Creepy sounds series#

“One of my favorites is the Aliens motion tracker scanner sound. They can make something sound bigger and more intimidating.Īlternatively, higher-frequency sounds have a scream element that ramps up a more obvious, but still legitimate, fear. Low-frequency sounds that are distinguishable are used to create size and breadth.

Infrasonic vibrations are used to create anxiety and unease and are often attributed to what people feel when they report ghost sightings. They are sounds too low to be heard but can still be felt. Horror makes particular use of low-frequency sounds, especially those not able to be heard by the common human ear, which bottoms out at 20 hertz (Hz). A higher-frequency sound is high in pitch, sometimes squeaky or shrill, and lower-frequency sounds are tones that rumble, drone, or cannot be heard at all. Frequency is essentially the pitch or tone of a sound. The science of making a sound truly scary often lies in the frequency. Fruits and vegetables are your friend for gross sounds that are horror-related,” she explains. Break some frozen celery for some good bone-breaking sounds. Eat some tomatoes messily for some zombie eating sounds. “You can take some animal sounds and tweak them with slowing them down and combining some to make creature vocals. As such, she knows the intricacies and creativity involved in creating sound in all its forms. Based in Sacramento, California, Morss made the jump from sound designing on sets to creating sound effects as a foley artist.

Creepy sounds series#

gives your ear a break, a breather, and the next terrifying sound seems louder than it really is,” explains sound designer and foley artist Kristina Morss, whose work has been a part of television series Smosh and the upcoming Star Wars: Sith Lords – Legends. “Moments when it's silent before a sound happens really help sell the sound. Silence, when well placed and well used, is an exceptionally effective tool in creating an atmosphere of foreboding. For one, the absence of sound can be terrifying. Fun, right? Also, they and their team often have to create these sounds from scratch, which may or may not involve recording a very angry goose every now and then.īut what does a goose have to do with scary sounds? Well, you might be surprised, when it comes to creating spooky creature sounds, designers pull from the least likely of sources. Their choice of certain sounds can change the entire mood of a video game or scar you for life whenever you hear something similar. Sound designers are in charge of not only creating solitary sound effects that appear in media, but also crafting the mood of a world, a scene, or even just a specific moment. Think of the ReDead from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the gurgling from The Grudge, or just the slow, creaking footsteps of a killer trying to find you. Visuals can be scary, sure, but it’s often the accompanying sound or imagining what something may look like only by hearing it that inspires true fear.

It controls the mood, ambiance, and can be the deciding factor between something being kind of creepy and truly terrifying. Sound plays a huge role in horror, be it a video game, movie, television show, or podcast. 'Tis the season of scary and spooky sounds: cracking floorboards and rattling windows, torrid screeches and droning moans, whistling wind, and the rumble of fear vibrating in your chest.