The Evolution of Flying Insects in Film Sound and Theatre.
The sounds of flying insects—whether the low, resonant hum of a bee or the frantic buzzing of flies—have been integral to the history of film sound and theatre. These tiny creatures have long held the power to elicit intense emotional responses in audiences, from discomfort and fear to serenity and nostalgia. By harnessing the unique qualities of insect sounds, sound designers and filmmakers have been able to craft iconic atmospheres, heighten tension, and tap into primal fears.
In this article, we’ll explore how the sounds of flying insects have been used throughout the history of film and theatre, highlighting landmark moments and groundbreaking techniques. From early cinema to modern immersive theatre, insects have served as crucial sound elements that elevate storytelling and intensify emotional impact.
The Early Days: Insects as Environmental Texture
In the early days of cinema, sound design was in its infancy, but even then, filmmakers understood the atmospheric power of nature’s smallest creatures. Before complex sound libraries and field recording techniques were available, sound designers often improvised to recreate the ambiance of outdoor scenes, using insects to place audiences within specific environments.
Silent Era Cinema and Early Sound
While the silent era of cinema lacked synchronized dialogue or diegetic sound, music and live foley performances often incorporated insect sounds to evoke certain locations or moods. Early sound films in the late 1920s and 1930s began using simple sound effects to complement visuals, with insects being a key tool to evoke outdoor settings. The buzzing of flies, for instance, became synonymous with desolate or decaying environments.
- First Use of Flies in Decay: In the early 1930s, filmmakers began incorporating the sound of flies to symbolize death and decay, a convention that persists to this day. One notable example is in Frankenstein (1931), where the sound of buzzing flies was subtly layered into scenes involving corpses, heightening the eerie, gothic atmosphere.Impact: This was one of the first instances where an insect’s sound was deliberately used not only for realism but for symbolic and emotional effect. It signified death and decay without showing graphic visuals, making the audience feel the unease instinctively.
Mid-20th Century: Insects as Symbols of Tension and Horror
As the sound design craft evolved, insects began to take on more than just an environmental role. In the 1950s and 1960s, the growing popularity of horror and suspense films ushered in a new era of sound design where insects were used to symbolize fear, tension, and impending doom. Films and theatre productions increasingly used the chaotic, high-pitched buzzing of flies, bees, and other insects to evoke anxiety and discomfort in audiences.
The Buzz of Horror: Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock was a master of suspense and sound, and in Psycho (1960), he famously used a variety of sonic techniques to heighten the psychological tension. While Bernard Herrmann’s iconic score typically gets the credit for the film’s mood, Hitchcock also employed subtle ambient sounds, including the occasional buzzing of flies, to create an uneasy atmosphere.
- Fly as Symbol of Stasis and Death: In Psycho, the buzzing of flies is heard during scenes in the Bates Motel, most notably around Norman Bates’ taxidermy hobby. The use of fly sounds subtly hints at decay and Norman’s obsessive relationship with death. These insect sounds mirror the psychological and moral decay of the characters, acting as a sonic metaphor for Norman’s state of mind. By using the fly’s presence during key moments, Hitchcock gave the insect a symbolic role far beyond its natural behavior. The audience unconsciously associates the buzzing with danger and death, even when no action is happening on screen.
The Swarm (1978): Amplifying Nature as Horror
While films like Psycho used insect sounds subtly, the 1970s saw an explosion of nature-themed disaster and horror films, where insect sounds were front and center. The Swarm (1978), directed by Irwin Allen, is an excellent example of this trend. The film’s plot revolves around a massive swarm of killer bees attacking cities, and the sound design was crucial in creating the tension and terror throughout the film.
- Overwhelming Soundscapes: The sound of the swarm is a constant, oppressive presence throughout the movie. The film’s sound designers layered countless bee recordings to create an overwhelming wall of sound, evoking both the physical danger and psychological panic of being engulfed by the swarm. The bees’ incessant buzzing crescendos at key moments, ramping up the intensity and reinforcing the characters’ helplessness. The film’s sound design demonstrated how insect swarms could take on the characteristics of an unstoppable, natural force, using pure sound to evoke terror. Though the film was not a critical success, its sound design influenced how future filmmakers would use insect sounds as sonic representations of uncontrollable chaos.
Theatre: The Insect Comedy (1921)
Beyond film, the theatre world also began to experiment with insect sounds to evoke moods and themes. In Karel and Josef Čapek’s play The Insect Comedy (1921), the insect world serves as a reflection of human society, and the sound design of various insects plays a key role in bringing the allegory to life.
- Theatre Sound Design: The buzzing, chirping, and rustling of various insects was recreated live, with actors and foley artists using innovative techniques to mimic the soundscapes of the insect world. By giving each insect character its own distinct sound profile, the Čapek brothers not only added realism but also used sound to comment on the social behaviors of their human counterparts. This early experiment in immersive sound design for theatre demonstrated the power of insects as metaphors, using their sounds to deepen the thematic content of the play.
Modern Film and Theatre: Flying Insects as Emotional Catalysts
In modern film and theatre, sound designers have refined the use of insect sounds, experimenting with how they can manipulate emotions, expectations, and environments. In many cases, flying insects are used to create unease, anticipation, and even surrealism.
Silence of the Lambs (1991): The Death’s-Head Moth
One of the most iconic uses of an insect in modern cinema comes from Silence of the Lambs (1991), where the sound of a moth—particularly the Death’s-head Hawkmoth—plays a central symbolic and atmospheric role. While the insect is important visually, the subtle sound of the moth’s wings is equally important in creating the film’s chilling atmosphere.
- Symbolic Sound: The fluttering of moth wings is heard in scenes where the character Buffalo Bill hides his victims, representing transformation, death, and rebirth. The sound is delicate yet disturbing, evoking a sense of something crawling just beneath the surface.Impact: By focusing on the tiny, often-overlooked sound of insect wings, the film emphasizes the fragile line between life and death, making the insect an embodiment of both horror and transformation.
A Bug’s Life (1998): Comedic Use of Insects
In contrast to their use in horror, insects have also been used for comedic and character-building purposes in films like A Bug’s Life (1998). Here, the sounds of bees, flies, and other insects are exaggerated and stylized to reflect the personalities of the insect characters.
- Stylized Sound Design: Instead of realism, sound designers for A Bug’s Life used exaggerated buzzing and wing sounds to add humor and personality to the insect characters. The sounds were manipulated to match the pace of the characters’ movements, creating a playful auditory experience. This demonstrated how insect sounds can be adapted and stylized for animated films, using them not just for atmosphere but as an integral part of character design and storytelling.
Candyman (1992): Insects as Horror’s Silent Specter
Another excellent example of insects heightening horror is Candyman (1992), where bees are an integral part of the antagonist’s lore and sound design. The buzzing of bees becomes synonymous with the presence of the titular character, acting as a subtle auditory signal that danger is near.
- Subtle Auditory Threat: Sound designer Gary Rydstrom layered the buzzing of bees throughout the film’s score, blending it with the unsettling string instruments. The subtle hum of bees becomes a warning sign for the audience—when you hear the bees, you know Candyman is near. This haunting connection between insect sounds and the villain gave the film an atmospheric, almost supernatural layer of tension. Candyman’s use of insect sounds exemplifies how flying insects can be both literal and symbolic in horror sound design, their omnipresent buzz reinforcing the looming, inescapable danger.
Naturalism and Nature Documentaries: Creating Realism with Insects
Beyond narrative cinema and theatre, the sounds of flying insects play a crucial role in naturalistic settings, especially in nature documentaries. Insects are fundamental to the soundscape of many ecosystems, and their presence is essential for creating an immersive experience that captures the audience’s sense of place and realism.
Planet Earth Series: Immersive Insect Soundscapes
The Planet Earth series, produced by the BBC, set a new standard for natural soundscapes in documentaries. The subtle hum of bees, the rhythmic drone of cicadas, and the occasional buzz of flies are all meticulously recorded and mixed to create immersive natural environments. The presence of insects is often used to establish time and place, adding authenticity and texture to each scene.
Insects as Time Markers: The sound of cicadas is often used to mark the transition from day to night in tropical and desert environments. Their rhythmic droning signals the heat of midday, while their sudden absence often heralds the approaching evening or a predator’s arrival. Insects like flies and bees are frequently used to underscore the richness of a specific habitat, from the buzzing of bees around a flowering meadow to the hum of flies near a rotting carcass.
These documentaries demonstrate the importance of insects in creating a realistic and immersive soundscape, using their sounds to subtly enhance the natural world without drawing attention away from the visuals. Their presence adds to the authenticity and richness of the environment.
Insect Sounds as Timeless Tools in Sound Design
From the early days of cinema to modern immersive theatre, the sounds of flying insects have consistently been used to manipulate mood, build tension, and transport audiences into both real and surreal worlds. Whether used to evoke decay and death, reflect psychological states, or create immersive environments, flying insect sounds offer a unique and versatile tool in the sound designer’s arsenal.
The rich textures of buzzing bees, the frantic chaos of flies, and the rhythmic drone of cicadas have been used in myriad ways, demonstrating the lasting power of these sounds in creating emotional depth and atmospheric richness in both film and theatre. Today, sound designers continue to push the boundaries of how these sounds are used, exploring new ways to manipulate and incorporate them into innovative storytelling techniques.
For sound designers working today, libraries like Shapingwaves’ INSECTS & SWARMS provide the raw materials needed to experiment with these timeless sounds, allowing you to explore the vast emotional range that flying insects can bring to any project.
Insects & Swarms
Insect sound library of buzzing, humming and swarming sounds featuring bees, flies, mosquitoes and other winged insects.