RESEARCH INTO SOUND - Miss miller

RESEARCH INTO SOUND

In this post i will be researching different sound techniques used in a short scene of the film Conjuring. I decided to choose this film as i know from previously watching the film that there is a lot of different sounds that i can comment on and it shows good examples.

Firstly, In this clip there is a small amount of sound although the sound that is used works well in this short clip. At the beginning of this clip the scene is dark and there are two characters in the frame. The young girl is whispering which is a diagetic sound. This may show that she is scared and docent want to talk loud to scare the protagonist. Whispering shows she dosent want anyone to hear her voice and may leave the audience feeling scared as they dont know who or what she is talking to. Her facial expressions link with the sound. As she is sleeping there is a large gushing sound which is short and quick which is frightening for the audience. This is a non-diagetic sound as you cannot see the place that the sound is coming from, creating more suspense towards the audience.This wakes her up and the sound disappears quickly. This gives an effect that the sound is short and snappy and gives an effect that the character is scared and this is an instant movement. Also this wave of short sound may implicate something has just happened or arrived. After this movement there is complete silence. Silence is a diagetic sound, as you can see on the screen that there is no sound moment at all.k The characters facial expressions show that she is scared and doesn't know what to do. After a few seconds of silence the background noise starts to rise. Silence brings tension to the screen and makes the audience wonder what is happening next. There is a small humming noise which gives an effect that something is going to happen as the noise begins to get louder and quicker. The humming begins to get louder as it builds up tension on the screen.

In most thriller films there is always a background noise when something is about to happen, e.g. a heartbeat or a sudden large sound, this can create tension and suprise. Sounds in thriller films and are important and without extra sound clips that have been edited in a thriller film wouldn't be interesting and give that buzz of an thriller film everyone loves. Any film without sound would be boring. The heartbeat sound is very commonly used in thriller films as it mostly represents the victims heartbeat as they are being apporached by the antagonist or scared for some apparent reason. A heartbeat sound is non-diagetic as you cannot see the sound taking place and creates a sense tht the audience are in the victim or antagonists shoes. This creates an image that we can actually hear there heartbeat and gives us an insight into what they are actually feeling. There are three important things that involve sound when creating a film; human voice, sound effects and music. These three things are mixed and balanced together to produce the necassary emphases which in turn create desired effects. Background music is used to add emotion and rhythm to the film.

Furthmore there is a diagetic sound at the beginning of the clip. Diagetic sound means the sound is part of the film world, e.g. dialouge or a dog barking. The door creaks after the young girl wakes up. The door creaking creates suprise for the audience and suspense as it brings the idea forward that something is there and waiting to jump out. Although you cant see anything there and the images that are being talked about in the girls head you can still hear the creak of the door, this scares the audience and the charachter. A creaking door is conventional to a thriller and creates as sense to the audience that they are actually in that scene.

Overall i feel that i have learnt that sound is very important in thriller and overall in any film. I have learnt the conventional sounds that occur in thrillers and the ones that arent usually found in them. The sounds that create the most suprise are the ones you dont expect, e.g. a loud bang that gives the serialism that you are actually in the film and you are frightnened for the victim. Furthmore there is alot of tension caused through sound and without it you wouldnt have that lump in your throat that makes you frightened in a thriller. When looking at creating my opening scene for my thriller, i will look closely at the sounds and music that i use. I will use conventional sounds e.g built up music to build up suspence for the audience and sounds that will create suprise and shock like the creaking door in this clip.