The
Anatomy of a Gunshot
The process of layering effects,
allows us to bridge the gap between what something
actually sounds like when recorded and what we, as
listeners, think it should sound like. Gunshots
are particularly difficult to reproduce effectively.
They have all the negative aspects you could ever
think of from a recording perspective. They are extremely
loud, very fast and filled with lots of little details.
Creating each gunshot requires several layers not
all of which have anything to do with a gun.
HINT: Click the
to hear MP3 sounds (requires an MP3 player like Quicktime
- see apple.com if you need a free version.)
The shot that
kills Klatt as he holds Mike hostage
is a perfect example of the complex layering and sweetening
involved in creating gunshots. Some of the layers
have little or nothing to do with the original gunshot
and some are modified in order to sound more like
what I think the audience expects to hear.
I usually choose
a gunshot that is from the same or similar weapon
used by the character in the scene.
(Sharpes Shot) Using this as a foundation I begin
to add layers.
A deeper boom.
Some echo
The bullet sizzle was slowed down from its original
to a more dramatic
The bullet
hit is comprised of an actual impact recording
A hand slap,
and last but not least, the sound of a hammer striking
an anvil.
All of these pieces are carefully placed, cropped,
eq’d and filtered to create the final effect.