Sound

Sound brings an extra dimension to a film and helps to manipulate the audiences response and emotions and enhance meaning. Sound in modern films is extremely sophisticated with a digital, synchronised soundtrack which combines the elements of dialogue, music and sound effects. Modern films are also helped by a Foley Track which is sounds are made in studios to enhance the quality of the film.

Diegetic

Diegetic sound is where the source of the sound is part of the film world, as in if  it was reality and you were there you could here it. Diegetic sound can be on or off screen, in that if for example if two characters were having a conversation with one character being on screen and the other being off screen in another room, you could here both sides of the conversation even though the other character is not shown on the screen. This helps to create the sense that we are watching a 3D world rather than just a flat screen - helps to immerse the audience in the world of the film as if it were reality.

Non-diegetic

Non-diegetic sound is sound which is not part of the film world and is added on later, this can include things like voice-overs or orchestral music. It is generally used to change rouse emotion or to connect you to the characters feelings. A good example of this is in the film Psycho, in which the use of the almost scretching sound of the violins helps to enhance the feeling of terror and even though you don't see much of the actual act you know that what is happening is incredibly alarming.


Sound Bridge

This is where sound from one scene is carried on into the next, or is begun in one before we see the relevant images. Without the use of sound bridges films would seem very disjointed as they not only give the effect of a real diegetic world, but it also gives the sense of linking or joining together, making it more coherent and therefore part of a films continuity. This example from The Matrix shows at the end of the scene how it links into the next shot by playing the alarm sound before we see it therefore creating more fluidity and meaning between the shots.


Parallel and Contrapuntal Sound

Parallel or synchronous sound is when the music tone and mood matches the action on screen, this helps to provoke the appropriate emotions for the situation.

Contrapuntal or asynchronous sound is where the feeling of the music does not fit with the action that is taking place on screen, this can be used to lighten the mood of a film and perhaps make it into a more humorous moment, it is often used to make a point and can also be used as a signal of danger. For example, in Jaws when we are watching happy holiday makers on a beach, the image of happy people and everything being okay is challenged by the contrapuntal motif of the shark which we immediately attach to the threat of the shark, therefore helping to signal danger to the audience.