How The Sound Effects In 'A Quiet Place' Were Made | Movies Insider

Summary

The 2018 horror film 'A Quiet Place' was a box office hit, made on a budget of $17 million and grossing over $332 million worldwide. The film's unique use of sound set in a post-apocalyptic world where monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing hunt humans, required innovative sound design. The sound team at E Squared used Foley methods, creative sound manipulation, and minimalistic approaches to create a terrifying atmosphere. Sounds like a shotgun loading were made traditionally, while the monsters' echolocation was created using a stun gun on grapes. The film's success lies in its strategic use of silence and subtle sounds, making the unseen monsters more frightening.

Takeaways

• 🎬 'A Quiet Place' was a surprise hit in 2018, made on a budget of $17 million and grossed over $332 million worldwide.
• 👍 Emily Blunt's performance and John Krasinski's directorial debut were highly praised.
• 👂 The film's unique use of sound, or lack thereof, is central to its plot set in a world where monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing hunt humans.
• 🤫 Characters communicate using sign language and move with minimal noise to avoid detection.
• 🎧 The sound design team from E Squared, Brandon Jones, Ethan van Der Ryn, and Eric Aadahl, played a crucial role in creating the film's auditory landscape.
• 🎥 Foley techniques were used to create sounds for human and monster actions, with a special focus on quietness.
• 🔍 Creative sound design was necessary, such as using a stun gun on grapes to mimic the monsters' echolocation.
• 🎚 The editing process involved manipulating sounds to fit the film's concept, including slowing down and enhancing electrical clicks.
• 👶 For the sound of a baby crying, sound designer Brandon Jones recorded his own baby nephew.
• 👣 Footstep sounds were carefully considered and often omitted in scenes where silence was crucial to the plot.
• 🔇 The film's scariest sound element was the strategic use of silence and minimal sound effects to heighten tension.

Q & A

What was the budget for 'A Quiet Place' and how much did it gross worldwide?

The budget for 'A Quiet Place' was 17 million dollars, and it grossed more than 332 million dollars worldwide.

Which actors received praise for their performances in 'A Quiet Place'?

Emily Blunt received praise for her performance, and John Krasinski had his first major breakthrough as a director.

What makes the use of sound in 'A Quiet Place' unique?

The movie is set in a post-apocalyptic world where monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing hunt humans, so the characters communicate in sign language and make the lightest of footsteps, making the use of sound very strategic and unique.

Who were the sound designers responsible for the sound effects in 'A Quiet Place'?

Brandon Jones, Ethan van Der Ryn, and Eric Aadahl from E Squared were responsible for much of what you hear on screen.

How was the echolocation sound for the monsters created?

The echolocation sound was created by putting a stun gun up to a patch of grapes and then manipulating the sound in the editing process.

What method was used to create the sounds made by humans or monsters in the film?

Foley, a method where objects are used to create sounds, was used to make the sounds made by humans or monsters in the film.

How did the sound team handle the challenge of creating realistic yet quiet footsteps for the characters?

The sound team had to account for the characters mostly walking barefoot and used logic to determine where to play Foley footsteps and where not to, considering the creatures' ability to hear sounds from a distance.

What was one of the biggest challenges for the sound team in 'A Quiet Place'?

One of the biggest challenges was creating the kind of sounds that are usually tuned out, like footsteps, and making them quiet enough to be consistent with the film's logic.

How did the sound team approach the creature sound design to make the monsters more terrifying?

The sound team took a minimalist approach to the creature sound design, scaling back and making it a 'less is more' approach, which made the monsters more terrifying by not revealing too much about them.

What did the sound team learn from the classic monster movie 'Jaws' in terms of sound design?

The sound team learned that less is more when it comes to revealing the monsters, and that the less we hear from them, the more terrifying they become.

How did the sound team capture the sound of a baby crying for the film?

Brandon Jones recorded the sound of his baby nephew crying to use as the sound of a baby crying in the film.