Cinema for the Ears

Cinema for the Ears

Combine individual field recordings to create an imagined soundscape that tells a story.

Tell a Story Through Sound

Build upon your work in Composing a Journey.

The final piece should have a core story or idea running through the work, which is then explored with both contextual and musical sounds.

Composition Tip

You might want to plan out a story on paper to begin with, and then create it using sounds. You could draw out a series of images like a comic strip, or write a paragraph of text.

Inspiration Points


  • Try to imagine the location – Is it in the city or the countryside? Is it near water or in the desert?
  • Then think about the weather – Is it hot or is it cold and windy? Is it raining or is it dry?
  • Now that we have the scene set, what is happening?
  • Is there one main character or many?
  • OR is the piece about a location or object that observes the world passing by? (Perhaps the location could be the character?)
  • Where do they begin and where do they end up? What actions are they undertaking and what has changed between the beginning and the end?


When composing your piece, think beyond the contextual sounds.

Try to find or create sounds which represent the mood of the scene or the feelings of the characters, and place them alongside or between the contextual sounds or spoken word excerpts.

Composition Tip

How can you use sounds to help tell your story? Below are just a few suggestions:


    • Fade in new keynote sounds to change the scene and alter the impression of what is going on.
    • Use automation to change parameters over time.
  • Don’t forget to use reverberation to add the impression of space.
  • Experiment with blurring the distinction between in scene sound and dramatic accompaniment.


The available sounds might also help to provide you with inspiration.

Why not go out and record your own sounds?