Objective

• Explore the psychological and emotional curiosity for and impact of horror art on individuals and society
• Analyze the unique aesthetic qualities of horror art.
• Understand and utilize some basic principles of film and television analysis.

I had never heard of diegetic nor non-diegetic noise before so this weeks activity was interesting for me.

I learned that a non-diegetic sound is a kind of implied sound. I saw this illustrated to me when I watched the Buffy clip @5:10 when the credits are being shown. The theme song of the show goes over muted activity and plays along with the actions being shown. The music would intensify for instance when there was a big explosion or something dramatic was happening. We did not hear the explosion but the music was able to show us the intensity of the situation. I find this to be true with a lot of shows actually. The theme song will often play over a series of clips that are muted and the music has a way of delivering a message to the viewer without the viewer actually hearing the literal action. The man in the Phantasmagoria film talks about how “bewildering the audience” is the goal for horror films. As a viewer, the theme song caught my attention because I was guessing what was going to happen next and I was confused as some of the actions of the characters in the opening clip. The viewer is “bewildered” when watching the theme song from Buffy because the music intensifies at random times and it keeps the viewer wanting and looking for more.

I also connected diegetic sound to @15:25 when they realize their voices have been muted. As the viewer we can read their lips and see what is going on, but their voices cannot be heard. Sounds like shutting the door or hanging up the phone can be heard, but vocals are muted throughout the show. I know this is a diegetic sound because the voices of the characters have been muted and the sounds objects make play a big role in the rest of the clip. In the Phantasmagoria clip, the man mentions a few major features that create fear or horror. He mentions that people fear the supernatural, realizing that “we don’t know everything” is horrifying.  I saw this in this clip from Buffy because they are confused on why their voices have stopped. The are in sheer panic as they try to find the reason why they can’t speak. You can see the panic in their eyes as they try to find the cause and a solution.

I saw examples of mise en scene in Buffy when the vampires were shown. The reason I chose this for my mise en scene example was because it was a prominent part of the clip and it was the first thing I noticed. You instantly notice the pale complexion of the vampires on their dark gothic clothing. Their veins are highlighted due to their lack of sunlight.

Reflection

In this assignment, I was able to look closely at a film and learn about  the use of non-diegetic sound, diegetic sound, and mise-en-scene. Prior to this project, I knew nothing about what those words meant. After a closer look I discovered that all of those words are ways to enhance the overall experience in a horror film. For example, muting certain sounds giving a tense feeling for the viewer. I have grown up loving horror movies so it was interesting to get a deeper look into Noel Carroll’s article and learn why we find horror films so fascinating. In one line she states, “We are attracted to and many of us seek out, horror fictions of this sort despite the fact that they provoke disgust” (284). I chose this line because it is so true, I am fascinated with the disgust these films bring out, they are so unrealistic but I still find them enjoyable.

Future

In the future I will be using my analytical skills to look closer at all movies, not just horror films. I would like to learn more about the formula and tools needed to make each genre of films. I would also like to see how non-diegetic sound, diegetic sound, and mise-en-scene are used differently in other horror films. I thought the use of the non-diegetic sound, diegetic sound, and mise-en-scene was great in Buffy, however I would like to see how the styles vary in other horror films.