Sound

Though we might think of television and film as an essentially visual experience, we really cannot afford to underestimate the importance of 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

As is the case with stage drama, dialogue and narration serve to tell the story and express the feelings and motivations of characters as well.

Often with film characterization, the audience perceives little or no difference between the character and the actor. The very texture of a performer's voice supplies an element of character.

In the film 2001, little dialogue was used, and most of what was used was banal.

In this way the filmmaker was able to portray the “inadequacy of human responses when compared with the magnificent technology created by man] and the visual beauties of the universe.”

The comedy, Bringing Up Baby, on the other hand, presents practically non-stop dialogue delivered at break-neck speed.

This use of dialogue underscores not only the dizzy quality of the character played by Katharine Hepburn but also the absurd duality of the film itself and thus its humor.

This film presents pure escapism - largely due to its frenetic dialogue.

 

Sound Effects

Synchronous sounds effects are those sounds that are synchronized or matched with what is viewed. For example, if the film or television production 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.

For example, a filmmaker 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 city setting.

 

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 depicted.

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.