COLLECTION NAME:
Graduate Thesis Collection
Record
Title:
The Big Bang Bang: A Practical Guide to Recording Gunshot Sound Effects
Creator:
Sheils, Lucy Exley
Subject:
Thesis (M.F.A.) -- Sound Design
Subject:
Savannah College of Art and Design -- Department of Sound Design
Rights:
Copyright is retained by the authors or artists of items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Abstract:
The following paper serves as a practical guide to recording gunshot sound effects. The “art” of
recording gunshots hinges on the creative choices recordists make to capture the way firearms
excite their acoustic environments. A typical gunshot sound consists of four discrete and
audible components: the blast of the muzzle, the crack of the bullet’s supersonic projectile, the
weapon’s mechanical action sounds, and the surface vibrations and reflections from the
surrounding environment. In order to create gunshot effects that convey the full blast, crack,
mechanics, and decay of a gunshot, professionals record each firearm from a variety of
perspectives, using an array of microphones. Understanding gunshot acoustics informs
recordists’ decisions in regards to microphone choice and placement. In addition, by researching
how different guns feel, sound, and fire, recordists plan their sessions with greater efficiency.
An appreciation of the visceral experience of shooting firearms helps recordists tailor their
choices of weapon, ammunition, and location to satisfy their aesthetic goals.
recording gunshots hinges on the creative choices recordists make to capture the way firearms
excite their acoustic environments. A typical gunshot sound consists of four discrete and
audible components: the blast of the muzzle, the crack of the bullet’s supersonic projectile, the
weapon’s mechanical action sounds, and the surface vibrations and reflections from the
surrounding environment. In order to create gunshot effects that convey the full blast, crack,
mechanics, and decay of a gunshot, professionals record each firearm from a variety of
perspectives, using an array of microphones. Understanding gunshot acoustics informs
recordists’ decisions in regards to microphone choice and placement. In addition, by researching
how different guns feel, sound, and fire, recordists plan their sessions with greater efficiency.
An appreciation of the visceral experience of shooting firearms helps recordists tailor their
choices of weapon, ammunition, and location to satisfy their aesthetic goals.
Publisher:
Savannah, Georgia : Savannah College of Art and Design
Date:
2014-03
Format:
PDF: 42 p. : ill.