Research into Sound in Thrillers - Miss Miller

In this post I will be researching into the sound used within the clip Kirby's Phonecall from the film Scream 4. I will be looking at the different sound techniques used within the scene and how they build effect on the audience and how sounds are conventional to the thiller genre as they often create a sense of enigma and build up a climax to provoke a reaction from the audience.

The first sound technique I analysed was the diegetic sound of the phonecall opening the scene. This instantly builds up a climax to the audience as there is a strong sense of enigma as the audience are unaware of who is on the other side of the call. On-screen we can see the phone says Charlie which is who the caller is threatening to murder so whilst the phone rings the audience are left sympathising keeping them on edge. The ringing of the phone creates a suspenseful and jumpy atmosphere due to the fear of the unknown. A phone ringing sound is conventional to the thriller genre as it portrays the stalker-like, obsessive yet clever personality of the killer, showing the audience that they are in control making the victim seem even more vulnerable due to the hesitant position they are in.

The next sound I analysed was the diegetic sound of the victims gasp heard at 2:28. This sound effect instantly gives the audience a sense of shock and surprise as the victim is killed by an unexpected murderer as this scene was misleading. The gasping sound is usually used for a surprise as well as pain which helps reflect the sense of shock. Emotion is also reflected upon the audience through the sound of her gasp as she is gasping for her last breaths which makes the audience empathise for her as she is about to die. The use of sound effects portraying emotions whilst a victim is dying is conventional to the thriller genre as it connects the audience the victim and the pain she is having to endure.

Another sound I noticed was the diegetic sound of the dialogue used throughout the scene. The man through the phones voice is off-screen sound which adds a sense of enigma as his identity is hidden through a phone. However, dialogue is used in this clip to give the audience an understanding in what is going on within this scene. It gives the audience an insight into the characters and their relationships with one another, in the case of this clip the female is hesitant through the phone as she is pleaing for her boyfriends life to a man she is terrified of. The audience would not know this information if dialogue was not used in the scene. Dialogue is conventioanl to the thriller genre in giving the audience an insight into the situation the characters are in, also which characters have more control and which are more vulnerable. In this clip the man on the phone has a deep intense voice but also laughs which shows he is in control and has no fear, on the other hand the female victim speaks with alot of hesitation which shows her vulnerability.

There is use of the non-diegetic sound of music throughout the converstion between the killer and the female victim. The music, is deep and thumps in some parts which could portray the victims heart through the fear she is feeling, connecting the audience to her emotional state which makes them empathise for her. The sound builds up alot of suspense which allows the audience to feel tense and uncomfortable. The music reflects that something bad is going to happen this builds up our attention and can cause self-conscious responses from the audience., and can make us worried. Non-diegetic sound is conventional to the thriller genre as it builds the enigma and creates the atmosphere of the film.

From researching the use of sound in thriller films, I have learnt about how the different techniques are used to create an effect for the audience. These techniques can help form an understanding of the particular scene for the audience whilst it can also be used to create a tense atmosphere. I now know sound plays a very important part in thrillers as without it the audience would not be able to connect to the characters and their mindsets. Although a common sound to use in thrillers is dialogue I will not be using much of this when filming my thriller film as it gives away too much about the characters and what is going on which makes the atmosphere less chilling, I want my film to have the fear of the unknown. To do this I will be using non-diagetic sound to build up suspense leaving the audience feeling on edge.