the films. The sounds are presented in such high volumes and effects that the flow of picture gets disrupted for many audiences.

The main relationships that all the sound designers, leaving apart bad ones, try to establish during their work in Cinematography are firstly to create parallels in picture and sounds. In order to strike a balance between the acoustic and the visual elements of films, the sound designer tries to parallel the sound with picture. How far do they achieve this can only be told by carefully analyzing the film contents. This however remained the only main relationship of sound and picture during the earlier decades. The sound and picture relationship however remains the most profound one despite it being used as the most prevalent relationship in film making (Alten 2008). Another more dominating relationship that is drawn by the sound designers in Cinematography is when sound determines the picture. The sound is used an introduction of picture. The emotional representation of sound is well depicted in such relationships. Music and sound, in the words of Walter Murch, together create a lasting impact on audiences and not alone. An approach that is opposite to this is also widely used by the sound designers, and that is when the designers use sound to get introduced through the picture. Thus, picture assumes the dominant position in representation and sound follows the pictorial representation of elements. It is evident that close shots are mostly used for such representation where sound is at the end of being introduced through the picture. A common conception might be that since the sound is being introduced by the picture, such scenes of film may not be rich in sounds. His however is not the case and in such scenes, the sound has even more impact since the voices and sounds are magnified and closely heard by the audiences.

The presence of counterpoint relationship is films are also seen in the production work of sound designers. The images and sounds do not enhance each other but present conflicting and ambiguous cues. To disconnect the audiences from the emotion of picture, the sound is used as neutralizing elements and vice versa as well. When sounds, whether music, dialogue, or in form of effects portray a strong emotional sense for the audiences, the picture is then used to delink the audience from the sound. This is also done to achieve certain symbolism in films. Alter (2008) also describes that in some instances, the sounds and pictures are used by the film director to create something in combination of with each other that otherwise would not have been possible. To support each other in representing an image or storytelling, the harmonization and synchronization of sounds and pictures is an important task of sound engineer. Zaza (1991) describes the different functions of sound as being important for the sound designer to accomplish.

Sound Recording Technologies:

The history of sound recordings can be traced back to centuries. It is also used to keep record of significant events and review them in future at any given time. There are several other methods of record keeping including photography, writing, printing, visual arts, and language. The sound recording can also be termed as an effective method of record keeping for arts as well as performing arts. However the history of sound records is slightly younger than photography. The history of sound recording cannot be described without a clear focus of music, film sound, and background music in films. The focus of this section is aligned with the history of sound recording, film sound recording, technology used through the history, present, and future.

History of Sound Recording Technology:

The history of sound recording can be traced back to middle of 19th century.

However the functional developments and innovations stared with the Charles Cros's writing of a machine description based on a chemical process to record to transfer sound on a medium for revisit purposes. In 1877 Thomas Edison produced a design of sound recording and reproduction technology. After a decade in 1886 significant improvements were incorporated in the original design of Thomas Edison by Chichester Bell and C.S. Tainter. They called the machine graph-o-phone. The first article on magnetic recording technology was published in the year 1888. The commercialization activities stated with the innovative design of Gramophone introduced in United States in 1884 and later launched in 1889 for Europe. It is remarked as a significant development for entertainment industry. In 1889 first motion picture device incorporating sound was displayed. In the start of 20th Century Paris Exposition witnessed the first magnetic wire recorder (Morton Jr. 2006).

The disk phonograph was demonstrated in 1906 by Victor Talking machine Company. A notable development took place as a result of joint venture of Western Electric, Columbia Records, and Victor Talking machine Co utilizing electrical recording equipment. The significance of the equipment is observed as its capability to integrate electronic amplifiers, microphones, and electromagnetic record cutters. Edison's contribution to sound recording business is recognized as it created a significant impact on commercial reproduction of sound recordings up until 1950s. The megnetophon tape recorder was first demonstrated in 1933, which was later commercially available in United States by the year 1948. The years from 1948 until 1950 witnessed 33 1/3 rpm and 45 rpm Long Playing (LP) record disks (Morton Jr. 2006). The developments since 1877 until 1950 are evident of their significance however a slow rate of technology integration and innovation is also observed. Later technologies experienced a short market time as well as an increased improvement and growth rate.

According to Morton Jr. (2006)the transistor radio was launched in 1954. In 1957 Western Electric standard of stereo was accepted by Industry Association of America. In 1958 first stereo LP and tapes were introduced. In 1962 Phillips entered into the industry with introduction of compact cassettes. The compact cassettes were launched for Untied States in 1964. In 1965 Stereo 8 was in the market followed by Sony's Walkman in 1979. In 1982 Phillips again hit the market with laser-read compact disk. These notable developments effected on the sales of LP and increased unites of compact disks were sold during this era. The introduction of digital audio tapes in 1987 also initiated a controversy among lawmakers and record companies. The compact disks crossed the LP sales throughout the world in 1988. In 1992 MPEG-3 were in the market which was later denoted as MP3 player.

The history of sound recording technology presented above provides a brief introduction of the technologies, introductions, and inventions offered throughout the period of 1877 until 1992. It is essential to draw a conclusive and coherent account of sound recordings technologies used to record music and film sound. The primary concern addressed in the current section is to review the technologies used to record film sound. Furthermore the digital technology has also enabled progression in the film as well as music sound industry. A detailed review of the digital technologies used to record sound is also presented.

Film sound technology:

The introduction of sound in films was a great achievement however it required a great deal of innovation, experimentation, and developments. The innovative technology used for sound recording in films was also developing side by side with the music and inventions in sound recording technologies. It is observed that at times the films incorporated enhanced technologies to couple sound with images, as a result the local musicians and music reordering had to take the challenge and implement improvements in their systems and devices. According to Shepherd (2003) the cost related to the developments of sound in films was huge and it had multiple dimensions. The studios spent significant amounts to develop and use the latest sound systems and at the same time cinemas and theaters were also required to invest hefty amount of money to showcase the features of film sound. The release of Jazz Singer experienced that only 100 of U.S. theaters had to install Vita-phone system. The expense incurred to install the system was huge and a number of theaters leased the equipment and later returned after showing the talkie.

The introduction of commercial entities enabled the growth and innovation to incorporate sound in films. Western Electric maintained its monopoly for an extensive period of time. It was challenged by Warner sound films and later Fox Studios using Theodore Case's technology to produce Movie-tone film. The technology used an optical system to facilitate sound-on-film system in 1927. The joint venture of Radio Corporation of America and General Electric also introduced sound-on-film systems through Photo-phone (Shepherd 2003).

Later RCA tape was used for film making and Disney also used it in its Fantail-sound system. The technology was first developed in Bell Laboratories in 1930s. The equipment required to show these films theaters had an approximate cost of $100,000. The sound on films system had a profound impact on film studios as compared with Western Electric's sound recorder. The innovative optical sound recording system has influenced the film making industry. It was also appreciated for its capability to support the editing and rearranging scene requirements by movie makers. The suitability of the equipment according to economic and market conditions was also found to be significant hence, it easily captured the market. The later developments in sound technologies are observed as outside the industry. The reason for megacities critique was its capability to enable editing as compared with the optical technology's offerings (Shepherd 2003). However there was a cost advantage associated with the plastic tape technology.

The film sound used various formats during 1950s in order to gain competitiveness with television and home movie watching. Star Wars was a notable film, it was developed using wide sonic pallet technology. The Low-frequency effect (LFE) channel was also offered by Dolby Laboratories in 1970s. The modern era witnessed Dolby Split Surround was followed by Dolby Digital offering 5.1 surround system used in DVDs. The sound systems 6.1and 7.1 were also extensively used. Extremely large surround formats includes Imax, Omnimax as multi-channel sound systems. The cinema in 1952 to 1962 used three projectors and eight audio channels to create an impressive sound (Shepherd 2003). The introduction of cassette, compact disk, and MP3 technologies are regarded as contemporary technologies. These technologies laid the foundation stone for multimedia systems. The developments enable profound effects on sound and film sounds. Numerous techniques are used to create a cinematic effect in films. The developments in recent history are largely demounted by technology integration and it enabled the business to invest large amount of money to create a differentiated effect of target market. The life span of technology is shorter as compared with the history. It is only through deployment of computing resources and market factors influencing a speedy development of technologies.

Modern Digital Technology:

The usage of digital technology in film sound has a profound effect on the developments in film making industry. The technological developments and usage of innovative techniques had not only influenced film sound quality but it also instigated technological developments in equipments used to display films. The wide range of effects can be observed through domestic and commercial equipments used for showcasing films. The incorporation of digital technology has also opened the avenues for innovative techniques. These techniques are incorporated to achieve a number of results including sound compression, sound effects, and variations in sound quality according to scene requirements in films. The introduction of digital devices also enabled the film sound to be reproduced, mixed to create multiple effects. The film business was revolutionized through increasingly dominant role of technology. The modern age of information technology has experienced changes occurring at a pace never observed in any prior ages. The extensive use of internet had not only spared technology all around the globe but at the same time it has provided the level grounds of technology for innovative techniques and practices. The developments in film sound can be observed through rapid integration of technology. The film business has taken an entirely advanced stage through usage of modernized equipment and technology used in the development of these devices (Shepherd 2003).

The modern technology provides a significant base to use Pro-tools for development of multimedia. The provision for various formats including size, quality, effects, and platforms is also provided with the usage of modern technology. The studios and media houses are equipped with latest technology tools and software to create any sort of images and sound relevant for the platform utilized to play the film. Internet has become the largest market place for digital devices and technologies. The internet has not only brought revolution in sound technology but at the same time it has created a multiplying effect through brining digital technology in public and social domain. The development of content communities is one of the significant developments. These are also regarded as social websites providing access to upload and offer a variety of films shot for multiple purposes. These communities have become accessible to ordinary public allowing them to upload their creative content. The accuracy of popularity is also easily determined through monitoring number of hits achieved by the audience in the whole world. The significance of social media in film industry cannot be undermined. People across the world are enabled through internet to watch live events, listen to the latest music, and watch attest videos with the required quality depending on their internet connections (Shepherd 2003).

Commercialization of the sound equipment to create films for internet is also economically viable for domestic as well as professional users. The communities on internet create, share, and train other members. The sharing of knowledge and expertise has also increased competitiveness in business. The techniques can be learned through online available technologies and tutorials. The offerings of complete multimedia era integrate several aspects of sound in a single video and allow the user to watch using minimal resources. The usage of Pro-tools for multimedia can be defined in terms of its capabilities for synchronization with videotape, quick time movies, and other audio sources. The capabilities of Pro-tools also include mixing of audio for multi-channel formats. It can also remove noise from audio as well as it can use automation for mixes. It can also record narration and dialog replacement (Shepherd 2003).

It is a professional tool used to create audio projects from conceptualization to finalization. The professional quality audio files are created through usage of the tools. The significance of the tools used to contain audio and video files is also notable. The traditional usage of CDs allowed storage of low quality and small amount of data, whereas the DVDs allow a large amount of data holdings as well as the quality of the files is also a considerable advantage. The large amount of data compressed in a single CD sized DVD enables the customers and marketers to reduce cost and improved image performance. The sound quality is also enhanced through the usage of such techniques (Bullinger 2009). The CDs are replaced with DVDs in almost all parts of the world allowing the users to view and experience quality sound and images. The compression techniques including MP3 and MP4 have allowed to business to develop small devices with a capability to add, delete, and read music and videos. The examples of these devices are IPODs, MP3, and MP4 players with video as well as audio capacity. The offerings of CDs, DVDs, and MP3 players have also created a large market for home theater and home servers to watch movies with almost similar effects as compared with cinema. The large sized TVs projectors and LED stations are available throughout the world for home users. The new domestic focus of the market has enabled large businesses including Sony, Samsung, and Phillips to implement changes in their technologies and business practices.

Research Methodology:

Research design:

Research design provides a road-map for specifying procedural steps to be taken for collection and analysis of needed information which can be broadly categorized into quantitative and qualitative research. Each of these paradigms has their own strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore the scope of study is also determined by the research design used in the investigation. The use of quantitative research design is supported with the notion that the researcher focuses on the objective information which provides the study with a significant degree of reliability and validity. Along with that the numerical information which is a defining feature of quantitative study provides the researcher with the ease of tabulating the data. However one major limitation evident in the use of quantitative approach is the emphasis on objective information, which can result in loss of some important aspects of information.

Sample:

The sampling techniques can be broadly classified into probability and non-probability sampling. The probability sampling is based in the selection of cases which have a known chance of being chosen as subjects in the sample (Sekaran 2003). On the other hand the non-probability sampling doesn't hold the same equal chances of inclusion as a part of the study. The current study adopts the sampling technique based on non-probability methods. The researcher has used purposive sampling to locate the impacts that fulfill the criteria of sample. Purposive sampling is used in cases where the researcher is aiming to use information from the cases that conform to some criteria set by the researcher (Sekaranet 2003).