This article explains the different types of film sound and their roles, and analyzes how they contribute to audience emotion and immersion. In movies, sound is an important element of characterization, scene transitions, and suspense.
The visual information presented in a movie is contained in the image track, and the auditory information is contained in the sound track. The soundtrack contains the sounds of the movie, which are collectively referred to as the movie sound. Sound is an important element of a movie’s mood and emotion, and it’s a powerful tool that can make a movie more immersive and have an emotional impact on the audience. Sound can come in many different types, and it can be used to properly represent a scene in a movie. It’s more than just background music or sound effects; it helps to reinforce the narrative structure and themes of a movie.
Sound is divided into several types depending on where the sound is coming from. Sound that has a source within the screen and is primarily used to enhance the sense of presence is called coincidental sound. Coincidental sound provides a sense of reality for the audience and creates the illusion of being there with the characters in the movie. On the other hand, sounds that occur off-screen and represent unseen scenes are called asynchronous sound. Asynchronous sound stimulates the audience’s imagination and adds to the narrative depth of the movie. On the other hand, sounds that cannot occur in the real world, such as background music, are called extrinsic sounds. They can set the emotional tone of the movie or emphasize certain themes. In contrast, all sounds that originate from the real world in the movie are intrinsic. They are an important part of the reality of the movie, and they are what makes the audience more immersed in the movie. These sounds are utilized singly or in combination to suit the director’s expressive intent.
Sound is often used to dramatize a character’s thoughts or psychology. Hearing a character’s voice alongside their face on the screen can be an effective way to convey their inner thoughts. For example, when the voice of a major character is used as narration, it conveys more depth to the character’s inner world and psychological conflicts. In some cases, a character’s unstable state of mind is conveyed by playing the sound of their heart loudly without showing their facial expressions. When the audience hears the sound of the main character’s heart beating, they feel as if their own heart is pounding. This psychological effect makes the audience feel more connected to the character and maximizes the tension in the movie.
Sound can also be deliberately removed from a movie. A so-called dead track is just as effective as a strong soundtrack. When the sound is suddenly removed, the audience is forced to pay attention and watch the screen more closely. This immerses them in the situation the character is in and gives them a deeper understanding of the character’s psychology. This absence of sound is often used to emphasize dramatic turning points or important events, and is effective in eliciting an emotional response from the audience.
Sound is also the glue that holds scenes together. By holding the sound of the foreground until the background is presented, or previewing the sound of the background from the end of the foreground, you can bridge the gap in time and space between scenes. You can also overlap sounds from scene to scene. For example, if you show a character reaching for his watch in the morning with the sound of an alarm clock, and then show him reaching for his phone in the afternoon with the sound of the phone ringing, the two scenes will flow seamlessly. This kind of sonic continuity helps the movie’s narrative flow more seamlessly, and helps the audience follow the movie’s flow.
If the screen of a movie is someone’s face, then the sound is their voice. Just as it is difficult to fully understand a face without hearing its voice, it is difficult for an audience to understand the inner meaning of a screen without sound. In this way, sound is closely related to the scenes and plot of a movie, and is an important element that expresses the theme or director’s intention. The role of sound in a movie cannot be underestimated, and it is a key factor in determining how effectively a movie conveys its overall message and emotional impact.
