🎧 The Importance of Sound in Film—and How to Make It Work

🎬 Sound Is Invisible, But It’s Everything

When we talk about “films,” we often focus on the visual side—camera angles, lighting, editing. But in commercial productions, the sound we take for granted is actually crafted with incredible precision and skill.

In the days of film cameras, audio was recorded separately on tape recorders. Without a dedicated sound technician, simultaneous recording wasn’t even possible. To save time, many productions skipped on-location sound entirely, adding dialogue and ambient noise later.

Film cameras also made subtle mechanical noises while rolling. In quiet scenes, you can sometimes hear that faint whir—like in the Japanese TV drama Detective Story. It’s fun to imagine the crew holding their breath to capture the perfect take.

Modern video cameras record both image and sound simultaneously—and silently. That’s a huge convenience. But there’s a catch: the microphone is built into the camera.

For documentary footage or casual recordings, that’s fine. As long as speech is audible, it works. But for narrative filmmaking, this setup falls short.

🎥 Why Sound Needs to Be Independent of the Camera

Let’s imagine a simple sequence:

1. A wide shot of two people talking from a distance
2. A medium shot of their full bodies, one facing away
3. A close-up of one speaker’s face
4. A wide shot of both walking away while talking

If you use the camera’s built-in mic for all of this, here’s what happens:

• In the wide shots, dialogue is faint or unintelligible
• In the medium shot, one voice is clearer than the other
• In the close-up, the voice is crisp
• In the final wide shot, the voices fade again

You might think, “Isn’t that realistic?” But realism isn’t the goal. If it were, films and anime that strive for authenticity would intentionally record sound this way. They don’t—because it feels unnatural to the audience.

You can’t just adjust the volume later. Boosting dialogue also boosts inconsistent ambient noise. And the sense of “distance” in the voice remains jarring.

That’s why filmmakers use boom mics, lavalier mics, and other techniques to record clean audio close to the actor’s mouth—without appearing in the shot.

🧠 Why We Underestimate Sound

Because we’re used to polished audio in finished films, we tend to overlook its importance. But poor sound instantly cheapens a production—often more than poor visuals.

Bad audio creates stress. Unlike visuals, we don’t “get used to it.” It nags at us throughout the viewing experience.

I learned this the hard way on my second film.

My first project was shot on rocky coastal terrain, standing in for a mountain setting. I knew from the start that on-location sound would be impossible, so I planned for full ADR (post-dubbed dialogue). Ironically, this helped mask the roughness of the footage.

On my second film—a more conventional drama—I tried using the camera’s mic. The result? Every cut in the video was matched by a jarring shift in sound. It screamed “choppy editing,” breaking the illusion of continuity.

Even commercial films sometimes rely on camera mics due to budget constraints. But unless it’s a deliberate stylistic choice, it usually feels cheap.

I once watched a low-budget V-cinema film starring a legendary actor. Despite his powerful performance, the poor sound made the entire production feel amateurish.

🎙️ Two Solutions for Better Sound

There are two main approaches:

1. Use a dedicated sound crew to record clean audio on set
   • This is ideal, but time-consuming and technically demanding
   • It extends the shoot and increases costs
2. Use ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement)

• This is my preferred method for indie projects
• It allows the camera crew to focus solely on visuals
• You can shoot without worrying about helicopters, sirens, or noisy neighbors

Some say ADR is difficult. And yes, syncing dialogue to lip movements is tricky—even seasoned actors like Kiyoshi Atsumi in It’s Tough Being a Man sometimes miss the mark.

But does that ruin the film?

Not at all. A clean, consistent soundtrack—even if slightly out of sync—is far more pleasant than noisy, inconsistent audio.

In fact, I’ve started experimenting with intentionally mismatched ADR—changing the word order from the original shoot. If the dialogue is clearly different, it feels more like a dubbed foreign film, and the mismatch becomes less distracting.

Modern editing software makes this easier than ever. You can fine-tune audio placement by looking at waveforms and adjusting timing precisely.

🎭 ADR Is a Gift for Amateur Actors

If you’re acting in your own film, ADR can be a lifesaver.

Why? Because most of what we perceive as “good acting” comes from vocal delivery—not facial expressions.

Amateur actors often struggle to perform naturally on camera. Their movements are stiff, and their lines sound flat. Only a few professionals—like Yutaka Mizutani or Ittoku Kishibe—can turn “wooden” delivery into a stylistic strength.

But if you can add vocal inflection during ADR, your performance instantly improves. You’re no longer juggling movement and speech—you can focus entirely on voice.

That’s the magic of ADR.

🌳 Sound Effects: A Joyful Solo Task

ADR also lets you add ambient sounds later. You can record footsteps on gravel, rustling leaves, or other effects separately—without needing to sync them live.

In the past, I’d bring leaves and gravel into my room to record foley, much to my family’s dismay. Now, I just record sounds outdoors and sync them during editing.

Collecting sounds is fun. Editing them is even more satisfying.

This article was a deep dive into the hidden power of sound in filmmaking—and the creative joy of crafting it well.

Hope it helps you make your next project sing.