Sound Types In Film

Diegetic and Non-Diegetic Sound Diegetic sound in film refers to sounds in a film that the characters inhabiting the area could actually here, basically sounds that are present in the environment of the scene. Example: The drive to school scene in Chronicle. https://youtu.be/z6aP8HnpUf0 Non-Diegetic sounds are the opposite, as in sounds that only us as viewers can hear, this can range from a movie score to narration, basically it’s sounds that aren’t in the films own world. Example: Deadpool (2016) https://youtu.be/ydOOOM7HMOo

Off Screen Sound This is any type of sound who’s point of origin is not visible to the camera, and therefore the viewer. This is usually used for a surprise or character reveals. Example: The World’s End’s ending scene. https://youtu.be/PJYZAww0pgI (2:16)

Voice Over Voice over, also known as narration is used a lot in film, and also television, it’s the act of a person, known as the narrator talking over a scene and maybe give some insight to the scene or give a bit of extra information that could lead to the next scene, the job of a narrator is to help move the story along. Example: Kate Winslet’s character in Titanic.

Thought voice – interior monologue This sound is a partial mix of the diegetic and voice over, it’s essentially the thoughts of a certain character but turned into audio for the viewer to hear, this audio can only be heard by the character thinking and the viewer, this type of sound can be used to help flesh out a character and show their motivations and what they might do next, making them seem more human to the viewer. Example: Deadpool (2016)

Ambient sound This is background sound effects, anything from distorted speech to screeching cars, this is used to set a scene, to show the world still exists around the characters acting in the scene, and if the audience is unfamiliar with the location, ambient sounds can help the viewer understand the location. Examples: wind in the background, police sirens.

SFX (special sound effects) These are sounds edited and placed In the scene in post production, these are sounds that are A. too difficult/dangerous to get a true recording or B. the sound is non existent, such as with a lightsabre or laser gun in Star Wars, essentially the sound people recreate (or create) the sound using different apparatus in a studio then edit said sound into the film, Example: Godzilla’s roar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORSvf8eVa0g

A chosen scene and it’s sounds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBR55_ZmYak Godzilla "I Deserve Answers" Clip Official - Bryan Cranston

Dialogue The only dialogue in this scene is from Bryan Cranston's character giving a emotional speech to the people of the monarch corporation that he knows that something is up and that they’re covering something up, regular dialogue and off screen are used effectively here as the scene shows the perspectives of the different people, and when it switches to a character not in the interrogation room, you hear Cranston’s voice distorted behind the glass screen, when the camera gives a close up of Cranston when you hear him clearly and calmly talk, but for his outbursts at the people’s ignorance, the camera backs away from him, this creates an intimate and powerful effect with his speech as you can really feel the emotions with the way sound is used.

Sound effects There is an ambient track used in this scene for both rooms, in the interrogation room there is a fan that can be heard, the ambience is not that loud in this scene as to not muffle Cranston’s speech, whereas outside the interrogation room mechanical whirs and hisses can be heard, fitting with the power plant setting, and as Cranston’s speech reaches it’s climax a steam pipe slowly leaks out, getting louder and louder until Cranston finishes. They use the quiet and natural sounds of the area to build up tension and o create an overall uneasy feeling of the area.

Background music Towards the end of Cranston’s rant, when he gives his final blowout, a low foreboding track plays in the background, again creating an unease about the location and situation and building tension as to what’s really going on and gives you a feel of Cranston’s character’s anger about the lack of information he was given.

How effective? I feel that this is scene is very effective in what it tries to do, create an unnerving tense scene, it does this with the ambient track, a rather quiet, mechanical sound, which makes the whole scene feel unnatural and otherworldly, that combined with Cranston’s emotion filled rant and the low music building up creates a very intense mood with a pretty simple location, so I think that the soundtrack is very effective.

How I can use this? This shows me that sometimes when it comes to background noise, when creating an impactful scene, that less is sometimes more and to rely on the actor and if I use a music track to make sure It’s goal is to enhance and just amplify the meaning of the words being said.

References 2016. Offscreen sound. Eicar (online). Available at:http://www.eicar- international.com/definition-screen-sound.html [accessed: 3/10/16] 2013. ‘Godzilla roars 1954-2014’. Youtube [online] available at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORSvf8eVa0g [accessed: 3/10/16] 2012.’ Chronicle (Movie 2012) Matt Sings Money - Jessie J ♥ ’. youtube. (online). Avaliable at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6aP8HnpUf0&feature=youtu.be[accessed: 3/10/16] 2016.’’.youtube [online]. Avaliable at:https://youtu.be/ydOOOM7HMOo .’ Deadpool (2016): Walking Scene (X Gon Give It To Ya) ’.youtube [online]. Avaliable at: [accessed: 3/10/16] .’The World's End (10/10) Movie CLIP - To Err Is Human (2013) HD ’.youtube [online]. Avaliable at: https://youtu.be/PJYZAww0pgI [accessed: 3/10/16] .’ Godzilla "I Deserve Answers" Clip Official - Bryan Cranston’.youtube [online]. Avaliable at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBR55_ZmYak [accessed: 3/10/16]