Nevada Film Office: Sometimes known as the secret to a good horror or drama, non-linear sounds are sounds that are too loud for the normal musical range of an instrument or an animal’s vocal chords. Examples of non-linear sounds include the distress calls of wild animals, a child’s cry, and sudden and unpredictable frequency changes of acoustic instruments.
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I chose to read this article because I had heard of, but did not entirely understand, the use of non-linear sounds. I learned how inorganic sounds are often weaved into films to create suspense and drama, especially in horror films. The study in this piece by UCLA biologist Daniel Blumstein explained how the sounds are not as effective with random, commonplace visuals. This shows how a single design element cannot create a piece. While high-pitched, distressed noises have often contributed to a scary movie, they are nothing if not combined with fear-filled expressions of actors. This follows the age-old mantra that theatre, and in this case film, is a collaborative art form. Designers cannot have tunnel vision with their own design or it will not mesh with the work of the whole team. Studies like these enable designers to understand how to properly enhance their work, without forgetting the key elements.
Much like an article I read two weeks ago I wanted to read this article, “Production Notes: Non-Linear Sounds” for two reasons. One being sound is something I don’t have too much knowledge about and could potentially gain new knowledge from this article. Two being this article discussed how sound relates with a topic I enjoy, horror movies. Non-Linear sound, -examples include a child crying to sudden frequency changes of acoustic instruments- sound used to often in scary movies “to exploit the human brain’s natural aversion to distressing sounds”. I enjoyed how the blog used familiar references to help me see how nonlinear sound added to the telling of a story. A helpful and familiar reference they used for me was the iconic shower scene from psycho, what made that scene so memorable was the sound. Whenever I would act out or reference that scene I would also mimic the sound that occured on screen. Like the other article I loved reading how sound affects us psychologically, really solidifying and amplifying a feeling a performance is trying to emulate. The next time I watch a horror movie I will be on the watch out for non-linear sounds, this article also definitely made me think about the movie It Follows, which used the music and sound effects extremely effectively.
This sound to Hitchcocks movie is so memorable, the second it was played I immedietly had the track playing in my head from the moment I saw it Music can be extremely powerful, and hearing that it is not as powerful unless paired with something just as well created and evoking visually makes sense. Often I find designers believe their own effect to be some of the most important, and they lose sight of the final production or “big picture” if you must. This was an excellent example of designers coming together to create a particularly moving piece, and using these kinds of sounds is well utilized.
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