Task 1

Audio Components in Horror

Atmospheres:

The sounds you use in your presentations should be "invisible". They should compliment the visual elements without taking away from them. Your audience shouldn't be overly aware of the sounds, but they should feel their effects.

Due to movies like "Jaws", the modern audience has become aware of music that tries to "Mickey mouse" its way through the movie, in other words tries to be relevant to the actions of the characters. The modern audience is more discerning, and a more subtle approach is needed.
However, this doesn't stop many sound effects cliches still having a place in today's production. What affected someone emotionally in the 50's, is likely to still have the same effect today. It is just the style, however, that has changed.

To begin Task 1 I will look into the audio components, sound effects and Musical elements that create a Horror movie. How the background sounds and music make a massive difference to a chase scene or a revealing of a monster or killer and how music can build up suspense in a Horror movie.

Sounds for Fear:
 Something about Horror movies just gets your spine tingling, gets you hiding behind a cushion or maybe makes you cringe with fright behind your tightly closed eyelids. Whether you’re into zombies, creatures, supernatural shockers or maybe just a good old slasher, the frightful feeling you get whilst watching a truly good horror is something you also relish. Something that you feel you need to put yourself through in order to release that emotional response that somehow puts a smile on your face at the end of each and every screening, and allows you to recover from shaking and fast breathing, allowing your end response to be that of intense joy and relief that what you just saw was a fictional creation and not something that will happen to yourself the next time you leave the house.

You sit down, you put on a horror film and it begins, the scares, the creepiness, the shivers, the fast breathing, the screams.
You close your eyes because the scares are becoming unbearable, but you can still hear what’s going on, the eerie music and the sound effects are detailing each and every scene. Forcing you to hear how close the next scare is approaching, allowing your own mind to create images of what’s about to happen, more scary and horrific than what is actually unfolding on the screen.

This my friends is because a large percentage of what actually scares us in horror films in fact comes from what we hear as opposed to what we see. From the low background eerie sounds to the fast loud killer is upon us music score. If the sound effects and music were not there, the picture laid out before us would not be half as terrifying! This is not just by chance though, no, no, no. The music scores and sound effects put together so brilliantly, the scores and effects that have stuck with us over the years to the point where we often find ourselves humming them in order to creep out a friend or family member, these have been devised specifically to create those spine tingling feelings. Researched and created with only scaring and fear inducing in mind!!



Fear can be created in 2 ways. Deep and foreboding sounds or tones are obvious choices. While these sounds build suspense, they also create atmosphere. Surprisingly, higher pitched sounds can also be used to express fear and tension. Perhaps this is because they are associated with screams and squeals of terror. Decide which type of sound is best for your purpose.

From the screeching violins of Psycho to the crashing chords of Jaws, film-makers have long relied on disturbing soundtracks to heighten suspense and terror.
Now, scientists think they know why the music used in scary movies is so good at making our flesh creep.
They have shown that the harsh, discordant and unexpected sounds used in horror soundtracks imitate the screams of frightened animals.

By peppering chillers with these noises, movie makers are tapping into deep, instinctive fears, they say.
The study looked at a class of noises called  'non-linear' sounds.
These range from the sort of distorted notes that come from a hi-fi cranked up too high, to the squeal produced by blowing too hard into a trumpet.

Classic Horror Music:

Most people will probably agree that orchestral music is the most characteristic type of horror film music (and perhaps film music in general). It has been used since the birth of the genre and even today is the most popular type of music used in horror films, thrillers, and adventure films. One reason why orchestral music is so common in horror films is probably that the open-endedness and great dynamic range of the genre allows the composer to greatly vary his compositions to follow the events in a film. Another reason could be that it is very neutral and appeals to a wide audience, but perhaps the main reason is that powerful orchestral music simply works very well when there is a need to convey emotions and set a certain mood.

Modern Alternative Horror Music:

Orchestral music is not the only genre used in horror films. Many films differ in this area by using other kinds of music such as synth-based music and industrial music. A good example of such a film is Blair Witch 2, which uses alternative rock and metal music. This selection of music works pretty well, as it is quite dark and brooding and suits the visual style of the film, but the whole concept takes a while to get used to. Other film makers take things one step further by replacing the classic orchestral horror music with music that would normally never even be considered for a horror film. Perhaps the most extreme case is American Psycho, which mainly uses American 80's rock and pop music. In this film, it becomes obvious that horror films require the right kind of music to function properly. A very odd feeling is produced when Patrick Bateman (the male protagonist) slaughters one of his victims to the tune of Hip To Be Square by Huey Lewis and the News. What this produces is a complete audio-visual dissonance, but while this music decreases the fear factor of this particular scene, it does create a very odd (almost surreal) experience, which is probably what the film makers aimed to create.

Musical Cues in Horror Films:

There is an audio sequence in horror films that most people recognize. A long eerie musical build-up of strings or horns as the victim approaches a closed door (for example), followed by a violent orchestral hit as the victim opens the door to encounter whatever is hidden behind it. This is a type of musical cue that is quite common in horror films. Whenever the audience hears this build-up, it knows that something is going to happen. There are several examples of other musical cues that are almost subconsciously recognized and identified by the audience. A long deep tone played by a horn might indicate tension, a rapid and bright staccato sequence played by a set of strings might indicate stress or panic and a sequence of sharp tones rising from bass to treble could be a sign of an unraveling about to take place.

Sometimes music is composed to strictly follow certain events in a film, like sound effects normally do. This is called "Mickey-Mousing" and is quite a famous concept which is not very common today. This method was applied quite strikingly in King-Kong (1933). The music rises and falls in direct relation to the movement of King-Kong as he climbs the Empire State Building. Short sequences of "Mickey-Mousing" are used in some of the films in the Friday the 13th series, and are usually applied when Jason (the killer) is lashing out at his victims. The term derives from the early Walt Disney films, where the music almost completely works to mimic the animations.

The Auditory Symbol:

In many horror films, usually series with numerous follow-ups, a certain melody or sound serves as a symbol or a sign of the monster in the film. This is usually achieved by extracting a small portion of one of the film’s prominent musical scores or characteristic sounds and "assigning" it to the monster by playing it back whenever the monster is brought into focus or whenever the film makers want the audience to recognize its potential presence. This creates a very tight bond between the auditory elements of the film, the visuals and the monster. It provides the film makers with the ability to introduce the monster to the audience without visual representation. Assigning a certain tune or a sound to a monster is most common in films with numerous follow-ups, as it takes some time and effort to "establish" this connection.

One example of a series of films using this auditory symbol is the Friday the 13th series, which is a horror film series, consisting of 8 films, and counting, about a mad killer called Jason Voorhees, who attacks people in a peaceful area called Crystal Lake. In these films, a very unnerving and spooky sound has been assigned to Jason, which is played whenever he is close to his victims or whenever the film makers want to build up the tension.

Above is the full Theme music for Jason Voorhees:
Below is the sound taken from the composition that identify's with Jason and became his symbolic sound effect.

A series of films that uses a short melody as a symbol for its monster is the Halloween series, which incidentally is also about a mad killer known as Michael Myers. The concept in Halloween is pretty much the same as in Friday the 13th, the difference being that the auditory symbol consists of an unsettling three-note piano melody. This melody, composed by Alan Howarth, is one of the most widely recognized contemporary horror music compositions.

Further examples of films using these auditory symbols include Nightmare on Elm Street and Stephen Spielberg’s classic monster shark film Jaws, featuring a rather unique and extremely well known three-note melody. These symbols usually become such integral and vital parts of the films that they are eventually expected by the audience. Halloween for example, would simply not be Halloween without that spine chilling piano tune, and it was no surprise that it was featured in the latest addition to the series Halloween  20 Years Later, which was produced and released quite a few years after its most recent predecessor.

Sound Effects:

The soundscape in films usually consists of three separate, yet closely related aspects which are music, sound effects (SFX) and speech. Both the music and the sound effects are directly linked to the visuals of the film. Music works by accompanying the events in the film to create or adjust a certain mood or atmosphere. Sound effects are usually tied even more closely to the events in the film and in most cases are applied to intensify and mark direct actions such as movements and impacts. These sounds are usually much exaggerated, especially in action films and horror films, and a classic example of an exaggerated sound effect is punches and other impacts, which often sound like whip lashes when normally they would produce a barely audible sound. Although "amplifications" of this kind in some cases negatively affect the realism of certain events in a film, they do serve to increase the power and intensity of movements, impacts and other actions, which is very important especially in horror films aiming to create a confrontational audio-visual experience.

Sound engineers sometimes have to be very inventive and creative when recording sound effects for films. For example, how do we know what a dinosaur sounded like? The growl of the Tyrannosaurus Rex in Jurassic Park is actually a mix of several different animal growls and the grinding noise of a power saw.

There is also a type of sound effect known as "ambient sounds", which basically are sounds, usually looped sequences, used to create background noise for a scene. Examples of ambient sounds in horror films would include crickets humming, the wind blowing, thunder and rain, etc.

It is also interesting to note that horror films tend to highlight sounds that we would normally not pay attention to, such as a beating heart or someone breathing. This usually happens when there is a single victim being chased or stalked by a monster. The purpose of this might be to draw the audience into the scene, to make it part of the action and put it in the situation of the victim, and it works very well.

Silence can also function as a sound effect in some scenes. It can be used when there is a need to create high tension, and it can also be used together with loud musical hits in a turn-taking sequence.

In this clip the sound in the background at first is the music being played at the prom, but while the victim applies her make-up you begin to hear rustling/movement sounds above the music as well as three piano notes to add to the tension.

The music then begins to die down after the exaggerated sound effect of the light switch turning off and you see the killers hand. This is where the tension starts to really build up as dark strings get introduced and gradually get louder as the camera cuts to the point-of-view of the killer and you see yourself approaching the victim. Then some crazy screeching noise comes in, its an unusual growl.

Then you see the axe slam down, you hear the thud of the axe and all other sounds then cut off and all you hear is silence for a bit until the killer returns for his axe and the music is being played again in the background.

During the chase you hear the ambient sounds of her voice echo through the halls and her loud foot steps creating reverb as she runs through the gym, along with the killer's. You can also hear the noises and music coming from the party slowly fade away the more you see her run. This signify's running away from where everyone else is creating a feeling that now she is alone and isolated as soon as you cant hear the party. Other sound effects like, breathing, footsteps of the killer, wood creaking and blood dripping are added towards the end of the clip.

When the victim is caught the camera switches to an all black picture, and all the audience can hear is an unusual hacking noise with a possible pitch altercation.

Speech:

Speech is an auditory aspect of films that is usually independent and often has no relation to the other sounds in a film. In most films, the speech is meant to simply reflect the natural voices of the actors and no tricks are pulled to modify them in any way. In horror films however, the manipulation of voices, often the voice of the monster, is quite common. A very typical method of creating a scary voice is to alter its pitch to make it sound darker. A wide range of effects can also be added to make it sound demonic or alien. In Twin Peaks, quite a neat trick is pulled to mystify the spirits inhabiting The Black Lodge. Their speech has been recorded backwards and then reversed to create a very strange and somewhat scary vocal effect.

Another example of a scary voice is pinhead from Hellraiser. Pin-head is the leader of the Cenobites, which  are like angels from hell. Pin-head is a man in a black leather coat with pins sticking out of his head.

The Cenobites speak in a way that is quite different to the way most "ordinary" people speak. It is very interesting to note that the Cenobites are quite calm and usually just stand around doing nothing at all. A typical film-monster usually confronts and attacks its victims, but the Cenobites tend to scare the audience just by being present. I think this effect is largely achieved by assigning a very special type of language to the Cenobites. They frighten us partly by the way they look, but also by the way they verbally express themselves.

The Cenobites speak in a manner reminiscent of old English kings or poets. The words used are very dramatic, not necessarily old-fashioned, but certainly very formal. I suppose this type of language has been assigned to the Cenobites to underline the fact that they are not of our world, that they do not belong in our time. This kingly language also serves to elevate the Cenobites, making them more powerful and creates a verbal barrier between themselves and the rest of the characters in the film.

The Cenobites speak in a very monotonous way. The rhythm of the speech is quite slow and flows very smoothly. What I find most interesting about this is that this rhythmic and monotonous speech pattern seems almost hypnotic. Although the Cenobites never speak for any length of time, the few longer sentences that are uttered by Pinhead, are very striking in terms of rhythm and flow.

The Cenobites' voices are quite similar to a generic human voice, although they tend to vary quite a lot depending on the situation. Pinhead does most of the talking, and his voice is usually quite calm, but authoritative. When he is under pressure, or when he is trying to force someone into doing something, his voice sharpens and rises in pitch. Most of the time though, the voices of the Cenobites are dark and compelling yet it is natural yet unnatural.

It is quite easy to forget that the fear factor of almost any horror film would decrease dramatically, if not completely vanish, if the auditory features were removed or altered to something not befitting a horror film. This might sound a huge exaggeration, but it is most definitely not. All you have to do is turn down the volume on your TV during a dramatic scene in a horror film to realize the enormously important role that well-composed music and striking sound effects play in creating a complete and truly frightening horror film experience.

If you never pay much attention to the music or the sound in a film, you will then know the composer and the sound engineer have done a good job putting together and implementing their work, as the soundscape should not be a separate aspect of the film, but rather just another ingredient in the recipe of the film, blending in with other ingredients such as plot, narration, visuals, scenery and acting. Together these ingredients create the overall film experience.

I have also pointed out that the soundscape is particularly important in horror films, and that the reason for this is primarily that horror films work by manipulating our emotions. Music and sound effects are effective tools in this area, and through the tactful use of these tools, a very involving and striking film experience can be created. Music, in particular seems very potent when it comes to stirring our imagination.