Sound design approaches in modern scores
The boundary between sound design and score has blurred in recent years, as melody and abstract sonics fuse to create today’s modern soundtracking norm
Once a strict division, now the musical score and the sound design of a film’s world has moved much closer together over the last few decades. Directors and lead creatives increasingly generally seek a more holistic approach when considering the overall aural approach. Writing soundtrack cues which aren’t strictly musical, but tension-stoking or attention-grabbing events has now become standard practice for composers.
One of the most notable watershed moments in this stylistic trend was the infamous “BRAAAM” sound which first accompanied 2010’s Inception trailer (and appeared throughout its soundtrack). Now something of a byword for a style of hyper-cinematic trailer, Hans Zimmer’s deployment of ultra-sub bass and horn-like seismic events resonated deep within our senses. It promised size, it promised spectacle and more importantly, it psychologically re-sold the notion of going to the cinema as not just checking out the latest flick on a bigger screen, but being part of a physically affecting, multisensory experience in which we could immerse ourselves.