Research into Sound - Miss Miller

The use of sound in any film is important as it helps to tell the story by defining an image more clearly and also helps to provoke a response from the audience. In thriller films, sound is used to build tension and suspense in order to engage the audience in the scene and make them feel something. 

When researching into the use of sound in thrillers, I analysed the following clip from the film 'The Panic Room'.

The first sound technique I analysed was the use of the non-diegetic soundtrack which was used to create a sound bridge. A sound bridge is when sound is used to maintain continuity in a sequence by running a soundtrack under a series of images to link them together. The eerie music is played all the way throughout  this clip, which helps to build suspense and tension. It engages the audience, but also makes them constantly feel on edge and anxious as to what will happen. It is conventional to the thriller genre as it helps the scene to flow smoothly, which keeps the pace of the scene fast, which in turn builds tension.

The next sound I looked at was the diegetic sound of the dialogue used throughout the scene. Dialogue is used in this clip to explain what is going on to the audience in a clear way. It gives us an insight to each character and also their relationships between other characters, such as the close bond the two females share. It also helps the audience determine who the villains and victims are. For example, the use of the bad language such as 'f**k' (0:58 & 1:20 & 1:54 - 2:00) and 's**t' (1:43) help to portray most of the men to be the villainous characters, where as the calm nature showed from the female characters, help portray them as victims. This is conventional to a thriller as it shows the victims to be female, which is a very stereotypical thing to do. It also indicates to the audience who they should be feeling sorry for, which helps them to connect to these characters and keep them engaged.

The next sound I noticed was the on screen and diegetic sound of the footsteps, which was used many times in the above clip. It was also parallel sound to the scene, as the images of the men and women running matched the sound of the footsteps. This sound was used to emphasise the fast pace of the scene which keeps the audience on edge and also helps to build tension. It also suggests to the audience that this is a chase scene, and so the sound of the footsteps is parallel to the soundtrack as well. This creates a 'jumpy' atmosphere for the audience, which heightens the emotions they feel. A chase scene is very conventional to the thriller genre as it helps to build suspense, and so by using it in this film, immediately indicates to the audience that this is a thriller film.

The next sound I noticed was the diegetic sound of the gasp and the loading the gun which can be seen from 0:21 to 0:26 in the above clip. Both of these sounds are parallel as they match what is going on in the scene. The use of the gasp sound effect, helps the audience feel worried for the two female characters as they have been caught. This emotion is emphasised when we hear the sound of the gun being loaded, which gives the sense of danger for the two girls. This emotion is reflected upon the audience, as they know the two female characters are in danger, and so they feel anxious and scared for them. The theme of danger is conventional in thriller films as when used with sound, helps to engage the audience and build suspense.

The last sound I analysed was the on-screen sound of the panic room door slamming shut. This can be seen from 1:52 to 1:54 in the above clip. This sound helps to bring the scene to its climax and then to a sudden end. For example, when the females first get into the panic room, the soundtrack playing in the background reaches its climax and increases its tempo. This builds a lot of suspense as the audience are left wondering whether or not they will be able to shut the door in time, and so they are left on edge. However, once the door is slammed shut, the soundtrack suddenly stops, to an almost silent frame. The silence used helps to build tension and the audience are left in an enigma, as the scene ends, and they are left wondering if that is all that will happen. The use of an enigma is very conventional to the thriller genre as it leaves the audience thinking. It can also be misleading, but is a very good way to build suspense.

Having researched into the use of sound in thriller films, I have learnt of the different ways it can be used to create an effect. It can be used to help create an understanding of the scene for the audience, and also adds meaning to an image which without sound would not have the same effect. It helps the audience to connect with certain characters by putting them into the mindset of that character, which helps the audience to respond emotionally. When looking at other thriller films, I have noticed that most of them do not use dialogue to build suspense, but instead use sound and cinematography. I have learnt from researching into this film, that there are many ways of portraying the villain and victim, and one of the ways to do this whilst building suspense is through the use of dialogue, such as in this clip, the villain is portrayed by using the bad language. This is something I will look at in further detail when deciding on how to portray my characters when creating my own thriller clip.