Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Functions of Sound Effects (Unifying Transition (Overlapping: when the…
Functions of Sound Effects
Breaking the Screen Plane
the presence of sound allows audience to be involved in the action on the screen
SFX adds realism to the pictures on the screen
films without SFX detaches the audience from the actions
Defining Space
by establishing: distance/direction of movement/
position/openness/dimension
Distance
: how close a sound is from you (loudness and amount of ambience) --> creates sound perspective
Direction of Movement:
varying sound level
Eg: As a person leaves the room the sound will gradually change from loud to soft.
Position:
the location of 2 or more sound sources in relation to one another
Openness
: sounds of different things enhance the size of outdoor space
Eg: wind that sound thin/background sound that is quiet
Dimension
: established by means of reverberation (echo) --> the more reverb, the larger the space
moving objects' frequency helps establish distance and direction of movement (Doppler Effect)
Focusing Attention
directors compose shots to direct the eye, but eyes can wander --> sound draws attention and provides the viewer with a focus
Eg: if a person coughs, the sound direct the eye to the individual
Establishing Locale
sounds can locate where you are
Eg: sounds of seagull places you at the ocean
Creating Environment
establishing locale begins to create environment, but its not enough
Eg: In an office, there would be sounds of ringing telephones, laser printers, buzz of lights, machines humming etc.
Emphasizing Action
sounds can highlight and emphasize actions
Eg: a person falling down the stairs, the harder he/she falls, the bump is accented
Intensifying Action
increases or heightens dramatic impact
Eg: the quiet sound of an airplane gets louder as the plane is going to crash
Exaggerating Action
Eg: in animations, character's running, falling or crashing is exaggerated to add a cartoonish effect
Depicting Identity
most obvious use of sound
Eg: Barking identifies a dog/slurred speech identifies a drunk
sound can also give a character or an object a signature
Setting Pace
sounds or the lack of them help set pace
sounds can also be orchestrated to produce a rhythmic effect to enhance a scene
Providing Counterpoint
sounds provide counterpoint when they are different form what is expected
Eg: smiling leader is cheered by a crowd, but instead of cheers, tortured screams are heard, belying the crowd scene
Creating Humor
Eg: boings/plops/burps/clinks/clanks
Creating Metaphor
sounds can create a metaphorical relationship between what is heard and seen
Eg: a wife leaving the house after an argument with her husband, slamming the door
Creating Paradox
sounds can be used to create a contradiction or inconsistency that may nonetheless be true
Creating Irony
sounds can be used to convey something different from its obvious association
Eg: crying with laughter
Symbolizing Meaning
Eg: an elegantly decorated but excessively reverberant living room symbolizes the remoteness and coldness of its occupants
Animating Inanimate Objects
brings inanimate objects to life
Eg: adding movements to a mechanical crane
Unifying Transition
Overlapping
: when the sound used at the end of one scene continues, without pause, into the next
Lead-in
: when the audio to the next scene is heard before the scene actually begins and establishes a relationship to it
Segue
: cutting from one effect to another with nothing in between (links scenes by abruptly changing from a sound that ends one scene to a similar sound that begins the next)
Lead-out
: audio to an outgoing scene that carries through the beginning of the following scene but with no visual scene-to-scene relationship
Silence
not often thought as a sound, but pauses or silences between words, sounds, and musical notes that help create rhythm, contrast, and power (elements important to sonic communication)
silence is a particularly powerful element
silence is also an effective following sound
Eg: silence after an explosion