Image by Jakob Owens
Good movie scenes cause us to subconsciously feel certain emotions. It’s not uncommon for movie watchers to cry, laugh, get angry, or hate a certain character thanks to a movie’s convincing acting. But have we ever realized that background sound can affect the plot of a movie?
Background sound is utilized in movies to build up an atmosphere appropriate to the scene. A scene that conveys a sad emotion is amplified by its sorrowful background music, and a thrilling scene is layered with exciting and gripping music with strong beats which mimics the heartbeat. Apart from creating a certain atmosphere, background sound also has other roles.
1. Highlighting certain scenes
Sound effects can be used to catch viewers’ attention at important scenes, or to mark the transition of scenes.
2. Amplifying drama
The eerie sound of the howling wind, glass cracking, urgent footsteps, or a loud car crash can make any scene more dramatic. These sound effects work as they trigger the viewers’ imagination.
Image by Merch Hüsey
3. Transitioning between scenes
When moving from one scene to another, background music makes this transition smoother. In some movies where the scenes are not presented in chronological order, with music, these transitions become understandable.
4. Creating contradiction
Music in film can evoke contradiction. For example thrilling music paired with the flashing of lights can tell the viewers that something big is about to happen.
5. Capturing the characters’ emotions
The right background sound can capture the emotions of the characters. When actors are showing an angry face, the tone of the music will be different from when they are showing happy faces.