Research : The Importance Of Sound In Horror Films

When it comes to sound, movie makers use noises to tap into deep, emotional fears. Most sounds used for horror films are non-linear (large amplitudes), distorted (alter the sound of musical instruments) or high pitch (hi-fi cranked up to high e.g. squeal). When researched, horror had a surprising number of sudden changes in pitch. Also, horror films have more noisy female screams, unlike adventure films which have more male screams. This helps the film break more tension and scare the audience. On the other hand, dramatic films have fewer screams and more lower pitch sounds than higher sounds, creating more tension. 



Sound helps horror films to become more scary. This is because sound awakens the feeling of terror most out of all the human senses. Our bodies are developed to jump at sound before light as we rely more on our ears than our eyes as they are unreliable in the dark.




Certain sounds effect us differently as some can be more powerful than others. Here are some examples of sound used in horror films:

• Mimicking a predator - the music becomes creepy and starts to alert the brain that something may be approaching.
• Broken silence - an object or person/animal suddenly pouncing out at you.
• Escalating noise - something approaching e.g.. a stampede.
• Something incongruent - a creepy song or rhyme e.g. 'Ring Around the Rosie' sung over a slow pan camera shot showing a sinister room. (A sign that things aren't right).
• Becoming distort when getting too loud.

There is known to be a psychological reaction that occurs in response to an event that we see as haunting or threatening. This is called the 'fight-or-flight' effect. Horror directors know the fight-or-flight response comes with a huge rush of dopamine (a chemical carried in the brain and nerve cells) which is known to be enjoyable as long as a part of you knows its only a film and knowing you're not in real danger. They manage to include them very well in films, especially horror.

Without sound, horror films would not be scary at all and would be seen as very unrealistic. Sound is the main device used for building tension and creating our nightmares.

Below are some examples of films that have a dramatic change when watched with no sound.

In this scene from the film "Psycho" the peaceful orchestra is cut to a deathly silence before suddenly performing screeching violins, screams from a woman, a sudden death and then ending with the drizzle from the shower. However, if you watch this scene on mute it does nothing to scare you throughout most of the buildup and the aftermath of the death.




In this scene from the film "Twilight Zone" the sound once again brings a big buildup which reveals a demon at the window. Without music it is simply a guy raising a shade on a plane to discover a face.