1. Sound
What noises can you hear in the clip?
Crows
Piano
Glass breaking
Drums
Ripping
Man’s voice and someone dying
Horses
Western music
High pitch sounds
Guns shots
Film sound is as important and as carefully controlled as the visual elements of a
text. Although sound is often recorded on set, most film sound is added in post-
production
Film sound will be mixed very carefully to ensure that important sounds are
emphasised and that the correct atmosphere for a sequence is maintained
Selective sound is: is used to emphasise key sound elements within a sequence
Ambient sound is: is used to create a particular atmosphere or a sense of place
Other elements of sound design to look out for:
Sound bridges – the use of sound to help transitions between sequences
pass more fluidly
Sound effects – are used to create a sense of realism to create some
psychological impact or effect
Sound can be either:
Diegetic – that is, it exists within the world of the film or
Non-diegetic – that is, it emerges from outside the world of the film, eg film
soundtracks
Diegetic Sound Non-Diegetic Sound
Voices of characters
Sounds made by objects in a story
Music coming from within the film
Narrators commentary
Sound effects
Music track
2. Film sound can be either:
Synchronous – This is when a sound effect is matched with another
technical event or action- this reinforces the effect
Asynchronous – This is when a sound originates from outsides of the
diegetic reality of the film; musical sound track
Contrapuntal – Noise or sound effect which doesn’t match the visuals often
juxtaposed to create alternative meaning
Other elements of sound design to look out for:
Voiceovers – This is the voice of the character. This voice often guides or
informs the external audience but can be used to push them in wrong
narrative directions.
Theme music – This is the music that introduces, develops throughout and
ends the film. Adds personality. Characters have their own theme music.
Musical Score – Used to create atmosphere to link shots or sequences to
help create a narrative or to offer information about characters.
Silence – Is very effective and can provide a reaction from the audience used
in horror films to add tension.
Identifying sound in Sherlock Holmes
