Research into Sounds in Thrillers - Miss Miller

In this essay I shall explore the use of different sound techniques used, what effect they have on the audience and how they relate to the conventions of a thriller film. I shall be analysing a clip from the 2007 remake of the original 1978 thriller 'Halloween', this clip shows how Michael Myers, the murderer from the film, escapes from the mental institute he is being held in.

At the beginning of the scene there is a non-diegetic sound added in to the film, this is the calm and simple soundtrack being played before the phone is picked up. This implies to the audience that the situation is under control and everything is well, this relates to the thriller genre as there is always calm before the storm, meaning that there is always a plot twist and something bad is going to happen, this begins to build the element of suspense within the scene. The music then stops as soon as the warden picks up the phone, this implies that something has interrupted the calm situation that was present, because of this the viewer can begin to think that something has gone wrong or is going to go wrong, with the silence initialising the start of what is going to happen. As soon as the name 'Michael Myers' is mentioned, the non-degetic sound then kicks in again however this time with a sinister tone, this reveals to the viewer the sinister character that Michael Myers is, and the viewer can begin to build a fear for this character themselves. This relates tot he thriller genre as it begins to build up suspense in the scene. These sounds can be heard from 0:00 to 00:58.

During the clip at 1:04, another non-diegetic sound can be heard, this time it is a deep and dark soundtrack used when he is walking down the corridor as he is being escorted to his cell. This sound again reveals more of the character to the viewer, again building upon the already existing fear of  Michael Myers. The sound used is also very repetitive, again the viewers get a sense that something is building up and that something is going to happen, building the suspense within the clip, a typical convention in the thriller genre. This sound is played up until 1:43, when the prison guard opens one of the doors.

During the film there is also the use of diegetic sound, this is the sound of Michael's chains as he walks through the corridor, this emphasised as the sound of his chains are clear and above the sound of the non-diegetic soundtrack being played. They have put emphasis on this because it shows clearly that Michael is locked up, but then begins to imply that he is evil as the viewers begin to wonder why he has so many chains on him and what he would have done to cause the use of so many chains, this is an enigma, another stereotypical convention of the thriller genre. This can be heard from the beginning of the corridor scene at 1:04 until the point where Michael stops moving at 1:50.

Again there is another non-diegetic sound used however this time it is used as a sound effect. This can be heard at 2:18 to 2:22, during the fight scene. The sound effect used when Michael is smashing one of the guard's heads up against the wall, with the sound effect putting emphasis on the sound of his head hitting the wall. By putting emphasis on this it shows the viewers the brutality of Michael, and reveals more of the mysterious character, this also brings a sense of excitement into the scene as well as tension, as the villain is escaping.

Overall from this essay I have discover that the use of non-diegetic sounds is an important factor in building the suspense within a thriller, it is also used within thrillers so that some scenes have a greater effect on the audience, for example without the use of non-diegetic sound in the beginning of the clip when the guard recieves the call, it would of had little to no effect on the viewer. Due to this I believe that I should use non-diegetic sounds in my own thriller clip in order to enhance the effects on the audience.