The Rendering Plant

Rendering is an interesting technique. It is an attempt to produce cinematic reality in the utter absence of world reality. The creation of aural characteristics to that which does not inherently have any must be the dream of any sound designer.
Think about it. You are given a completely blank slate and from that slate you are asked to define a character in a realm of sense. Varying on the genre of film being produced, you could be asked to create the sounds of a character in a comical way. Or if it is a dramatic scene or film, you may be asked to create the audio side of a character in a logical or more real way. Either way, the character’s realness or believability rests on the shoulders (ears?) of the sound designer.
Obviously such a monumentus act of cinematic creation can be a daunting task. Any failure to successfully produce a believable audio reality for a character would make the character flat, unreal, and, perhaps, unintentionally comical to the audience.
So the role that a sound designer must play is part psychic as well as part creator. You are left to guess what would be believable to the audience. The only true way to gauge what is believe to the audience is to ask what sounds truly believable to yourself.