Film Sound: Aesthetics vs techniques

Aesthetics:
From the aesthetic point of view a sound film is a combination
of visual and aural impressions, that is to say, of pictures,
music, noises, and speech. It is a species of synthetic art,
approximately of the same type as opera and drama.
Nevertheless, in spite of the external resemblance, there is a
profound distinction between the aesthetic basis of the sound
film and that of these antiquated forms of art. In order to
grasp this enormously important difference, to understand the
sphere to which the cinema is restricted, we must turn to the
sources of cinematography in general. It has to be realized
that the cinema is fundamentally photography, endowed with
movement it is true, and recently with sound as well, but
both movement and sound are essentially photographic; in
other words, they are based on the reproduction of certain
natural phenomena. In the realm of fantasy the cinema has
boundless possibilities; it can accomplish easily and simply
that which in the theatre is cumbersome and difficult, and to
all intents and purposes there is no impediment to the exercise
of the imagination. In spite of this, it is primarily a
reproductive art, which gives us a copy of nature and hence is
naturalistic (not even realistic). Th e theatre, on the
contrary, originated as an outlet from the world into
imaginary realms; only in the latest stages of its
development has it arrived at realism, and this is merely a
transitory phase. The public is keenly conscious of the
naturalistic nature of the cinema, the more so because the
former differs widely from the theatrical public which
constitutes the audience of drama and opera. First of all,
it is far more demo critic (owing to the cheapness of the
cinema and to the fact that the character of the
production is industrial and not “artisan”) and
incomparably vaster.

Techniques:

Sound techniques are often taken for granted in film, but it

plays a huge role in setting the scene, communicating the
narrative, and letting you know how the characters are
feeling. Stopping to think creatively about how you use sound
in your films can help them stand out amongst all the noise.

Sound Techniques

Sound bridge - We’ve already mentioned this one, it’s a way of using sound
to carry the audience between two different shots that suggests an action has
taken place, like waking up or a move to a different place.

Diegetic sounds - these are sounds that occur within the world of the film,
and that characters can hear and react to. They can be great for building
tension. For example, if the characters are being hunted by a scary monster,
then the sounds of the monster moving through the environment while it stalks
them are great for showing the characters where the monster is. Hearing the
monster breath, growl, and the heavy footfalls that accompany its movements
also make the monster more frightening and intimidating to the audience.
 Non-diegetic sounds - As the name would propose, these are the opposite
of diegetic sounds, and do not exist to the characters. These don’t have to be
specific natural sounds, anything that is added later is a non-diegetic sound.
This can include things like a musical score, sound effects that are added later
for atmosphere, or even things like a narrator’s voice-over.

Contrapuntal sound - These are sounds that are used in deliberate contrast
to the action that is being shown on the screen. Going back to the example of
the romantic kiss we spoke about earlier, using different sounds to the ones
that people would expect to see can have dramatic effects on people’s
emotional response to a scene. For example, when watching a romantic
scene, we as the audience would expect an appropriate, romantic soundtrack.
By using an unexpected sound, like a slide whistle, the scene ceases to be
romantic. However, it now becomes comedic. Another great way to do this is
to use a piece of unexpected music, such as a lighthearted song when
something violent is occurring. This can often be used to an astounding effect
and underpins a lot of very memorable and often shocking scenes in films.

Parallel sounds - These are sounds that compliment the mood, tone, or
atmosphere of a scene. In contrast to the contrapuntal sounds, parallel
sounds are meant to leverage the audience’s expectations, rather than
subvert them. Parallel sounds can be many different things, like a particularly
romantic piece of music being used in a scene where two characters are
kissing, for example. Or, they can be much less obvious, like background
sounds. They might be the sound of machines beeping and whirring in the
cockpit of a spacecraft, for example. Or the sound of dance music, laughter,
and talking in a nightclub. Parallel sounds are great for helping your audience
to orient themselves to where and when something is happening, or to deepen
their emotional response to something.