Film Sound Techniques and Elements: Sound Bridge, Diegetic, Non-Diegetic, and More

Sound Bridge

An editing technique used to transition from one scene to another through sound

Incidental Music

Music used in a film or play as a background to create or enhance a particular atmosphere

Non-Diegetic Sound

Any type of sound that does not specifically exist within the world of the film itself

Sound Mixing

The process of adjusting audio levels of all the sounds in a film - from dialogue, to foley, to non-diagetic sound like the musical score

Sound Perspective

The apparent distance of the sound source, evident by its volume, timber, and pitch

Ambient Sounds

The site-specific background sound component providing location atmospheres and spatial information of public places

Diegetic Sound

Sound that originates from within the video or film's world

Voice Over

A piece of narrative in a movie or broadcast, not accompanied by an image of the speaker

Asynchronous Sound

Audio that doesn't match up with visuals

Sound Motif

A sound effect or combination of sound effects that are associated with a particular character, situation or idea through the film

Dialogue

A conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, or movie

Themes

A recognizable element of a song that is repeated and developed over time

Synchronous Sound

Audio that lines up precisely with what's happening on screen

Sound Effects

A sound other than speech or music made artificially for use in a play, movie, or other broadcast production

Sting

A short musical phrase, primarily used in broadcasting and films as a form of punctuation

Mode of Address

The tone and the written or spoken style of the media text and the way in which it communicates with the target audience

Score

A piece of music that is written in tailored for a specific film