Sound Enhancements
I was watching some video today, a presentation about something that had cute little graphics animations to go along with it. Every few seconds something would plop onto the screen or shoot across it. Inevitably, I suppose, each plop was accompanied by an unlikely "thump" sound, and each dash across the screen was indicated audioly by an equally unnatural "swoosh" sound.
You'll know what I'm talking about because each of these types of sounds, along with the wholly unnatural thud that accompanies the fist of one man plowing into the flesh of another, are ubiquitous in current cinema. So common is this palette of sound, in fact, that when we watched a movie recently our attention was drawn to the refreshing lack of the usual unnatural digital foley artistry.
Now, being an old fart who is in my prime, these sounds strike me as silly and unnecessary. I feel perfectly capable of buying the visual-effect utility of a sword slashing across a movie screen without the helpful reminder of an amplified "woosh" sound to help me remember or figure it out, thank you very much.
Other old farts who are in their prime will probably quickly guess what these silly sounds remind me of. Think Victor Borge. Think "Phonetic Punctuation".
So, on to the entertainment. I invite you to watch this 4-minute routine and try not to laugh aloud by the end.