A Quiet Place was released back in April and has been the subject of praise from all over the film industry.

One key thing that has drawn interest to the film is the way in which the sound design has become a key factor in driving the narrative of this post apocolyptic horror/survival film.

Typically a film in relation to sound will have its key focus on dialogue which is at the forefront of any film post silent era. So what is it about A Quiet Place which makes it so special?

25 lines of dialogue.

The film is rich in sound design and allows this to be the voice of the film, it acts in parallel with the characters we encounter on the screen, almost giving character to the character. It makes us listen more intensively as we have to focus more on what is going on as the sound we normally take for granted are the key indicators.

It also gives us perspective of the characters, how they deal with the new world, new challenges and ultimately surviving in a near silent world.

The following video essay attempts to demonstrate these perspectives and the creative way in which sound design can be used, without focusing too much on dialogue heavy scenes.

The video essay was created using the following clips and is for educational purposes. The video was created for the intention of the MSc Audio Production 2018/19 course.

You can find a list of referenced articles and videos used to help create the video:

Bishop, B. (2018) How the creators of A Quiet Place made silence so terrifying. Retrieved 21 October, 2018, from https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/19/17253262/a-quiet-place-sound-design-eric-aadahl-ethan-van-der-ryan-interview

Desowitz, B. (2018) ‘A Quiet Place’: John Krasinski’s Sound Team Shaped a Blockbuster Out of Silence. Retrieved 22 October 2018 from https://www.indiewire.com/2018/04/a-quiet-place-sound-design-john-krasinski-1201950527/

Epstein, A. (2018). How the Sound Designers of A Quiet Place created Primal Terror out of Total Silence. Retrieved 21 October, 2018, from https://qz.com/quartzy/1246604/how-the-sound-designers-of-a-quiet-place-created-primal-terror-out-of-total-silence/

Murphy, M. (2018) Making the Sound of Silence in ‘A Quiet Place’. Retrieved 22 October, 2018 from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/05/movies/a-quiet-place-john-krasinski-interview.html

How ‘A Quiet Place’ Kept Quiet | Anatomy of a Scene

 

Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl – A Quiet Place Interview

 

A Quiet Place [The Sound of Darkness – Editing Sound]

 

A Quiet Place – Opening Scene (Beau Abbott Dies) [HD]

 

A Quiet Place | Regan Tries Cochlear Implant Scene [HD]