Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Music and Sound Effects in Horror Films
by John Hübinette

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of films in general (and horror films in particular), is the soundscape. It is quite easy to forget that the fear factor of almost any horror film would decrease dramatically (if not completely vanish) if the auditory features were removed or altered to something not befitting a horror film. This might sound a huge exaggeration, but it is most definitely not. All you have to do is turn down the volume on your TV during a dramatic scene in a horror film to realize the enormously important role that well-composed music and striking sound effects play in creating a complete and truly frightening horror film experience.

I have a great interest in sound and music. Composing has been one of my hobbies for several years now and I have recorded sound effects and composed music for non-commercial computer games. In this essay I will focus on describing the structure, purpose and style of horror film music and sound effects.

Read more at Monsters - Who, What and How

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