A Detailed Guide on How to Become a Sound Designer in the TV & Film Industry
The Indian film and television industry is seeing increasing demand for skilled sound designers. Check out this article to know how to become a successful sound designer.
A Guide to Become a Sound Designer in the TV & Film Industry
Imagine you are watching an action movie, but sound from guns, missiles and weapons is not synced with scene on display and background music is overpowering action scenes. All your excitement will go down. Now imagine watching same action movie but the roar of explosions is loud, perfectly synced with action and background is soft enough to fill the room while also maintaining emotion to transform you to the same scene right from comfort of your home. This is the magic of sound design.
- What is Sound Design?
- What Does a Sound Designer Do?
- Sound Designer Salary
- Best Colleges for Sound Design in India
- Eligibility of Sound Designer
- Famous Sound Designers in India
What is Sound Design?
Sound Design plays an important role in creating experience that makes movies and TV shows come alive and worth watching. As the Indian film and television industry continues to expand, demand for skilled sound designers is increasing.
The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) exam is one of the most popular Film and TV exams in India. Every year lots of students apply for the this coveted exam to make a career in the glorious industry of television and media. It is indeed a tough exam but not tougher as compared to other popular government competitive examinations. As per past year analysis, the difficulty level of the FTII JET exam is moderate level. If aspirants prepare well for the exam, they can easily qualify it.
What is a Sound Designer?
A sound designer is a person who is trained to create auditory elements of a film, television show, or other media productions, like a documentary, an advertisement, a short movie, etc. A sound designer improves overall sensory experience. The sound designer mixes recording, synthesizing and editing sounds to achieve the desired effect for video shot by cinematographer.
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What Does a Sound Designer Do?
- Sound designers design and produce sound effects that enhance narrative of story. They do so by adding footsteps, ambient noises or special effects.
- They capture live sounds or dialogue during production or in a studio setting and use them in video wherever required.
- Sound designers edit recorded sounds and mix multiple audio tracks to create a balanced and immersive soundscape for viewers.
- It helps with soundscaping, foley artistry, etc.
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Sound Designer Salary
Salary of a sound designer depends on experience, location and scale of their work. For example, an entry level sound designer who has just completed a course can expect anything between INR 3 to 5 lakhs per annum. But, with experience, salary can increase significantly, with mid level professionals earning between INR 6 to 12 lakhs, and senior sound designers making more than INR 15 lakhs annually.
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Best Colleges for Sound Design in India
Here are some top colleges students can get admission into for Sound Design.
| College |
Courses |
|---|---|
| Courses in sound recording and sound design |
|
| Provides a postgraduate diploma in sound recording and design |
|
| M.A. Parikh Institute of Sound Engineering, Mumbai |
Sound engineering programs |
| National Institute of Film and Fine Arts (N.I.F.F.A.), Kolkata |
Offers courses in audio engineering and sound design |
| Provides training and gives industry exposure in sound design |
|
| BSc in Sound Design |
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Diploma in Sound Design Colleges in India
Eligibility of Sound Designer
To get a job as a sound designer, companies usually look for these qualifications in a candidate.
- Educational Qualifications - Candidates must have completed a minimum of 10+2 education with a background in science, especially physics, as it can be beneficial in career growth.
- Skills - They must have good hearing ability as sound is all about hearing. Candidates must have technical aptitude, creativity and attention to detail as they need to include even small sounds and use them in their video.
- Training - Students planning to make a career in sound design must have completed a diploma or degree in sound design or related fields.
- Experience - They must gain practical experience through internships or assistant roles in sound studios or production houses.
Famous Sound Designers in India
- Resul Pookutty - He is an Academy Award winning sound designer who is known for his work on Slumdog Millionaire and Gandhi, My Father. He is a long time associate of AR Rahman.
- Shajith Koyeri - He is a renowned sound designer famous for movies like Haider and Omkara. He is a frequent collaborator with Vishal Bhardwaj.
- Parikshit Lalwani - He is known for his innovative sound work in movies such as Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Dangal.
It is a bit tough to crack the FTII JET exam because FTII is the premier film making school in India and aspirants from all over India apply for this coveted exam making the competition a bit tough. To pass through the competition candidates will have to make a proper exam strategy and allot equal time to covering the whole syllabus, solving the question papers and leave good time for revision. In the FTII JET exam students will be judged on their intellectual skills, general studies, English, general knowledge and the prescribed syllabus.