Sound Treatment

Sound is a central aspect of the film making process as it enhances the viewers experience and helps to illustrate the emotional content in the narrative. There are many different types of sound, all of which can be used to create a profound effect on film and TV. Diegetic Sound is the sound which is created within the film, and which the characters are able to hear as it is created by themselves or objects in the scene, such as dialogue, or an alarm. Non Diegetic sound however, is the sound added through the editing process and is not heard by the characters; such as a soundtrack or a score, which is a musical component usually composed specifically for the scene. Voice overs are non diegetic form of sound that is not synchronised with anyone speaking and usually adds extra information or character thoughts and feelings that would otherwise be unknown to the viewer. Sound effects are added to film in post-production, and are used to build up ambience or reinforce action. Parallel sound is sound that magnifies or heightens the image being shown because it goes well with it and fits. Contrapuntal sound is sound that juxtaposes the image shown, and quite usually has a disorientating effect upon the audience, making them question what they are watching. Foley Sound is a process where specialists create sounds that cannot properly be captured by the film making process using a variety of props in a studio, which is then added to the film during editing. The YouTube video below explains how Foley Sound can be vital to a film.