Sound in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

In this episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I was particularly drawn to the use of non-diegetic sound through mood music. One thing the episode does particularly well is use pacing to create the mood. In high tense moments, the music begins to speed up, with more orchestral runs, simulating the quickening of the heart beat and the raise in stakes for the characters. In lower moments, the music slows and the audience is given time to breathe. In addition, the mood music plays with pitch to play with the mood. Notes increase in pitch and chords become more unharmonious in moments of high risk. During happier moments, the music becomes more melodic with lower base notes in the chords. This contrast distinguishes moments of imminent tension from moments where the audience can relax.

The most noticeable strategy of diegetic sound found in this episode is the use of creaking, sirens, and other interrupting sounds to break the lulls of silence. There is a moment early on where a glass is dropped and it shatters. This sudden disruption is an example of the chaotic environment that the characters are forced to live in. This feeling is also established with sirens and dogs barking in the background when characters are roaming around in this state of silence. The creaking plays an important role in giving a feeling of deterioration and the world seems to be decaying into total chaos.

The mise-en-scene choice made in the episode that I thought had the most important effect on the overall mood was the utilization of hallways. Many times we find the characters stuck in confined hallways where there seems to be only one way to go and no escape. This assists in making the audience also feel confined, victim to the voice-stealing vampires that now seem to have complete control over the audience as well. The hallways also have an interesting ability to produce long shadows and weird lighting.

All of this contributes to the horror by forcing the audience into a confined and chaotic environment. Anyone watching the scene can feel the monsters coming for them, while they see no way of escaping. Meanwhile, the music speeds and notes become more discordant, creating a sense of danger and random chaotic diegetic sounds portray a world where order is falling apart.