If you’re looking at it logistically sound in cinema one of the most important pieces of the puzzle that is the formation of a film (unless it’s a silent film). Sound can create emotion, it can prompt the audience, it can inform, it tells us how to feel, in some ways it is the backbone of what makes some films great. Take Wizard of Oz, without the iconic songs like “follow the yellow-brick road” the film would not be held at the acclaim that is is held at now.
The perceptual properties of sound are extremely important, depending on the message you want to send. This includes:
Loudness: The amplitude or breadth of the vibrations produced. Loudness can help to perceive distance, set the tone of a scene or make the audience aware of a certain plot point.
Pitch: The frequency of sound vibrations affects pitch or the perceived highness or lowness of sound. Take a film like Psycho, the high pitch of the strings so constant throughout the film, allows the audience to be fully immersed in the horrific actions of the main character.
Timbre: The harmonic components of sound to give it a certain colour or tone. This can be seen in the film Zodiac when the mentally unstable man calls up the TV station pretending to be the Zodiac. From his voice we can tell that he is slightly insane, due to the rich and deep quality of his voice, causing an eerie effect, making the audience believe that this is the zodiac killer on the phone, when in fact it isn’t.
Qualities of sound, such as those listed above, are vital in the formation of a film. The variety of techniques that film makers have the ability to employ allow for an authentic experience for those watching and making the film.
