What are some effective audio editing techniques to evoke empathy and emotion in a documentary?

No doubt! What’s a movie without music? Certainly not as inspiring! Anyhow, with editing music for film, I always make myself us less rather than more. I know at some point that editing will be required so I use less tracks to capture my emotional idea. It seems like I’m using swells a lot these days or a backward audiosuite. Use your imagination because it gets fun with so many tools at our hands. Rock on!!! JK

Sometimes the most evocative technique after a compelling moment is silence. Allow the listener the time to contemplate and feel the emotion.

I think that looking at a documentary as a whole then allows you to see music differently. With this in mind, you immediately get an inspiration for what the emotional tone should be musically. The visual queues allow you to know where to apply the music effectively to contribute to the emotions.

If you get stuck trying to ensure your vocals don't get drowned out by the music, try this trick: -Using your equalizer volume sliders (not envelope/key point adjustments) set the levels to where you think the levels should be. -Then drop your master track to the point where you can barely hear anything. -Slowly raise the volume to the point where you can hear the vocals clearly. -If at any time you hear music before you get to that point, drop the music track(s) down as you continue to raise the master track. -Once you can clearly hear your vocals, your music should be at a comfortable spot once you bring your master track back up to your normal level.

With music in a documentary, one thing to have in mind is that the music is there to support a bigger experience. It is a background element that needs to be controlled so that it is pleasant to have it there, and it allows other elements to shine. The use of volume in comparison to the voice is crucial. Even in comparison to ambient sounds like the rustling of leaves, music enhances that experience.

If you are recording dialogue on location, be sure to record at least one minute of uninterrupted background sound or 'room tone' to help cover up any cuts that may be made to the narration or picture in post. Record more if you feel it may be necessary due to prolonged dialogue. If you need to cut out any filler such as 'umms' or 'ahs' ensure your dialogue blends well after the cut by having a short crossfade between the audio files, taking careful note of the transients in the waveform.

I think it's safe to say that what IS said is highlighted best by silence. It sounds counterintuitive, but when creating mood and atmosphere silence is more powerful a tool than a good word. A space of quiet can help the information you're presenting set in and resonate more. I was taught that you can "crowd the thought" by trying too hard to explain. It can take a good message and turn it into a pile of "what was that?" When in doubt about what to say, try saying nothing. Use the "pregnant pause" to highlight key details in your message by giving them room to breathe.