Some of the most famous and classic examples of sound being used to tell stories come from the world of cinema. On this episode we’re joined by Dr Kenny McAlpine of Abertay University as we take a look at what we can learn from film sound.

The main focus of this discussion is to define some specific terms that are common in connecting emotionally with the subconscious of the viewer – and to think about how we use this techniques for a listening, rather than watching audience.

We’re going to look at empathetic and anempathetic sound. Does the soundtrack serve to support the tone of the scene, or contrast it?

We’ll also look at diegetic and non-diegetic music. Is the music in your story part of the story world, or exclusively for the listener? Why might you choose one over the other, and does it matter?

And if you want to delve deeper in to this subject, I recommend a book called Audio-Vision: Sound on Screen by Michael Chion.

With thanks to Boyd Barrett of Roswell BC for creating the intro to this week’s show.