The film ‘Clown Train’ succeeds in presenting a dark and creepy tone through it’s particular use of sound. The film presents a young man on a train, who asks a quite scary looking man dressed in a clown outfit why the train has stopped. As the conversation continues, the tension increases as the clown’s responses frighten the young man, who eventually escapes the train.

The opening of the film immediately sets the tone and mood. There are no visuals – only a black screen; while the layered sound effects deliver suspense, gives an indication of the setting, and peaks the audience’s interest of what the film may be about. The sounds heard during this time are a high-pitched creaking, rumble of the train on the tracks, creaking brakes, the grinding of the train tracks, and then a quiet hum of the lights that then illuminate and reveal the characters in an empty carriage.

The combination of sounds typical to a train setting indicate to the audience that the film will be in an urban setting, at a train station/platform or the train itself. While they provide important information for the audience, the sound choices also deliver a creepy and unhinged tone. For example; choosing to use the sound effect of the grinding train tracks, rather than the hustle and bustle sound of commuters demonstrates the isolated and dark sense of feeling the sound operators/designers wished to convey (and did successfully).

Throughout the scene during which the two characters converse, sounds of rushing wind passing the train, the electric buzz of the lights, creaking and an echo of tapping is present. During the parts in which the vision/train lights cut out, a sound of electrical interference is heard. When the lights return, the creepy clown has suddenly moved closer to the young man. The sound demonstrates tension, and the threat that the clown is posing becomes clearer.

At the final moments of the film; a faint, but deep sound of knocking, then a sinister sound crescendos to the moment of the young man deciding to escape the clown and the train. The carriage doors creak as he opens them, and his footsteps can be heard.

What I noticed about the use of sound in this film was that while each sound was different in it’s own right, layered together they made an ominous, creepy and suspenseful tone. They all fit together, and only stood out to emphasize important actions or dialogue. They all created a world that was clear to the audience and served the film in the best way possible.

The crime drama ‘In the Line of Fire’ makes great use of sound as well. The scene that we listened to in the lecture, and then watched in the tute is when Eastwood is returning home and then receives a threatening phone call by Malkovich.

A sinister sound opens the scene, then the sounds of city traffic, the rustling of Eastwood’s trench coat and his footsteps are heard. We can hear him dropping his keys, then turning soft blues music on as he wanders his apartment. The shrill sound of the telephone ringing interrupts the calming music and makes the audience feel uneasy. As the threat of the phone call increases, Eastwood turns the blues music off, which makes the audience focus on the tense conversation occurring.

An ominous and sinister sound effect is used as Malkovich describes his plan to kill the President. Eastwood then hears the sound of sirens through the phone and then hears them directly – Malkovich is nearby as it’s the same siren. The sound of coins in a payphone is heard, giving Eastwood and the audience the information that Malkovich is calling from a nearby payphone and the threat of him possibly watching Eastwood at this very moment becomes evident. A door slamming and Eastwood’s running footsteps as he leaves his apartment to investigate ends the scene.

When used properly, sound effects can not only provide information about setting, character, and plot, but can provide a variety of tones to add drama to scenes.