From shifting perspectives to shaping scenes, how sound design can carry a film

Because film is thought of as a primarily visual medium, it’s easy to overlook the integral role of sound design in on-screen storytelling – particularly when it seems to fade into the background during movies that lack flashy soundtracks and blockbuster action. Working from a pivotal scene from Steven Spielberg’s Munich (2005), this video essay from Evan Puschak (also known as the Nerdwriter) probes the multitude of subtle ways in which sound design constructs and defines how viewers experience the film. Cleverly edited, Puschak’s piece is both an insightful exploration of audiovisual storytelling and a brief dive into how the senses work in tandem to build our sense of reality.