Enjoying Horror Discussion

Before I even start this week’s discussion, I have to say I am really not a “horror” person. It was really a challenge for me to watch all the assignments this week. But, anyway, here I go.

Non-Diegetic Sound

The example I will take for non-diegetic sound is from the movie at around 13:20. I actually watched this movie when the volume was just at the lowest level. But I saw a huge clock appeared while all the people in the movie were asleep, the background sound was just so scared. Although I don’t watch horror movies, I know the rules. People won’t get scared without sounds, so this kind of sound I picked was like basic need for horror movies. This sound was just played by some musical instruments, and it was trying to create a very deep and terror feeling. I believe it is non-visible, and you can’t feel it if the sound is off. It makes the whole environment nervous, and anyone could know I am watching a horror movie by just listening to this sound effect. So I think it really contribute a lot to this horror movie.

Digetic Sound

I think there was a piece of sound in this movie fit perfectly into this category, which was around 40:35 to 41:00 in this movie. There was only a very long screech at the whole time. Not like non-diegetic sound, this sound was visible on the screen because it supposed to be the sound from one of the characters. This sound took about twenty-five seconds, but it really did great job to bring audiences into that feeling at that moment. I was excided about it because people in that movie finally found the right way to kill those vampires. I was actually screaming as well at home when I watched this part. I think this was exactly why sounds are important not only in movie but also everywhere that needs heighten the atmosphere. This sound did not contributes as much in terms of horror as the last sound I picked, and I think this was because screaming was not the very basic need for horror movie. People scream when they feel exciting or extremely happy as well. But I still think this sounds did its job perfectly in this movie, and everyone watched this movie shouldn’t forget this twenty-five screaming, so that’s enough to make it as a successful sound effect.

Mise-en-scene

There are lots of mise-en-scene sounds in this movie, and I think I will just pick the sound in the very first one minute. Before any people appeared in the screen, I already know the basic environment is in a classroom. This was because I saw many students were taking notes, so this sound must came from a professor or so. I started to imagine that this story was about college. But since I knew this was a horror movie, I always expect something scared. If I saw this movie without knowing its topic beforehand, I would think it is a college love story or something because of the sound and effects at the beginning. Speaking back to the sound effect, I think it was a very good effect using at the beginning. The sound didn’t come from the people we saw in the screen, but it still gave a very good idea of what they might show next. Moreover, I think its more interesting than showing a professor talking alone, and then show students taking notes. I also would curious about would happen next because of the way they use. I don’t think this sound does necessarily contribute the aesthetic of horror for this movie though because its not a horror type sound. It doesn’t meant to be scaring but just a different way to create a basic idea for the beginning.