Sound: Micro Elements

• Sound has the power to create certain moods, can signal events that are about to happen.
• The power of music to manipulate audiences emotions has always been acknowledged in film.
• Sound is decoded by the audience so they know how to feel

Main things

• human voice/dialogue
• sound effects
• music
• in TV drama these create balance between the realism of the program and the drama that is created by the sound.

Types of Sound

• The world of the TV program we see on screen is called the DIEGESIS
• VERISMILITUDE: the believeable logic of the texts world (which appears real)

Two types of main sound - Diegetic and Non-diegetic.

• Sound is part of the programs world (diegisis) and can be anything ranging from dialogue to birds singing.
• Non-diegetic sound takes place outside the diegisis. Helps to provide an appropriate emotion or mood and adds to the realism of the drama.
• Foley Sound is the reproduction of everyday sounds.
• These reproduced sounds can be anything from the swishing of clothing or leaves. The best Foley art is so well integrated into a film that it goes unnoticed by the audience.
• Without these crucial background noises, movies feel unnnaturally quiet and uncomfortable.
• Dialogue - voice overs.
•  Normally first person narration. E.g. Hitch and Scrubs
• Generally about the main character and the audience can get a sense of satisfaction of having privileged information that other characters don't know.
• Direct mode of address: when characters on screen directly address the audience.
• Alternate voiceover.
• Rare in a TV Drama but when used, used for effect.
• Tends to break the verismilitude of the drama and stops the action taking place (breaking the fourth wall)
• Music is used to help us feel thing and feel part of the story; sad, happy, scared or amused.
• This use of music is a convention of TV Drama.
• Incedental Music is used to add emotion and rhythm to a drama. Usually not meant to be noticible.
• Oftern provides a tone ot emotional attitude toward the story and/or the characters depicted.
• In addition, background music often forshadows a change in mood. For example, dissonant music may be used in film to indicate an approaching (but not yet visible) menace or distaster.
• May aid the viewer in understanding the links between certain squences or scenes.
• Sound motif's are used to associate with particular characters.
  Parallel and Contrapuntal Sound

• Parallel sound: when we watch aTV Drama the soun we hear usually compliments and follows the sequence.
• Contrapuntal sound: doesn't meet audiences expectations.

Stings

• A sting: either a brief crescendo or or stab of music used to enchance the drama or current situation

Ambient Sound

• Ambient sound, also known as natural sound - the sound occurring in the area where they shoot the drama. It is often used to created in dramas to create verismilitude (realism).