This article was taken from the June 2011 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Marc Price is the director of Colin, a British zombie film made on a budget of roughly £45. Using only the mic on his camera he recorded audio to use as realistic sound effects. "Listen out for what you want, and then it's all about proximity and mixing," he says. "You don't need expensive sound equipment." Here's how to recreate six of Price's zero-budget sound effects.
WAR-ZONE GUNFIRE
To record the sound of layered gunshots (in a war zone some sound far away and others close by), November 5 is ideal. "We stuck the camcorder on the window and recorded an hour of fireworks," says Price. "Then I removed the sounds I didn't want, such as the screamers and noise from cars."
FLESH EATING
For the squishy sounds of zombies devouring human flesh, Price ate Fruit Pastilles very close to the mic. "The intimacy of the sound is what works," he says. "By recording a sound and pitching it at a certain volume, you're too close to the gnashing teeth and chewed flesh for comfort." Tasty, but gruesome.
CRUSHING BONES
Price used dry pasta shells and a pair of sturdy boots for the sound of bones being crushed. "We used conchiglie pasta shells -- when you tread on them the hollow shape means they make a perfect popping sound." Your tread speed can create a quick, shocking bone-snap or a slow, excruciating bone-crunch.
FLAPPING WINGS
The sound of birds flying away is almost impossible to capture naturally, particularly on days with more than a light breeze: the microphone can pick up the sound of the wind, even through a flock or sponge muffler. In place of the real thing, Price used a notepad, flapping the pages to recreate the sound of beating wings.
TYRE SCREECH
The sound of a car speeding off isn't easy to reproduce just by driving badly. "We had a friend's car drive away down a quiet street, with a faulty fan belt that squealed," says Price. Mixing that sound with a car speeding off creates the perfect tyre-screech effect.
VOMITING
Making the sound of someone puking doesn't involve bringing up lunch, although it will ruin your breakfast. "Take a bowl of milk and cornflakes, and let them go mushy," says Price. "Pour this into another bowl of mushy cornflakes -- you get a sloppy, splashy sound."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
