FILM SOUND TECHNIQUES AND THEORY

I studied the different terminology used to identify sound in films through the presentation Film Sound Techniques and Theory I learnt that you can use various techniques to influence the audience to interpret a scene in a certain way. 

Rhythm

-  a beat, pulse, pace or tempo

- used in music where the pace matches the action to create a specific effect e.g. tension

- used in speech to encapsulate the audience's attention e.g. speeches

- used in sound effects to change expectations

Fidelity

- when a sound fits the source it came from 

- expectation linking what we see to what we hear e.g. if we see a gunshot we expect the sound of it firing

- you can have a lack of fidelity which is where there is a disparity between the image and the sound which can make the audience feel disorientated. 

Parallel Sound

- when the music matches the image on screen

- used in horror films e.g. suspenseful music 

Contrapuntal Sound

- when the sound doesn't match the image on screen

- sound you wouldn't associate with the scene 

Synchronous Sound

- when you hear the sound at the same time the sound is produced

- used when characters talk and their lips match the sound we hear

Asynchronous Sound

- sound that is not produced from the narrative space e.g. when someone screams but the sound you hear is a train (The 39 Steps)

- used in flashback scenes

Diegetic Sound 

- sound that we expect to hear from a certain place e.g. background noise

- used to create atmosphere and reinforce the location

Non-Diegetic Sound

- sound that comes from outside the narrative space e.g. music 

- used to show action from a various point of view e.g. if someone is listening to music with headphones, only that character can hear it

Volume

- how loud or quiet the sound/music is

- it is mainly the alterations of volume that create the effect e.g. crescendos or sforzando 

- can make a scene more intense if there is a dramatic contrast between volumes throughout