Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is so advanced today that it can be difficult to distinguish from reality. But the creation of the sounds that accompany the images are still largely the work of ...

MIT researchers have developed a computer system that independently adds realistic sounds to silent videos. Although the technology is nascent, it’s a step toward automating sound effects for movies.

MIT researchers have developed a computer system that independently adds realistic sounds to silent videos. Although the technology is nascent, it’s a step toward automating sound effects for movies.

Although movie and game producers can now create computer-animated images of just about anything, the sounds made by those onscreen items still typically consist of recordings of real-world objects.

In cinema, they say, the craft is at its best when it cannot be noticed. Weird, but makes sense. Essentially, filmmaking is the medium of replicating life, from real to reel. The less you can spot the ...