Film sound is carefully designed and added in post-production to emphasize important sounds, maintain atmosphere, and help transitions. Sound can be diegetic, existing within the film's world, or non-diegetic from outside. It can be synchronous to match action, asynchronous like music, or contrapuntal with mismatching noise. Elements include voiceovers, theme music, musical scores, and strategic use of silence. The document provides examples of different types of sounds that can be identified in the film Sherlock Holmes.

1. Sound
What noises can you hear in the clip?
Piano, drums, gun ,horses, train, birds, breaking glass, voices, explosions, shouting,
burning, switch blade, heavy breathing, keys.
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 used to emphasise key sound elements within a sequence
Ambient sound is used to create a particular atmosphere or a sense of plays.
Other elements of sound design to look out for:
 Sound bridges – The use of sound to help transitions between sequences
pass more fluedly
 Sound effects – these are used to create a sense of realism or 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, music coming from a radio.
Noises that actually come from within the
scene.
Sounds that come from outside the scene
and cannot be seen. Sounds that are added
in post-production.
Music, narrators commentary, sound effects

2. Film sound can be either:
 Synchronous – selective sound
 Asynchronous – The musical sound track
 Contrapuntal – noise or sound effect that doesn’t match the action
Other elements of sound design to look out for:
 Voiceovers – When a character or the narrator speaks over what’s
happening over the screen.
 Theme music – A piece of music specifically made and used for a certain
character in a film or for a certain string of films that are linked together.
 Musical Score – The music in the background.
 Silence – A silent moment in a film to add tension or emphasis on the scene
Identifying sound in Sherlock Holmes
Theme tune non-diegetic. Horses diegetic music diegetic guns diegetic footsteps diegetic
crow diegetic breathing diegetic voice over non diegetic