As editors and sound designers, we’re always chasing the perfect sound
the hit, the scream, the impact, the rhythm.
But what about silence?
In many films, the most powerful emotion often lives between sounds
those few seconds of nothing, where the audience fills the gap themselves.
I’ve been testing this idea recently in my own work using silence as a weapon.
It’s harder than it looks.
Silence isn’t absence; it’s a choice.
How do you approach silence in your edits or mixes?
Do you treat it as part of the score, or as a void to avoid?
Behnam Hojjati
7stcut Studio | The Architecture of Emotion and Precision
Silence can be important/scary in a Horror script, Behnam Hojati. And silence can be important in an Action script, Adventure script, etc. I usually don't plan the silent parts in scenes. I come up with them when I write the script.
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Behnam Hojati Totally agree! Silence is seriously underrated. I think of it kind of like an instrument; it has its own weight, rhythm, and intention. In my edits and mixes, I don’t see silence as something to fill; it’s a space for tension, anticipation, or emotion to breathe. Sometimes no sound at all hits harder than anything else because it pulls the audience in. Using silence on purpose can completely change how a scene lands.