August 9th, 2024

Walla

Walla is a sound effect imitating crowd murmurs, originating from early radio. It is parodied in comedy and uses gibberish techniques like "Snazzum" for syncing background noise with visuals.

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Walla

Walla is a sound effect used in American radio, film, television, and video games to imitate the indistinct murmur of a crowd. This effect is created by a group of actors, known as a walla group, who produce background chatter during post-production. The term "walla" originated in early radio when performers would repeat the word to simulate crowd noise. In other countries, different phrases are used, such as "rhubarb" in the UK and "gaya" in Japan. Walla has also been referenced in various comedic contexts, including shows like The Goon Show and South Park, where it is often parodied. The use of gibberish, known as "Snazzum," allows filmmakers to sync background noise with the lip movements of extras without requiring them to deliver actual dialogue. This technique is employed to create a more immersive sound environment while keeping production costs manageable. The article also notes that walla has been featured in various films and television shows, often as a humorous element.

- Walla is a sound effect that mimics crowd murmurs in media.

- The term originated from early radio practices.

- Different countries use various phrases to create similar effects.

- Walla is often parodied in comedy shows and films.

- Gibberish techniques like "Snazzum" are used to sync background noise with visuals.

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By @superconduct123 - 8 months
Came across this article randomly

I feel like now I'm going to be listening for this in anything I'm watching

By @alexathrowawa9 - 8 months
This part is pretty funny

"Rhubarb is used instead in the UK where actors say "rhubarb, rhubarb", gur-gur ("гур-гур") in Russia, and gaya (がや) in Japan, perhaps in part reflecting the varying textures of crowd noise in the different countries. Other phrases are "peas and carrots", "watermelon cantaloupe" and "natter natter" (to which the response is "grommish grommish").[2]"