Sound in trailers

Sound is an effective tool when enhancing emotions and creating the tone of the trailer. A soundtrack as well as sound effects, must be chosen carefully to give off the right impression and create the desire mood.
Here are a few examples of sound effects in trailers and how they've been used for certain techniques.

1. The pulsating, electronic music in the Tron Legacy trailer

The soundtrack chosen for this trailer was made by Daft Punk; an electronic music duo. This particular song is full of heavy drum beats, a low electronic rhythm and dramatic pulses.
Since the film is based on a videogame, this suits the futuristic, modern atmosphere that the audience is meant to get absorbed into. Unlike some of the other soundtracks used in the movie, this one has a serious, dark vibe to it. This technique makes the trailer itself seem daunting and almost sinister. It gives the impression that the film's plot will be grave and serious.



2. The serene music at the start of 'Transcendence'

These effects are achieved with classic instruments (e.g. a piano, or a violin), with lengthy notes for a slow, peaceful experience.
The idea of the movie is a scientific experiment which will allow humans to 'transcend' and achieve greatness. It is a dream which combines natural gifts, technology and intelligence to form a perfect ideal.
The sounds fit with the clips shown. The sombre notes are played as images of the earth, Cities and machines come onto the screen. It creates the feeling that we are lonely and insignificant beings, ignorant to the vast universe and in need of power. It is not an exhilarating experience, which would suit the excitement of such a life changing prospect. Instead, the trailer is sophisticated and recognises the serious consequences of this experiment; rather than just hyping it up as a cool thing to make our lives more fun and luxurious. Since the trailer starts off as quite morbid, there isn't a dramatic change in the tone as things start to go wrong later in the video.
3. The distorted, echoed low hums in The Grudge trailer

This strange sound is mixed with distorted voices and high pitched screams. It brings a ghostly presence by sounding inhuman and otherworldly.
The way in which the sounds drag on and flow in all directions, mirrors the way that the Grudge moves and creates the sense that she is always haunting you. The music is mixed with louder, dramatic drop sounds cut through the relaxed atmosphere, for the more scary scenes. This works well for the jump scares.





Foley artists are people who add sound effects to videos, especially when they are not recorded at the time of filming. They can emphasise noise, change sounds and make up sounds which are otherwise unnatural.

This clip explains what Foley artists are, how some sounds are created and where the work originated from.
For example, a punch in an action movie wouldn't really make such a loud thump. Foley artists have recorded this noise by simple actions, like hitting an apple with a baseball bat - and layering this sound over the visuals.
But in recent years, modern technology (e.g. pre-recorded sounds) are more commonly used due to convenience and time saving. Foley artists must be careful to sync the sound to the action, very precisely to make it believable.


Diegetic sound is when the source of the sound is visible on screen.

This clip from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, shows leatherface using a chainsaw, the cops beating him and some hands being sawn off.
We can hear the chainsaw, the thumping sounds and the gruesome squelches at the same time that these images are being displayed. We know that they are therefore the source of the sound, which means it is diegetic.







Non diegetic sound is noise that the characters can't hear, but the audience can. This includes music, narrator commentary and implied actions (e.g. the sound of footsteps as someone runs away off screen).

In this clips from 'Jaws' (at 1:42), the shark's theme tune plays as it preys on people in the water. The characters can't hear the music, it's only to build suspense for the viewers.