So what can you do to deepen the atmosphere or to support a visual effect?

Correct: Add sound!

I tell you more about the sound design of my upcoming Erotic Machinima Comic “Luisa & The Elfish Spell” in this post…

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Don’t worry – Create your own soundtrack!

I don’t have problems with copyright protected music because i write and produce my own.

To be honest, i don’t do that because of the strict “anti-piracy” policies of record companies, which totally fails if you ask me…

I do that because i just love making music and did it a long time before i knew about “The Sims” or that a new art trend like Machinima ever would appear.

Music and sound design!

The original Soundtrack of “Luisa & The Elfish Spell” will be an epic composition that i’m going to release under a creative commons license.

I will tell you more about it another time.

Let me better talk about the sound design, background noises, atmos and special sounds. In fact, it’s much easier to create some cool sound effects than to compose a John-Williams-like soundtrack.

But the sound design has to be tasteful and must not penetrate viewers, get on their nerves. Sound Design is only an extra feature that should support the main content, not overpaint it.

How i compose the sound design!

Don’t worry, i will not fill Luisa’s naughty episodes with tons of different and strange sound experiments. But some tasty noises here and there will work fine. You will see.

Here are 3 ways how you can produce your own unique sound design in no time and with much fun:

• Getting free sounds online
• Producing sound with digital equipment
• Recording analog sounds

1) Getting free sounds online!

There are lots of sound libraries online where you can download really every possible sound. Animals, Nature, Interiors, Transport, Ambiances and so on…

My favorite is was soundsnap.com, but everything i wanted to tell you about it is outdated.

It’s easy to navigate and most sound files have a good quality. Although you will find much crap as well – where the hissing is louder than the main noise. But you can also upload your own sounds and build your own fanbase.

Soundsnap recently turned from an all free to a membership site. I need to have a closer look at the new concept before i can tell you if it’s good or bad…

Link: soundsnap.com

2) Producing sound with digital equipment!

If you still cannot find the perfect sound online, why not producing it?

Digital sound equipment isn’t too expensive and in most cases you don’t need state-of-the-art software.

Keep it simple, you don’t need to produce on the highest level all of the time. In other words: You don’t always need an orchestra, a deep piano tone will create a perfect shocking effect: Blang!!!

3) Recording analog sound!

This is the old school method to get interesting and unique sounds. And for me it’s the funniest one.

You need a microphone (don’t take the cheapest, take the second cheapest) and a way to connect it with your PC. A comfortable recording software would be fine (Again, search the internet or twitter).

Next step, set up the microphone, hit the record button and listen to the recorded sound. Oh, you don’t know what to record?

• Rattle some pots and pans!
• Push the fat buttons of your tool box!
• Open the squeaking cabinet!
• Have some heavy steps on the wooden floor!
• Bang the door!
• Ring the bell!
• Let water flow through the toilet!

And so on.

Tip: Always try to bring the microphone as close as possible to the sound source! This will minimize disturbing background noises and make the sound sound more direct.

These are the 3 ways i create the sound design for “Luisa & The Elfish Spell”. Maybe you remind this post the next time when you think that something is missing in your comic, story, film, machinima, slide show, whatever…

I know, creating unique sound design means even more work, but i think it’s worth the extra effort.