sound analysis
Sound plays a very important role in horror as it plays one of the main roles when creating suspense or it can add more information to the film though music or dialogue.
|
contrapuntal soundwithin horror films can contrast what is being seen on the screen which is known as contrapuntal sound an example of this is shown in this clip where he is torturing a man yet still dancing at the music on the radio. This use of sound gives the audience more insight into his character as he is cutting a mans ear off yet still in a jolly mood, showing that he is not stable and he could be mentally ill.
conrapuntal sound - lullabiesAnother common example of contrapuntal music used in horror films is nursery rhymes, as these songs have connotations of being safe to them. These sounds are commonly played over the top of someone who is playing a mentally ill psychopath to show that something horrific happened in their childhood. The high pitches used within lullabies make it seem as if there is no danger this is due to our brain recognising theses sounds as being unthreatening as they are the sounds small animals make. Five nights at Freddies is an example of this as there is an example of a lullaby before a jumpscare which makes it more creepy
|
drone effectA different example of how to make the audience scared it through the use of instruments that create unstable wave lengths as which cause it to be very unsettling for the audience. A common example of this is the drone effect which is the most effective when something is going to happen or to just create an eerie sound for a short space of time as something is about to happen. Low strings are mostly used when creating suspense before something happens where as high strings are used to create a tense and scary atmosphere.
|
|
jump scares
|
Jump scares are very important in creating tension and helping to build the atmosphere. There is commonly a subtitle in the background leading the audience into a false sense of security and helps to make it more out of nowhere making it more effective than if there was a layer of music in the background as it means that the audience are not expecting it. An example of this is in the iconic Jaws jump scare.
Within this jump scare they have combined sounds together using real life samples, for example there is a human scream, camera shutter and brass woodwind which creates an unsettling effect and an xylophone. These sounds are not actually in the scene however laid over the top to create a more eerily effect. |
low and high frequencies
High frequencies represent something small and are heard in day to day life. For example high strings are used for murder scenes an iconic example of this is the murder from the psycho shower scene.
Within this the two notes create a tritone interval which the human brain does not hear very often and picks it out as a distant sound as it is so constant and relentless each string sounds like a stab of a knife in the same pitch as a human crying for help so that the audience feel more empathy for the victim as the strings sound like someone crying for help. Low frequency wood winds have an unstable wave form and unsettling tilts which goes in and out of pitch which is good for when something big is approaching. In conclusion a low frequency means that something big is approaching whereas a high pitch means that it is something small. The music in the space betqween the notes is called a Claude Debussy, the brain get tiered and becomes deaf to certain notes which makes it helpful when trying to show the clear contrast and makes it more powerful . The audio and the film need to be 50/50 for the relationship to work together and make it more appealing. |
|
sound ANALYSIS within trailers
unfriended
The sound within this trailer makes the audience feel involved with what is happening as it creates the effect of memories, They use digetic sounds when its scenes from the memories for example when they are laughing. There is also non-digetic music added over which is very calm and has relation to horror. This gives the audience a false sense of security and it makes it seem like their lives are perfect. There is also non digetic sound that has been added when the titles appear such as the typing sound to relate the film with technology and add to the trailer and makes it more understandable. There is also the use of low stringed instruments in the music to create suspense as there is an unknown person in the skype call. which is then followed by other low pitched sound as people start to become missing from the chat creating a tense atmosphere.
the grudge
There is lots of non-digetic sound used within this trailer which makes it more scarier and puts the audience on an edge. For example towards the start of the clip there is a heart beat in the background which quickly captures the audeince attention as well making them realise that something bad is going to happen. Towards the end ofthe clip some of the music begins to speed up and then suddenly stops as the main focus is shown. There is also a non-digetic drone sound that appears as the titles come up to create tension. There is not a lot of digetic sound such as dialogue in this trailer as sound helps build up the tension until the end and the use of speech will break it. The music makes the trailer and helps the audience understand what is going on
american horror story
Not a lot of background music is added onto the American Horror Story trailer yet it is still effective. The video seems to be quiet but there is still a lot happening when it comes to sound. There is non-digetic sound of a girl hymning a nursery rhyme which stereotypical should not fir the horror genre however is used to create an eerie atmosphere. This is later followed by a baby crying symbolising its innocents. When the scenes are switched there is a sound of bugs crawling and a fuzzy noise which makes the audience feel as if they are going crazy. Towards the end the iconic american horror story music played.