Atmosphere
Atmo ( ancient Greek ἀτμός atmós , German 'haze' ), also Ambi or Ambience , are diffuse background noises that are used as a means of sound design in film , radio and television . The atmosphere conveys, for example, a spatial impression (outside, inside, hall, room), an environmental impression (wind, birds, machines) or the social framework of an event (children laughing, football fans, etc.).
production
An atmosphere can be recorded with microphones on site or artificially put together, for example when a noisemaker or sound designer simulates a tree in the wind or a thunderstorm in several recording or processing steps. A credible atmosphere does not have to be realistic in order to produce an intended psychological effect on the listener. It can therefore also be generated with electronic or musical means.
Atmos recorded on site are either recorded with our own sound recording devices and added to the raw material of the production on additional media or - for example in the case of smaller productions - often also stored as appropriately labeled recording on the recording material mainly used. If the recording device is a video camera , such atmospheric recordings are usually only provided with a color bar from the camera and recorded as a video sequence together with a brief announcement about the content of the atmospheric.
Functions
An atmosphere can underline or counterpoint optical (in film) or acoustic (in radio plays) images . In radio , especially in radio plays and radio features , Atmos create an important orientation aid for the listener and are therefore often just as important as the original sound or music .
Even with pieces of music, atmos such as the sound of the sea or experimental sound mixtures are sometimes used, which develop an artistic-creative effect together with the music. Muzak is a kind of musical atmosphere between everyday noises. A style of music that is mainly composed of atmospheric sounds is called ambient .
See also
literature
- Andreas Friesecke: The audio encyclopedia. A reference work for sound engineers, de Gruyter, Berlin 2014, 3.5.3 Atmo recordings, pp. 193–194. ISBN 978-3110340181