Directing Listening: Sound Design Methods from Film to Site-Responsive Sonic Art

Ben Byrne Sound design is ubiquitous in contemporary urban life. It is paired with soundtracks in audiovisual media of all kinds, from theatre, movies, television, and radio, to podcasts, games, online media, and public screens. It is also used in all manner of devices and apps to draw our attention and communicate information, from mobile phones and social media that buzz, ding, and whistle to get our attention, to fire alarms, tram bells, and so much more. These uses of sound design may at first seem disparate but they share a focus on drawing attention and directing response, be it to a particular character on screen, a message online or a vehicle headed towards you. Sound is expected to ground you in what is going on and tell you how to feel about it – that the character just entered from the left to the surprise of the others on screen, that a welcome missive from a friend has landed in your pocket or that a car is coming and you best move, now. However, sound design often involves much more than this and there exists a body of methodological writing and established methods of practice. Although most often developed and employed in and around film, such as in the work of theorist Michel Chion and sound designer Walter Murch, these approaches are intimately linked to sonic art practices, both in their histories and because of how they are employed by contemporary artists.