There are two main categories of sound in film - diegetic and non-diegetic. Diegetic sound has a source visible on screen like dialogue or ambient noise, while non-diegetic sound like theme music does not. Sound helps create meaning by enhancing emotion, revealing character psychology, and setting atmosphere through location, period, and continuity between scenes. Key sound terminology includes soundtrack, theme music, sound effects, ambient noise, dialogue, voiceover, and techniques like sound bridges, parallel sound, and contrapuntal sound.

1. AS Media Studies
Unit G321

2. Diegetic Sound
Sound that has an onscreen
source and belongs to the
world of the film
e.g.
Dialogue
Sound effects
Ambient sound
Non-diegetic Sound
Sound that does not have an
onscreen source & characters
onscreen do NOT hear it
e.g.
Theme music
Contrapuntal sound
Voice over
Sound can be divided into two main categories:

3. Audio and video are of equal
importance in terms of
creating meaning.

4. Sound can help create “meaning” by
• Enhancing the audience's emotional experience /
providing emotional focus (imagine Jaws without the
music).
• Underlining psychological refinements - the
unspoken thoughts of a character, or the unseen
implications of a situation.
• Identifying characters/character types (e.g. good Vs
evil in Star Wars).

5. Sound can help create “meaning” by
• Setting the location, e.g.
• Setting the period, e.g.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5LsCC1zNLY
• Paralleling the action and creating a more convincing
atmosphere of space and time.
• Building a sense of continuity (moving in, out and
Bridging scenes).
• Underpinning the theatrical build-up of a scene and
rounding it off with a sense of finality.

6. KEY SOUND TERMINOLOGY
• Soundtrack - the recorded sound element of a film.
• Theme music/tune - a recurrent melody in the film.
• Sound effects - sounds other than dialogue or music
made artificially (Often referred to as Foley Sound)
• Ambient sound - buzz and/or surrounding sounds.
• Dialogue - speech.

7. KEY SOUND TERMINOLOGY
• Voiceover - narration in a film not accompanied by a
synchronised image of the speaker forming the words.
• Direct address - when characters speak directly to the
camera i.e. the audience.

8. KEY SOUND TERMINOLOGY
• Sound bridges – sound that continues from one
scene to another. This helps create a smooth
transition between scenes. In this way, the sound is
said to be enhancing the continuity of the film.
• Parallel sound – sound that complements the image
track. Sound & image seem to reflect each other.
• Contrapuntal sound – sound that does not
complement or fit with the image track.
E.g. https://youtu.be/Uo1C6o3Nr24