Music and F/X Guidelines

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Writing music, applying F/X and creating sound design is an art in itself and a vital part of any effective audio production. It requires just as much creativity and care as writing a story or performing a role.   As we're making stand alone pieces - for now - we're looking to use a range of composers to give each a different feel just as we'll use a variety of writers and performers. This also allows people to concentrate properly on one project at a time, while allowing us to have several ideas in production.

Important as music and sound design is however, it is not an end in itself.  Sound must build an atmosphere but, as in real life, if you're actually aware of your atmosphere at a conscious level then there's probably something wrong with it.  The soundscape must serve the story, rather than overwhelming it.  Too many films, audios and TV shows today hurl a wall of non-stop fury at the listener, desperate to grab and keep their attention from their phone, but this approach only annoys the discerning audience we're looking for.  Listening to our stories should evoke emotion, thought and wonder, it shouldn't be like sitting in the front row of a Duran Duran gig.

So, if in doubt, tend towards a minimalist approach in your musical style.  Music should build atmosphere, differentiate between scenes and underpin the story rather than dominating it.  Think like a poet, rather than a pulp novelist.  It's all about choosing the right note, not belting out a hundred.  Music and F/X must always make the story and action clearer and more vivid to the listener, rather than getting in the way.  An alien ship will have its own tell tale sound and atmosphere, just as the cave our heroes are trapped in (or whatever) but sound design should always work on a subliminal level to help the story come alive. 

The best artists strip away artifice to offer raw insight and emotion, rather than showcase their technical skill as a substitute for true creativity.  So, there you have it, a 1,000 word plea for minimalism.