Sound Bethany Dennett

Diegetic Sound Diegetic sound is the sound that is inside the film. It is sound that the viewer can see the source of, or can tell where is comes from. Diegetic sound an be voices, tapping or other sounds created by actions the viewer can see. The sound doesn’t have to be onscreen, but the viewer must be able to tell where the sound is coming from. In simple terms, diegetic sound is sound that the characters can hear.

Non-Diegetic Sound Non-diegetic sound is sound that cannot be heard by the characters. It is sound that is not on the screen and that doesn’t have an apparent source in the film. Non-diegetic sound can be sound such as narrators commentary, background music or music added for effect. Sometimes the viewer must distinguish between diegetic and non-diegetic sound themselves, as some noises, such as a narrator that we see, can be a mix of both.

Sound Bridge, Sound Effects and Voiceovers A sound bridge is where the sound from one scene carries over onto another. An example is when a character in a crime drama screams, the scene may cut to people coming to find her and hearing the same scream. Sound effects are when things are added into the film to add to the drama or effect of the scene. Things like slaps, police cars and screams are sound effects. Voiceovers are added into films to add to the effect. The sound is isolated and can be telling the audience what is going on or telling a story.

Sound Assets List Diegetic sounds – A phone vibrating is heard, and this wakes up the main character. Footsteps are heard as the character runs down the stairs. A cat is heard screeching, which shocks the character. The speech ‘you came’ is spoken by the victim. We hear the sound of the leather jacket being put on. The knife being pulled out of the knife block. The door slams.

Sound Assets Continued Non-diegetic sound – We hear suspense music getting louder, up until the point where the cat is heard. The music stops here, but continues as the girl continues walking. Sound bridge – the only sound that’s bridges scenes is the suspense music, and the speech from the interview is changing from being diegetic sound into being a voiceover. Sound effects – the sound effects are the cat screeching and the footsteps of the character. The will be a voiceover of the main character describing what happened, as if in an interview.