Pitch Dictionary by pitch.dog
Sound design & editorial · Core

Sound design

Also called: sonic design, audio design

ELI5

Designing the sounds that make the screen world feel real, emotional or surprising.

Used in conversation

“The sound design begins naturalistically, then grows subjective as her panic takes over.”

Definition

The creative shaping of effects, atmospheres, textures, silence and spatial sound to support the work.

Here “Sound design” means: The creative shaping of effects, atmospheres, textures, silence and spatial sound to support the work.

Pitch context

Used in treatments to describe the sonic world, transitions, emotional emphasis and relation between sound and image.

Why it matters: Sound can carry story, point of view and rhythm rather than merely fill silence beneath pictures.

Connected terms

  • AmbienceAmbience is often part of sound design.
  • FoleyFoley can supply designed performance and object detail.
  • Sound approachA sound approach applies sound-design thinking to an advertising treatment.
Sources & evidence · 2

Direct term-level sources and supporting source families.