What Are Non-Linear Sounds?
Sometimes known as the secret to a good horror or drama, non-linear sounds are sounds that are too loud for the normal musical range of an instrument or an animal’s vocal chords. Examples of non-linear sounds include the distress calls of wild animals, a child’s cry, and sudden and unpredictable frequency changes of acoustic instruments.
It is very common for scary scenes in movies to be accompanied by non-linear sounds to exploit the human brain’s natural aversion to distressing sounds. The shower curtain scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film Psycho is a great example of discordant musical notes used to create feelings of fright and terror in audience members.
In a study of more than a hundred film soundtracks across four major genres (adventure, horror, drama, and war), non-linear sounds were found in all genres. However, they were more frequently used in drama and horror. In dramas, they were used to enhance sad moments.
In another study conducted by UCLA evolutionary biologist Daniel Blumstein (with the help of film score composer Peter Kaye and communications professor Greg Bryant), participants were asked to listen to two groups of original music. One contained emotionally neutral film scores and the other contained nonlinear sounds. The results of the study showed that the music that contained nonlinear sounds evoked the highest level of emotional stimulation as well as the most negative feeling.
However, in a separate experiment, participants were asked to not only listen to the music but also watch neutral videos at the same time (like someone drinking coffee or turning pages of a book). When paired with the neutral videos, the music with nonlinear elements did not elicit the same level of emotional stimulation, thereby illustrating that the visual elements of a scene need to be just as powerful as the audio in order for filmmakers to get the desired effect.
If you are looking for a professional to help you add sound effects and non-linear sounds to enhance your movie production, check out our online Nevada Production Directory to find post-production audio services and sound designers. You can also drop by our office and pick up a free printed directory!
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Sources:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/why-calls-of-the-wild-are-the-secret-of-a-good-horror-film-1982965.html
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2012/06/12/154853739/putting-fear-in-your-ears-what-makes-music-sound-scary