Deconstruction of Sound in Horrors

Deconstruction of Sound in Horror Films

Sound is one of the most important aspects of horror films because it creates the main atmosphere and mood in particular scenes throughout the film. The music will give off and present a variety of different emotions to the audience and it will help them to concentrate on what's happening and understanding the scene because the sound is meant to be used to emphasise the storyline and characters. The sound in horror films is intentionally used to create suspense in scenes where the victim is supposedly in danger or if the killer/demon is present within the scene.

Another common convention in horror films is the use of children's music and nursery rhymes as this creates a strong sense of vulnerability. This is done through the association between a certain scene and a well known children's song. Children are seen as the object of innocence and when this is contrasted with the horror and danger which is shown within a scene of a horror film then it creates suspense for the audience. The music video below is called 'Tiptoe Through The Tulips' by Tiny Tim and is used in the horror film 'Insidious'. The song is very eerie and chilling which relates back to the idea that children's songs are used to scare and intimidate the audience by using something from their childhood in an attempt to scare them.

Another example of sound used in horror films is unique and eerie voices that are used behind the masks and behind closed doors. These are very effective because you never get to see the face behind the voice and instead it is placed onto a fictional character which can be very mysterious and yet chilling for the audience to watch. An example of this is from the film 'SAW' where Jigsaw the puppet has a very deep and monotone voice which is used to scare and intimidate people using the line 'Would you like to play a game?'. This is a good example because you are unable to see where the voice is coming from and you know that it is not from the puppet so it creates a whole other story in your head about the voice behind the mask which can make the film more exciting.