Creating underwater sounds for films is a challenging and intricate process that requires a deep understanding of both sound manipulation and the unique properties of water as a medium. Since water greatly alters how sound travels compared to air, sound designers often have to be inventive in creating believable underwater effects. Below are some key techniques used by sound designers to produce underwater sounds in films:
1. Hydrophones and Field Recording
Hydrophones, which are underwater microphones, are frequently used by sound designers to capture real underwater sounds. These recordings are valuable for capturing the authentic sound of bubbles, splashes, or the subtle ambient noise in oceans, lakes, or swimming pools.
- Example: In Finding Nemo, hydrophones were used to record underwater sounds, but these recordings were often too chaotic or quiet, requiring a blend of real sounds and synthetic effects to achieve a balance that felt cinematic.
2. Manipulation of Existing Sounds
One of the most common methods is to record sounds in the air and manipulate them digitally to mimic the underwater environment. This involves using effects like:
- EQ filters: Cutting the higher frequencies to simulate how water muffles sounds.
- Reverb: Adding deep, long-tail reverb to create a sense of vast, submerged space.
- Pitch shifting: Lowering the pitch of everyday sounds, which mirrors how sound waves slow down and deepen underwater.
- Example: For The Abyss (1989), sound designer Gary Rydstrom created underwater sounds by processing regular air recordings with heavy EQ filters, giving them a submerged quality. Bubbles, metallic sounds, and water currents were recreated and enhanced using studio techniques.
3. Foley Effects
Foley artists often create specific underwater sounds in controlled environments. For example, the sound of bubbles or underwater movements is created using props submerged in water tanks. Foley techniques can include:
- Stirring or shaking water with objects to mimic the movement of water currents.
- Blowing through straws or using small objects to simulate bubble sounds.
- Squishing or squelching materials to represent underwater impacts.
- Example: In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, foley artists used wet sponges, buckets of water, and straws to create the sound of characters and objects interacting underwater.
4. Layering and Sound Design
Sound designers rarely rely on a single sound source for underwater scenes. Instead, they layer multiple elements together to build a rich, immersive soundscape. These layers can include:
- Ambient underwater sound: Subtle background noise to fill the space (e.g., deep, low-frequency rumbles).
- Close-up sounds: Detailed effects for actions happening near the camera, like air bubbles, underwater breathing, or splashes.
- Creature sounds: In some cases, for scenes involving underwater creatures or mythical beasts, sound designers create custom sounds that blend real animal recordings with manipulated synthetic sounds.
- Example: In Aquaman (2018), sound designers used a mix of real-world water recordings, animal sounds, and digital effects to create the sounds of underwater creatures and environments. The final result was an otherworldly yet believable underwater soundscape.
5. Recording in Water Tanks or Pools
Some film productions involve physically recording sound effects in water tanks or pools. This can provide more authentic sounds of splashes, underwater breathing, and the interaction between characters and water. However, these recordings are usually combined with studio enhancements to maintain control over the audio quality.
- Example: For The Shape of Water (2017), sound designer Nathan Robitaille recorded various underwater sounds in pools and tanks, including the creature’s breathing, while augmenting those recordings with synthesized elements to emphasize the fantasy element of the story.
6. Synthesizers and Digital Sound Creation
For futuristic or alien underwater environments, sound designers often turn to synthesizers to create completely artificial sounds. These can be crafted to simulate the feeling of being underwater, even if the actual physical properties of water are not at play. Synthesizers allow designers to build otherworldly sounds with precise control over frequencies, textures, and modulation.
- Example: In Avatar (2009), when creating the underwater scenes of Pandora, sound designer Christopher Boyes used synthesizers to generate unique, unearthly sounds that still conveyed a sense of water but fit the alien world of Pandora.
7. Hyper-Realism
In some cases, film sound designers aim for a hyper-realistic sound that enhances the audience’s experience beyond what real underwater sound might provide. This means exaggerating certain sounds to make them more impactful or using creative liberties to convey an emotional or narrative point.
- Example: In Finding Dory (2016), even though the film takes place mostly underwater, the sound is deliberately stylized. Sounds like whale calls and underwater currents were exaggerated or invented to match the whimsical tone of the film while still giving the audience the sense that they were in an underwater environment.
8. Using Ambisonics and Surround Sound
To create an immersive underwater environment, many sound designers now use advanced surround sound techniques, such as Ambisonics, to position sounds in a 3D space. This technique is particularly useful for simulating the vast and sometimes disorienting nature of underwater environments.
- Example: In The Meg (2018), the sound team used immersive surround sound to place the viewer inside the water, surrounding them with the sound of water currents, underwater machinery, and the presence of the giant shark.
Crafting Immersive Underwater Soundscapes
Creating underwater sounds for film requires a combination of field recording, foley, digital manipulation, and creative sound design. Whether using hydrophones to capture authentic oceanic sounds or manipulating everyday sounds to mimic underwater effects, the process involves layering multiple techniques to craft a believable and immersive underwater environment.
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