What is a Sound Effect?

Hard Effects:

Hard Effects intend to work for images on screen. Many effects used in this category include car horns, gunshots, and punches. The performance is not an issue, when comparing with Foley the performance is important to make it seem convincing.

Foley Sound Effects:

Foley, name after sound artist Jack Foley is the key process of performing sounds in sync with visual picture. With Foley, the common effects used are footsteps, clothes movement, and impacts which give off this sense of realism.

Background Effects:

This is also known as ambiences or atmos. The sounds intend to fill in the empty space on screen and give the user a sense of location and surroundings within the environment. These include traffic, room tone, and wind. They do not intend to have a relationship with any specific event on screen.

Electronic Sound Effects/Production Elements:

Popular sound effects for science fiction effects in the 60s and 70s. Many production elements are the electric static, zips, and whooshes heard during radio station IDs. Synthesizers and keyboards are an important aspect. Many are then processed or filtered to alter the sound effect.

Sound Design Effects:

These effects can range from a pin drop. Sound designers that have mastered the manipulation of sound waves to create a realistic approach to sound effects.