Psycho sound scape analysis

The audio in this clip is very effective. It is also very simple. From the moment she walks into the bathroom, the music becomes very mellow but still high pitched. This leaves us thinking that everything is OK, but we know something is about to happen as the soundtrack is slightly discordant. Of course, as she takes her shoes off, the diegetic sound of the shoes hitting the ground is clearly heard, this adds realism to the clip. Notice the layering of sounds at this point. The next sound we hear is the shower curtain closing. This isn't a very nice sound as it is so high pitched, it adds to the realism whilst creating a horrible discordant sound that fits perfectly with the sound scape. Once the shower is turned on, the obvious diegetic sound of the water is heard. This does provide a link to rain. Rain is always seen as a bad thing in thrillers and represents a dark/corrupt society. *Spoiler alert!* It also has significance as she is about to die in that very shower! The music now stops meaning no non diegetic sounds. This makes for an eerie non diegetic silence. We now know that something is definitely about to happen.

The important thing is that we don't actually see the knife entering her body, that's a a horror convention, not a thriller convention! Of course, the sound has to make up for this.We hear the blade entering alongside the piercing screaming sound. Again, notice the layering. The famous 'Psycho' soundtrack can also be heard at this point. It builds up suspense and releases the tension once it has finished. It really is horrible, but very effective for a thriller.

As soon as she dies, the music stops completely, leaving just the sound of the shower. This perhaps acts like a 'before and after sound'. It was like this when she was alive, and the same now she is dead. She is alone and nobody cares, nobody knows, nothing will change. Or will it?

I really like the sound scape here. It really helps to illustrate the story and helps build tension. From this, I have gathered that it would be a good idea to layer our sound.