Beyond sonic realism: a cinematic sound approach in documentary 360° film

Abstract

ABSTRACT Sound is often recognised as critical to the success of 360° film, but in a new medium fraught with technological challenges and time constraints, there is little research to guide sound designers in their creative practice. As practitioners engage with this new 360° format, the wisdom and techniques developed from decades of documentary sound practice promise more compelling viewing experiences; however, there are many differences between cinematic documentary and non-fiction 360° film. This article contributes towards a new language of sound for this medium by exploring the sound design approaches of four non-fiction 360° films that experiment with cinematic sound practices. The findings discussed were gained from interviews conducted with leading sound designers Tom Myers from Skywalker Sound (Collisions, 2016); Joel Douek (Under the Canopy, 2017); Roland Heap (My Africa, 2018); and Mike Lange, Michael Thomas and Heath Plumb (Inside Manus, 2017). The findings detail the benefits of including sound designers from the beginning of pre-production, the implications for sound recording, and the post-production considerations in the sound studio. The practice-centred guidelines presented in this paper can be used by sound designers, directors and screen educators in the creative design and development of 360° film soundscapes.