WTF is a Soundscape? How to Tell a Story with Sound

Visuals alone are not enough to create successful content. Often overlooked but incredibly powerful, sound design helps to bring animation to life, making motion more realistic. Whether it's the subtle typing behind UI, that swooshing sound of a transition, or the culminating note for a logo reveal, sound design enhances the overall story.

Setting the Tone with Soundscapes 

Recently, we realized that we do things a little differently at Motiio. While most studios will wait to add music later in production, we create a soundscape (music + voiceover cut), during the storyboarding phase, before animating a frame. Animation is really like choreography—it’s all about pace, rhythm, and tempo.

Bring Beat the Beat In…

We never just drop in one song as-is and call it a day. We use what are referred to as stems. A stem is basically a track that isolates each instrument. For example, a snare drum sound is a single track while a recording of an entire drum kit is a stem. Creating a soundscape in conjunction with the VO requires layering in each stem—sometimes pulling back certain instruments and emphasizing others. You can also extend or shorten sections of the song, making sure the beat hits exactly where you want it to.

Here’s just 4 of the 12 stems we used. Music Credit: Marshmallow by Montee

Music is personal, and it should be chosen with intention. It sets the mood, evokes emotions, and has the power to give us the chills. We scour royalty-free music libraries to find the perfect soundtrack to complement the narrative. We pay attention to instruments, tempo, and style to set the tone for the story. 

Shipping is more than moving packages—there’s a lot of steps. Don't be afraid to experiment with different musical genres—why not jazz funk for a software demo? Take a listen to hear how the above stems came together for this Shippo Demo.

Directing Voice Over

There is more to voice-over than just reading the script. It's a calculated performance and can get real cheesy, real quick. We always audition multiple artists to find the right tone—are we hearing a deep voice? Or someone lighter? Maybe multiple voices? We intentionally write scripts to be super conversational—almost impromptu, like you’re explaining this concept for the first time to a friend. Live-directed sessions with the chosen artist ensure proper intonation, flow, and emotion. There’s always room to play, and suggest ALTs in real-time. That’s how you get a genuine performance from a real person, not a generic read-through.

Subtle Sound FX

Sound FX are added after animation. Of course, button clicks and typing are expected for B2B software, and it’s weird when they’re not there. Here come the wooshes! Nuance and subtlety matter—experiment with layering different sounds and adjusting their levels. Remember to pay attention to details such as spatial positioning, panning, and dynamics to create a sense of depth and movement within the audio.

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), came to us with a question, "Who Takes Care of You in A Medical Emergency?" To strike a balance between the calm and chaos of an ER, we went with a straight-talking script and a mixed-media style. Industry sound FX included heart rate monitors, distant ambulance sirens, and hushed waiting room chatter.

The Art of Mixing and Mastering

Once you have all the sound elements in place, it's crucial to give them the final polish through proper mixing and mastering. Balance the audio levels, adjust EQ settings, and apply effects to create a cohesive soundscape. Ensure that the audio elements blend seamlessly with each other and with the visuals. Additionally, consider the output format and optimize the audio for different platforms or devices to ensure consistent quality across various mediums.

Here’s the Premiere Pro view of the above Shippo Demo. 19 audio layers: Green is music stems, teal is voiceover, and magenta is Sound FX.

Sound of Silence

I won’t over-explain this one. Silence is powerful. How can you create anticipation and pull focus with silence? 

In Conclusion: The Shining as a Romantic Comedy?

If you’re not convinced yet why all this matters… Take, for example, the classic trailer for "The Shining," recut as a romantic comedy. The guy behind this edit should teach a MasterClass.

In the original trailer for "The Shining," there’s no mistaking the genre. With an eerie score and chilling voiceover from Jack Nicholson, this film is the ultimate horror classic.

The recut version takes the same clips and successfully shifts the entire story with a new soundscape. This time, we hear the heartwarming tale of a writer's relationship with his new wife and becoming a dad. With uplifting music, and the classic 'Meet Jack' trope, romcom girlies everywhere, myself included, are ready to cozy up with a bowl of popcorn and a glass of rosé.

I rest my case. Sound Design isn’t an afterthought, or “just the final touches” of a video project. It’s an important consideration at every step of the production to drive home the project tone.