1. SOUND

2. FILM SOUND
 In film, sound is comprised of three elements:
 Dialogue
 Music
 Noise/Sound Effects

3. DEFINITION OF DIALOGUE
 Film dialogue: Usually, dialogue is defined as a
conversation between two or more people. In films,
however, dialogue is any spoken words.
 This includes:
 conversations (discussion between two or more
people)
 inner thoughts (hearing what the character is
thinking out loud)
 voiceovers (when a character is unseen, but talks
over the action)
 addressing the audience (when a character breaks
fourth wall and directly talks to the viewer)

4. FUNCTIONS OF DIALOGUE
 Functions of Dialogue:
 Develop character
 Move action forward
 Components of Dialogue:
 Text (the actual words spoken in a film)
 Subtext (an unstated meaning that is implied by spoken
dialogue)
 Dialogue where the text and the subtext are too
similar is called “on the nose.”

6. CHARACTERISTICS OF VOICE
 Since dialogue is spoken words, the qualities of the
speaker’s voice play an important role
 Volume (how loud or soft something is)
 Pitch (how high or low something is)
 Vocal Characteristics (the way a character speaks -
includes accent and diction)
 Acoustic Qualities (how close or far the sound is, or if
the sound is distorted)

8. DEFINITION OF MUSIC
 In films, music can be anything from a score
composed purposely for the film, a musical number
sung by the characters, or pre-existing songs
picked to be in the movie.
 Often, the sound designer and composer have to
balance the tension between creating emotion
through music and keeping the music realistic, so
as not to distract the viewer.

10. FUNCTIONS OF MUSIC
 Establishes historical context
 Shapes space
 Defines character
 Shapes emotions
 Distances the audience

11. CHARACTERISTICS OF MUSIC
 Although much of the music in film relies on a
subconscious message, learning the elements of
film music can help a viewer better understand a
film:
 Patterns of development (musical themes that are
repeated with variations to show change)
 Lyrics (the words of a song which may have a thematic
similarity to the scene)
 Tempo and volume (how fast or loud the music is)
 Instrumentation (the instruments used in the song)
 Cultural significance (using music specific to a particular
culture or region)

12. DEFINITION OF SOUND EFFECTS
 Sound effects are any sounds that are not music or
dialogue – although they are often made artificially
in a studio, they can also be recorded on location.
 Sound effects are sometimes referred to “film
noise” because they can act as background noise
that is common in everyday life.

13. FUNCTIONS OF SOUND EFFECTS
 Define location
 Lend mood to an environment
 Portray the environment’s impact on characters

15. CHARACTERISTICS OF SOUND EFFECTS
 Acoustic qualities
 How close or far the sound is, or if the sound is distorted
 Volume
 How loud or soft the sound effects are
 Regularity
 How repetitive or irregular the effects are
 Verisimilitude
 Making the effects as true to life as possible

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