Planning Sound - Miss Miller

Sound is arguably on par with video as the most important element to be able to manipulate and control during production and post production. Too often filmmakers focus all of their attention on video footage and ignore the quality of their sound. Interestingly enough, audiences seem to be more annoyed by poor sound quality than by poor cinematography.
Though we might think of film as an essentially visual experience, we really cannot afford to underestimate the importance of film sound. A meaningful sound track is often as complicated as the
image on the screen. The entire sound track is comprised of three essential ingredients: 

• the human voice
• sound effects
• music

These three tracks must be mixed and balanced so as to produce the necessary emphases which in turn create desired effects. Topics which essentially refer to the three previously mentioned tracks are discussed below.  
 

Dialogue

Dialogue authenticates the speaker as an individual or a real person rather than the imaginary creation of a story teller. As is the case with stage drama, dialogue serves to tell the story and
expresses feelings and motivations of characters as well. Often with film characterization the audience perceives little or no difference between the character and the actor. Thus, for example:
Humphrey Boggart is Sam Spade; film personality and life personality seem to merge. Perhaps this is the case because the very texture of a performer's voice supplies an element of character.  

When voice texture fits the performer's physiognomy and gestures, a whole and very realistic persona emerges. The viewer sees not an actor working at his craft, but another human being struggling with life. It is interesting to note that how dialogue is used and the very amount of dialogue used varies widely among films. For example:
In the film 2001 little dialogue was evident, and most of what was used was banal. In this way the filmmaker was able to portray the “inadequacy of human  esponses when compared with the magnificent technology created by man and the visual beauties of the universe.

 

SOUND EFFECTS: 

Synchronous sounds are those sounds which are synchronized or matched with what is viewed. For example:
If the film portrays a character playing the piano, the sounds of the piano are projected.

Synchronous sounds contribute to the realism of film and also help to create a particular atmosphere. For example:
The “click” of a door being opened may simply serve to convince the audience that the image portrayed is real, and the audience-may only subconsciously note the expected sound. However, if the “click” of an opening door is part of an ominous action such as a burglary, the sound mixer may call attention to the “click” with an increase in volume; this helps to  engage the audience in a moment of suspense. 

Asynchronous sound effects are not matched with a visible source of the sound on screen. Such sounds are included so as to provide an appropriate emotional nuance, and they may also add to the realism of the film. For example:
A film maker might  opt to include the background sound of an ambulance's siren while the foreground sound and image portrays an arguing couple. The asynchronous ambulance siren underscores the psychic injury incurred in the argument; at the same time the noise of the siren adds to the realism of the film by acknowledging the film's (avowed) city setting.
 

MUSIC: background music

Background music is used to add emotion and rhythm to a film. Usually not meant to be noticeable, it often provides a tone or an emotional attitude toward the story and/or the characters  epicted. In addition, background music often foreshadows a change in mood. For example, dissonant music may be used in film to indicate an approaching (but not yet visible) menace or disaster.

Background music may aid viewer understanding by linking scenes. For example, a particular musical theme  associated with an individual character or situation may be repeated at various points in a film in order to remind the audience of salient motifs or ideas. 

Film sound is comprised of conventions and innovations. We have come to expect an acceleration of music during car chases and creaky doors in horror films. Yet, it is important to note as well that sound is often brilliantly conceived. The effects of sound are often largely subtle and often are noted by only our subconscious minds. Yet, it behooves us to foster an awareness of film sound as well as film space so as to truly appreciate a twentieth century art form, the modern film. 

Digetic sound is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film. We will use this when the girl has supposedly been killed but as her eyes open there will be a loud gasp, this will automatically scare the viewers as they wasn't expecting her to wake up because she is laying in a position that gives you the idea that she is dead and that the villain is walking of in the background. The sound we have used are very basic and short bu they create a lot of suspense, take the gasp at the end for example, it is conventional to a thriller because it increases suspense and will keep the audience on the edge of there seat.

I think our opening scene will be much more effective with added sound, it will help create and connection with the audience but also trick them e.g. With the use of contrapuntal sound. The audience will feel a emotive connection towards the victim and realise how intense the story line begins by he use of sharp non-diegetic music. Planning the sound has made it a lot my easier to decide what we want, we have taken our ideas from classic thriller films.