In 1960, Alfred Hitchcock directed a film written by Joseph Stefano that would forever change the landscape of the horror/thriller genre: Psycho.
Psycho was a departure from Hitchcock’s previous films due to the fact that he had a significantly lower budget. This led to Hitchcock’s brief return to black and white rather than color, as well as hiring a television crew for production. While the film opened to mixed reviews, audiences loved its new direction, and it eventually grew in favor among critics before being nominated for 4 Academy Awards.
Psycho opened the door to a new level of acceptability for violence, deviant behavior, and sexuality in American cinema. This is one of the primary reasons the movie is regarded as one of the earliest examples of the slasher film genre. From Bernard Herrmann’s suspenseful score to Janet Leigh’s chilling performance, the movie is packed with now-iconic elements that make it easy to see why this is considered one of Hitchcock’s best films. And when all of these elements combine, they result in the most famous moment of Psycho, and one of the most distinctive moments in film history: the “Shower Scene.”
This scene has been viewed numerous times by every player in the film industry and referenced by countless films and television shows since Psycho’s release. It begins with the controversial moment of Janet Leigh stripping down to take a shower. While bathing, a menacing figure enters the bathroom to attack her. While the scene’s score and visuals are indisputably striking, sound design simply wasn’t as prominent or advanced as it is today due to the era’s limited technology. That’s why we’ve decided to go back to the original shower scene and give it an updated sound pass with today’s latest tech, Audio Design Desk. With our new pass, you can hear drones building and maintaining tension. You can also hear the murderer’s slashes, breaths, and grunts, as well as updated sounds for the shower curtain ripping and falling.
Download the entire project and tweak to your hearts desire. (And don’t forget to share your sound pass on socials and/or email it to us at info@add.app!)