How Sounds In Movies Are Made | Ep. 669

Dallas Taylor is the host and creator of Twenty Thousand Hertz, a podcast revealing the stories behind the world’s most recognizable and interesting sounds. He is also the Creative Director of Defacto Sound, a TED mainstage speaker, a regular contributor to major publications, and a respected thought leader on the narrative power of sound.

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Full show notes can be found here: https://jordanharbinger.com/669

What We Discuss with Dallas Taylor:
0:00 - Intro
0:06 - How the tricks of sound design are magical
10:46 - How sound design extends into other parts of life
16:50 - Your brain expects to hear "wrong" sounds
18:06 - Analog vs. digital
25:58 - The Netflix "Da-Dum" sound evokes "movie"
29:09 - The importance of sonic branding
38:08 - Misophonia (sound making you agitated)
41:53 - ASMR makes Jordan want to destroy his laptop
49:01 - How noise cancelling headphones work
55:35 - Why do songs, podcasts sound better when they're louder
58:46 - Deepfake sound

The protagonist in the movie you’re watching barely eludes a bad guy who’s just entered the adjacent room. Perhaps you don’t even notice yourself moving to the edge of your seat as the scene’s audio ratchets up the suspense to match the danger looming just a few feet away from our trusty hero. Then: sweet relief as the villain is distracted by a noise outside and he decides to leave, giving the protagonist enough time and distance to escape.

Like a crafty stage magician, an adept sound designer can manipulate how we perceive the world by tweaking the way we hear it. Whether it’s in the movies we watch, the music we take in, the brands we consume, or the television shows to which we unwind at the end of a long day, we should take a moment to appreciate the humble sound designers who work hard to sweeten the ear candy we enjoy. On this episode, we’re joined by one such sound designer — host and creator of the Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast — Dallas Taylor. Here, we discuss the narrative of the power of sound and how it all comes together — including the nuances of sonic branding (like the Netflix “Ta-Dum!” sound you just now heard in your head). Listen, learn, and enjoy — and listen again!

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