[tshaddox]

The audio in nature documentaries is all fake too, right? I don’t know that I’ve ever heard this from a reliable source, but at some point years ago I got the idea in my head and now every time I’m watching on I’m convinced the vast majority of the sound effects are fake.

[kranke155]

I work in film. I’d have to assume so, since the cameras are often very far using long telephoto lenses.

Your definition of “fake” can be a lot of things as the team will record as much audio as they can of of the actual animal (I assume). But the final audio track is a bit like VFX in the visual side - you combine elements from all sources, your recordings, historical recordings, foley audio. Whatever it takes to get the desired effect in the audience.

[FireBeyond]

I wonder. I tend to think so. But then I also think of things like the parabolic sideline microphones at football games and wonder how well they'd work with an amplifier.

[alteriority]

Yep! There was an episode of 99 Percent Invisible focusing on the sound design fakery in nature documentaries: https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/sounds-natural/

Coincidentally, it also features the very lemming story that brought us here.