Sound in film - Diegetic,Non-Diegetic and Genres
Friday, October 30, 2015Diegetic and non-diegetic sound have been used in almost every movie to this day. Sound is used in film to heighten a particular mood, to provide the viewer with information about a scene's location, to help elucidate the plot, and to give the viewer further conceptions about characters in a scene. Additionally, directors also use silence in a film to create impact of an aftermath, to highlight a significant change within the storyline, to build up a scene's intensity or to foreshadow impending doom. These aspects of sound help to shape a film to a successful extent, thus also help the viewer to engage and connect with the film on an emotional scale.
Diegetic Sound
There are many various definitions of diegetic sound that make the term more challenging to be understood by others. Diegetic sound refers to audio elements that come from sources in a scene which haven't been edited in. This includes dialogue, footsteps, sound made by objects (i.e. glass shattering), and music coming from instruments within a scene. The volume of diegetic sound is usually altered after it has been recorded, especially in a silent scene, to address significance of the use of sound in contrast to a lack of non-diegetic sound. Diegetic sound also helps to tell the plot and give the film a sense of realism and accuracy.
Non - Diegetic sound
Non-diegetic sound is audio that has been added into a film through its editing process.
Non - diegetic sound includes voiceovers/narration, music, and sound effects e.g. screeches and explosions. These types of sounds are regularly used in films to add climax, impact and exhilaration to an uplifting scene, as well as demonstrating characters' emotions. For sound effects, Pitch, tempo, and volume may be altered to indicate how the filmmaker expects the audience to respond to a given noise. The directional quality of non-diegetic sound enhances a three-dimensional sense of space in the movie.
Diegetic and non - diegetic sound in film genres
Comedy
Comedic films usually include well-known music that has recently been published (e.g. chart music). This is because modern music usually represents an uplifting, energetic and happy beat, which links to the mood of comedic films. Dialogue is highly included in comedies, as a typical form of humour is expressed through a character's vocal language. The diegetic sound of damaged objects helps to create clumsiness which can be expressed as a degree of humour.
Romance
Romantic films usually include monologues and narratives as examples of non - diegetic sound. This helps the audience to understand how characters are feeling and how they may feel towards each other. Happy/uplifting music is usually included within Romance films to express a couple's happiness towards each other, or to signify a positive time in their relationship. There are many varieties of diegetic sound in Romantic films, such as dialogue, kissing/affectionate sounds, and voices of people in an urban environment. This is because Romance films are usually linked to everyday relationships.
Action
The sound of weapons e.g. gunshots are usually featured in action films, where violence between two sides usually takes place. Dialogue, like all genres, is included within action films. As well of this, Screams of witnesses to the battle scenes are featured to expresses their fear towards the violence they see. Examples of non-diegetic sound in action films include explosions, intense/dramatic music, monologues and narratives. The majority of sounds in Action films are usually edited to make it clearer and more exaggerated.
Drama
As films portrayed by the drama genre have a serious storyline, intense music and sound effects are usually expressed. This, as well as mixtures of diegetic and non diegetic sound, creates verisimilitude. The sounds of played instruments, screams, opening of doors helps to create suspense or links to an ominous action. Narratives, Monologues and dialogues are portrayed from characters from a range of classes and backgrounds, as dramas are particularly serious. Incidental music also helps to add emotion and rhythm to dramas.
Horror
Sound in horror film is highly significant as it contributes to the anxious sensation the audience experiences. They also help to create jump scares though loud, unexpected noises e.g. a large banging noise. Diegetic sound effects creates the atmosphere of a horror films content and adds to its creepiness, such as children laughing, screams, footsteps, and heavy breathing. Monologues are less included in Horror films as they usually focus on more than one character, and those who are villains tend to be displayed as being mysterious. Eerie/screechy music is edited into horror films to add suspension and tension. Sinister music can also be created through limitations on the range of instruments - for example, nursery music can imply a freakish sensation just through its basic sequence.
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