Research into Sound within the Thriller Genre - Miss Miller

Sound is a very important element in film specific to the thriller genre as without it the audience wouldn't feel the emotions that the film aims to give them when experiencing/watching the film. It's used to create an understanding for the audience and to create a response from the audience and
engage them with what they are watching.

I have chosen a clip from The Uninvited as it is a familiar film which as a variety of different types of sounds. The clip I have chosen from the film is below.

Sound of Wind 0.00-0.19

The sound of wind is at the very start of the clip as it Diegetic Sound that is off screen as the source of the wind cannot be seen but it can be seen that the curtains are moving showing that the sound is meant to be there and therefore makes sense to the movie. The sound is very terrifying sound as it sends a sense of coldness down the viewers spine as its a familiar sound that they can relate to if or not in the same situation as the character in the scene. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it is a commonly used sound as it creates suspense and tension as it is a quite sound that is soft and slow, as the wind is a recognizable sound that the audience can relate to and can be deemed as eerie and scary as the sounds are quite violent and chilling. The sound slowly picks up pace as the sound becomes faster and louder therefore more tense for the audience making them create a connection with the character as it starts to resemble the sound of a heartbeat when accompanied by the non-diagetic sound of ticking. This sound has been used to give the audience a sense of normally, the sound it quite light as it barely herd but its mainly used as a basis for more negative and disturbing sounds to occur. As a result the audience become more engaged in the scene as they feel a negative feeling occur as the sound gives off a chilling sensation.  

A Sinister Sound 0.10-0.17    

The sound of the wind is followed by a high paced sinister sound, the sound gets faster and faster and suddenly stops when the girl drops the glass of milk for a sudden reaction from the audience. The sound is a non-diegetic because it is not part of the film and it only there for effect on the viewer, it is off screen sound as the source of the sound cannot be heard. The sound builds up incredible tension for the viewer as it is suddenly placed apon them it builds up there heartbeat as they are scared for the character and themselves as they prepare for a sudden shock which they expect to see in the near future of the scene. This is conventional to a film specific to the thriller genre as some sounds are designed for the audience in mind to engage themselves in the scene. It is a sudden sound which scares the viewer as it is eerie and is made therefore they haven't heard a sound like that before. The sound is usually loud to send the audience into a sudden sense of shock, this is why it is typical to the thriller genre. This sound is specifically used in the build up of suspense for the audience, as a result of this they are left with an uneasy feeling and wondering when the sound is going to end and what will happen next.

Blood and Water Dripping 0.13-0.16

This sound is accompanied by the sinister sound which makes the experience even more intense for the viewer. The sound is a Diegetic Sound as it is meant to be part of the seen as the source of both of the blood and water can be seen in the image with the sound. The blood is coming from the door handle from the keyhole and the water dripping onto the wooden surface therefore because we can see it is on screen sound. The sound builds up tension and suspense for the viewer as they can relate to both of the sound that they are hearing from everyday use of water and personal experience as they have probably cut themselves before but not heard that intense sound of dripping before so therefore building tension up even further as they are not used to that amount of noise. This sounds are conventional to a film in the thriller genre as they are expected sounds  the viewer expects to hear as blood is one of the main recurring symbols in thriller films and without the noise it would have the same effect on the viewer. It creates a bond with the character as the sound of blood could resemble the character at the moment or later on in the scene. The sound of blood moving is more disturbing that of water as it sounds more thicker as it is oozing out of the keyhole, this is because it drips slower that water. This is used in the scene to create the element of shock as the mood of the sound has only just changed from, chilling to disturbing, this sound is used to complement the sinister sound and is just suddenly herd by the audience rather than a gradual build up ,alike the complemented sound. As a result the are left slightly distracted from the build up of tension as the sound is not similar to the sinister sound, but understand as blood is a convention of the thriller genre that it has some relation to the plot of the narrative.

Soundtrack 1.09- End of the Scene

This sound is accompanied by dialogue within the scene. The soundtrack starts off very quite and peaks at certain points to create tension and prepare the audience for the next event of the scene. As the scene progresses the soundtrack becomes more fast paced as the events become more scary as the victim is freaked out by her boyfriends back becoming broken and as he starts to move closer towards her. The sound is non-diegetic as the sound cannot be seen and therefore is off screen. Also soundtrack is parallel sound as it matches the events which are taking place in the scene. This sound is conventional to the thriller genre as without this type of sound the scene wouldn't have the effect that is meant to gain through the use of it, which would be to create suspense for the audience and draw them into what they are watching and also create that bond which they are expected to make with the character as they can hear that the circumstances of the scene has changed from one of which is calm as she is being comforted by her boyfriend. Then from her discovering something is wrong/out of the ordinary with him. The sound is mainly used to keep the audience engaged in the scene, as the scene would not continue to have the element of suspense without this sound. As a result the audience alike the sinister sound are left wondering what the forthcoming events of the scene are, making them feel anxious for the characters in the scene.

Evaluation  
My research into sound specific to the thriller genre has made me see how important of an element this is in thriller films. I have been shown how without sound how it takes away the want feel of the scene which means that the feelings that the audience are meant to feel with not be felt not giving them the expected experience the directors want them to feel. Each sound that his heard by the audience has an objective to effect on the audience in the way that they will be prepare for future events and also engage them in the scene of witch they are watching. All the sounds that I have recognized and analysed are effective in creating suspense as they start slow and pick up pace engaging the viewer and making their heartbeat raise and match the tempo of the sound as if they are the character and experiencing what the character feels as well through the sounds heard. There are some sounds which make the audience panic as they are sudden placed apon them which sends them into a sense of shock. The clip has inspired me in the way that I have learnt the importance of sound in a scene and how it massively impacts the audience as a whole and without sound the thriller doesn't feel like a thriller at all.