Sound effects...

Hello folks... still interested in making a fan film.

I am looking now into sound effects, specifically lightsabers. Having played a lot of the games, and watched most fan films... I have decided that I don't want to use any lightsaber sound effects that have been heard before. Instead, I want to make them myself, but sound is something alien to me. I have spent most of my time studying writing, cinematography, editing, directing, and visual effects. Sound is still an unknown for me.

So far, I have dwindled in the use of some simple audacity and premiere pro filters, but I wouldn't know how to make a lightsaber sound, or a blaster, or an explosion (other than actually recording one, but I'd rather not mess with pyrotechnics).

The question is: where to start? Is there a road map that I can find somewhere that by the end will put me in a position to create the sounds I want to hear?

 

I would suggest looking down the "Foley Artist" rabbit hole. Watch some of the special features of how Ben Burt created the first lightsaber and laser sounds
...interesting stuff

 

One approach is to get use a music synthesizer to building out a low, gutteral buzzing sound (square waves, saw waves, maybe blend in some phase shift to add some life ...) then hold that sound playing from a speaker. Finish by swinging a microphone in front of the speaker in time with the saber fight. A fast swing of the mic should give you some natural doppler shift as the mic moves toward and away from the speaker.

Have fun.

 

Oh cool. ..i think I'll try that for my next duel