notes

1. Sound
What noises can you hear in the clip?
Intro theme , horses, ominous music, crescendo, chains, bird, banging, voice, ear
ring, shot, foreign voice, beating up noise, screams, bullets, screech, shattered
glass
Film sound is as important and as carefully controlled as the visual elements of a
text. Although sound is often recorded on set, most film sound is added in post-
production
Film sound will be mixed very carefully to ensure that important sounds are
emphasised and that the correct atmosphere for a sequence is maintained
Selective sound is: is used to emphasise key sounds and elements within a
sequence. Enhanced sound of a punch
Ambient sound is: is used to create a particular atmosphere or a sense of place.
People chatting in background
Other elements of sound design to look out for:
 Sound bridges – the use of sound to help between the transitions between
sequences pass more fluidly.
 Sound effects – these are used to create a sense of realism or to create
some sort of psychological impact.
Sound can be either:
 Diegetic – that is, it exists within the world of the film or
 Non-diegetic – that is, it emerges from outside the world of the film, eg film
soundtracks
Diegetic Sound Non-Diegetic Sound
This is the sound that that exists on the
scene at the time of filming.
Voices, radio etc.
You can usually see the source of the
sound with in the scene.
This is all of the sound that is added in
post-production.
Voiceovers, sound effects, musical
scores.
There are however a few cross overs,
such as gun shots..

2. Film sound can be either:
 Synchronous – this is when a sound effect is matched with another technical
event or action- this reinforces the effect. This is like selective sound.
 Asynchronous – this is when the sound originates from outside of the
diegetic reality of a film- musical soundtrack
 Contrapuntal – noise or sound affect that doesn’t match the visuals, often
used to create a juxtaposition or an alternative meaning.
Other elements of sound design to look out for:
 Voiceovers – this is the “voice” of a character. This voice often guides the
external audience and pushes the narrative
 Theme music – this is music that introduces and develops throughout and
ends the film, it often indicates personality, alignment.
 Musical Score – used to create atmosphere to link shots or sequences to
help create the narrative, or to offer information about characters.

3.  Silence – this provokes a reaction from the audience. It can help create
tension.
Identifying sound in Sherlock Holmes
Diegetic- horse, guns loading. Footsteps, bird, silence, dialogue, silence,
Non-diegetic- musical score, voice over, synchronous sound, change in musical
score, pianos come back, ears ringing, sound bridge of camera
Theme tune