Research into sound - Miss Miller

The haunting in Connecticut 2 is the film I am going to be analysing for sound. The sequence I am using is when Heidi gets lost in the forest when trying to find her dog, and sees a ghost sitting on the swing, it uses many different types of sound. Sound includes many different parts, it can include sound effects, music, talking, all of these come under different sound types for example diegetic sound is sound that is part of the film world like talking or a car radio. Or off screen sound which is when the audience cannot see the source of the sound e.g. if the car radio is still being heard although the car has gone of screen. Sound is important to have in the film to show the different types of action going on and sound effects are there to build even more suspense than all the other micro-elements do in the thriller films.

The first type of sound used is diegetic sound, this means the sound is part of the film world for example, dialogue or music from a car radio. The audience can hear this sound when the dog, Chief is crying as his owner is trying to get him out to the trap. We know this is diegetic sound because it is part the film world and the audience can see that it is coming form the dog. Diegetic sound is used to make the film more realistic, it is used well in this clip because it shows the audience the panic and distress of Chief almost showing him as a victim. In this clip the audience relate to the sound, this particular diegetic sound is on screen, as the audience can see the source of the sound and therefore feel sympathetic for him as they know he is scared and upset. The conventions of this sound are that it shows of the victim in the film letting the audience know there is an antagonist targeting the characters, this is conventional as there is always a victim in the thriller genre and the antagonist normally focus on a family group which is shown through my sequence.

The next sound used is off screen, this is when the audience can not see the source of the sound. The off screen sound is when Heidi is calling for her dad and the shot changes into him but we can still here her calling faintly in the background. This is off screen because we can not see Heidi at this point in time but we can still hear her calling for him when she starts to hear people whispering her name. This sound is effective because it keeps the audience aware of what the characters surroundings are without having to see it all, they know Heidi is in trouble and that her dad is panicking trying and find her. The audience connect with this sound because makes them aware of things that are about to happen or what could be approaching the characters. This sound can create different emotions like tension and suspense because they know what is around and are afraid of what the outcome could be. This section of the sequence is conventional because the sound highlights that Heidi is alone in the woods, portraying her as the stereotypical lone female victim of a thriller genre.

Another sound is Parallel, this is what the audience expect to hear or what matches in with the shot. An example of this in The Haunting In Connecticut sequence is the noise of the swing. They swing is old and rusty and when it moves the audience can hear the screeching of the chains rubbing together as it moves back and forth. Having Parallel sound draws attention onto the subject and makes the audience focus on the sound and image linking them together. It is effective because the audience can relate with the sounds as they know what they are and it makes them more aware of the surroundings in the film.

The last sound is Non diegetic, Non diegetic means the sound is not part of the film world for example voice over narration. This sound is used when Heidi walks past the tree and the ghost suddenly appears on the swing the music get faster and louder. Before the ghost shows there is barely any sound it is very subtle and quiet. The music gets louder and bolder when she walks past the tree building the tempo. Having this non diegetic sound here causes a build up for the audience as approaches the tree, and then when she sees the ghost the music become suddenly louder and fast creating shock and surprise the same as the characters. The suspense and worried emotions created for audience are conventional to a thriller as suspense is what makes it scary for the viewers they build up and prepare them selves for what is going to happen.

Sound is very important to have in a thriller film because it adds too the suspense, shock and surprise with in it, making it even more dramatic to the audience. My research into the sound in thriller has helped me understand what sounds would be effective in my thriller sequence and why i should use them. I have decided that i am going to be using alot of non deigetic sound to build up tension in my film and create shock when actions take place.