Audio Components: Use of Presence

Presence is often mistaken for ambience or atmosphere. What it actually means is how sounds are mixed, so that the viewer or listener has a feeling of proximity (feeling where the sound is coming from, near or far)

There are a few ways to do this. The most simplest technique is to vary sound levels. The further away the sound source, the quieter it is and the closer, the louder.

If speaker A was to the right of the screen and further away than speaker B who is to the left of the screen but closer, Then sound when Speaker A talks will be played more quietly than speaker B but will come from the right side of the headphones/speakers, where as Speaker B will be much louder and come more from the left side of the speakers, giving the viewer a sense of proximity.

Although not a piece of footage, this 'Virtual Haircut' gives a perfect example of presence, without even needing to see where the source of sound is coming from. Headphones are needed  for this.