The key sound techniques used in Film

1. Sound
Film Studies

2. • Though we might think of film as an essentially visual experience, we
really cannot afford to underestimate the importance of film sound.A
meaningful sound track is often as complicated as the image on the
screen.The entire sound track is comprised of three essential
ingredients:
• the human voice
• sound effects
• music
• These three tracks must be mixed and balanced to produce impact
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em9QfKQUPlY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x85GUFOgO0
Importance of Sound in film

3. Exam Board Requirements
• how sound is used expressively in films (we must look for examples in the films that we are going to
watch
• how sound relates to characters and narrative development including the use of sound motifs
• how sound conveys messages and values of the film
• how the principal elements of sound can generate multiple connotations and suggest a range of
interpretations to the audience
• how sound is used to align the spectator and how that alignment relates to spectator
• how and why different spectators interpret the same use of sound differently
• how sound contributes to the ideologies conveyed by film.
• How sound indicates an auteur approach and contributes to the film’s aesthetic
• Example of how sound can be used for all of this (Sound design)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L2L8rw-9nA

4. Diegetic Sound
• The most common form of
sound.
• It is any sound that should
be visible on the screen and
exist in the reality of the
film world.
• Dialogue, tyres screeching
in a chase, the sound of rain
etc

5. Non-Diegetic Sound
• Sound that is added in post-production
to enhance the viewer’s experience of
the film.
• Sounds that the characters cannot hear
in the film world.
• Examples of non-diegetic sound
include a voiceover, a soundtrack and
other digital music like subtle
enhancements to the diegetic sound
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t
5awMTGqog

6. Dialogue
• The bedrock of all modern movies,
character speech
• Examples:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
f1yWSePMqsk
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
36ptEhgjiL8

7. Silence
• Sound doesn’t have to be used in
movies, silence is also a powerful
tool for the director and not in
the way of using silence in a
horror film to create tension
• https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=NUrTRjEXjSM

8. Soundscape
• Characteristic sound that is associated
with a particular location. For example car
horns and traffic in an urban location or
the tweeting of birds in a forest.These
sounds add to the feeling of immersion
felt by the viewer and can also be used to
heighten tension by focusing on specific
sounds
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
eX-fCDpS9fY

9. Voiceover
• A type of non-diegetic sound that
gives the audience a true
reflection of how a character
feels
• Also used to set the scene of a
film world or to relay information
to the audience
• https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=MCmWfb7bfxQ

10. Sound motif
• Sounds or music (in the form of a
repeated soundtrack) that is associated
with a particular character.The motif can
then be used for emotional or narrative
impact
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkjH
yTUkw5A
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaE
U_A405zA

11. Direct Address
• When an actor talks directly at the
audience. It is similar to a monologue
in a play and the audience are usually
invited to share the character’s secrets
or his/her’s view
• Direct address is not common because
the audience have to suspend their
disbelief and also what is called the
fourth wall is broken
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0
FZhLeHy7A

12. Soundtrack
• Music/compositions added to the
film in post-production to guide
the viewer’s feelings at critical
times in the film, when there is
an emotional beat or a period of
action for example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
8RwL8Cz0weI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
uVp9RcyJFEg

13. Soundbridge
• When the music from the
soundtrack is sustained from one
scene to the next (to connect
characters, events etc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p
atdglGMrZ8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI
kpD2Nr5yI

14. Synchronous Sound/Parallel Sound
• The most common form of actor’s dialogue.
This form of sound is when the speech matches
the lip movements of the character speaking.
• Sometimes actor’s dialogue has to be dubbed
because of the conditions on set, if it is loud or
windy for example, so the actor re-records all of
the dialogue in the studio which is then dubbed
onto his acting from the set footage; obviously
it has to match – be synchronous –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feznEKTyNTQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_H-nwTPq1c

15. Asynchronous Sound
• The opposite of synchronous
sound. It is when the lips and
dialogue don’t match and this is
done either for comedic effects
or to illustrate that a character is
drugged, drunk or in a dream (or
if the film has been dubbed
badly)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=Mhp5SpTxQw8

16. Music Sting
• A music punctuation mark to
suggest a dramatic climax – often
used in horror films to highlight a
shock to the audience. –
• https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=cbWiyP6fZzw
• https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=DkrsymAhI0U

17. Pleonastic Sound
• Similar to a music sting but used
more often.
• These are sounds added in post-
production in order to increase the
impact of a particular moment in a
film i.e. the sound of a punch in a
boxing film or the sound of a sword
being taken out of a scabbard to
suggest how sharp the sword is
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
4MqmpL6X_8w

18. Contrapuntal Sound
• Sounds which go against what
you’re seeing on the screen, to
make the audience question
what they are seeing, to provide
humour or to make an artistic
comment on the nature of reality
• https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=P0EXHvbsnJ8
• https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=Uo1C6o3Nr24

19. Foley Sound
• The principle of how producers of
film add effects to maintain the
realism of the film, something that is
not possible on set
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
UO3N_PRIgX0
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
Zx8-8c6tGgM
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
-HTPbdSPjmI

20. Incidental Music
• More commonly termed as
background music, these are
sounds used to establish the mood
of a character, or a settingVery
similar to a soundtrack.
• https://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=rn9V0cN4N
Ws