Sound in TV Drama

Sound has the power to create certain moods and can signal events that are about to happen.
The power of music to manipulate audiences emotions has always been acknowleged in TV and film.
Sound is decoded bu the audience so they how to feel.

Soundtrack:

• The human voice/dialogue
• Sound effects
• Music

In TV drama these create a balance between the realism of the world of the text programme and the drama that is created.

Type of sound:

• The world of the TV programme we see on screen is called DIEGESIS.
• Two types of sound in TV Drama: Diegetic and Non-Diegetic.

Diegetic: Sound that is part of the programmes world eg. dialogue/speech.
Non-Diegetic: Usually added in the editing process (post production) eg. music and soundtrack.#

Foley: is the reproduction of everday sounds for use in filmmaking. These sounds can be anything from the swishing of clothing and footsteps to creaking doors and breaking glass. Usually goes unnoticed as it is so well editing in.

Use of voiceover is generally used in TV drama as a narrative device.
- This is first person narration.
- Can give us information about the central character.
They also allow priveleged information.

Music is used to instruct the audience what to feel eg. sad, angry, happy.

Incidental music: is used to add emotion and rythym to the drama. Usually not meant to be noticable.
Often provides a toneor an emotional attitued towards the story and/or the character depicted. Often foreshadows a change in mood. May aid the viewer in the links between certain sequences or scenes. Sound motifs are used to associate with particular characters.

Parallel and contrapuntal sound.
1: Parallel sound - when we watch a TV drama the sound we hear usually compliments and follows the sounds we see off screen. eg. fast paced/loud music in car chase scenes.

2: Sound that does not fir the images we see in scene.

Stings
- either a brief cresendo stab of music use to enhance the drama of the current situations, just before a change of scene (dramatic sting)
- or brief comical stab on music to enhance a punch line.

Ambient sound
- also known as natural sound = the sound occuring in the area where they shoot the drama. It is often used or created in dramas to create verisimilitude (realism).