---
title: Sound design tips from Oscar® winner Sylvain Bellemare
description: Sylvain Bellemare, winner of the 2017 Academy Award® for Best Sound Editing on Arrival, discusses how to use backgrounds and silence to guide the narrative.
---

[Pro Sound Effects Blog - Sound Design Stories & Resources ](https://blog.prosoundeffects.com)

# [Sound design tips from Oscar® winner Sylvain Bellemare](https://blog.prosoundeffects.com/sound-design-tips-from-oscar-winner-sylvain-bellemare)

 Written by [PSE](https://blog.prosoundeffects.com/author/pse) | Aug 16, 2017 4:33:18 PM

#### Discover how sound designer and editor Sylvain Bellamare uses backgrounds and silence to guide narrative.

Sylvain Bellemare, winner of the 2017 Academy Award® for Best Sound Editing for his work on Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi film *[Arrival](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2543164/)*, was featured on the latest episode of CBC Arts' *[The Filmmakers](http://www.cbc.ca/arts/thefilmmakers)* - an interview series highlighting creative talent behind popular Canadian films.

Watch as Bellemare takes you through a scene from another Villeneuve film *[Incendies](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1255953/). *The scene is very much guided by sound with as the lead character walks through a war zone without dialogue. Each sonic element serves a purpose for the story, especially those that are not seen on screen yet contribute emotionally. Bellemare also shares his top 5 tips for sound designers. 

[Watch the video and read the full article here.](https://www.cbc.ca/arts/thefilmmakers/try-to-see-the-world-with-your-ears-tips-from-arrival-s-oscar-winning-sound-designer-1.4248486)

[View full post](https://blog.prosoundeffects.com/sound-design-tips-from-oscar-winner-sylvain-bellemare)

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