How A Quiet Place (2018) Uses Sound Design | Stories As Lessons

Summary

This video script discusses the critical role of sound design in horror films, using 'A Quiet Place' as a prime example. It explores how the film innovates with jump scares and employs silence to build tension, emphasizing the primal fear of sound in a world where noise attracts deadly creatures. The script also touches on the film's unique approach to perspective, particularly through the deaf character, and argues for the recognition of sound design as a storytelling tool that can enhance and propel the narrative.

Takeaways

• 🎬 The script discusses the importance of sound design in movies, particularly in the horror genre.
• 🏆 Despite the Academy Awards not often recognizing horror movies, the script argues for the technical achievements in sound design, exemplified by 'A Quiet Place'.
• 👂 The film 'A Quiet Place' uses silence and sound strategically to create tension and fear, innovating the traditional jump scare.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The story revolves around a family trying to survive in a world where sound attracts deadly creatures.
• 🎵 The script contrasts common horror movie sound techniques with the more nuanced approach taken by 'A Quiet Place'.
• 👂👀 The perspective of the deaf daughter in 'A Quiet Place' is explored through the absence of sound, enhancing audience empathy.
• 🎞️ Sound design is compared to a character in a film, needing to blend in yet stand out when necessary.
• 🐰 The Pixar movie 'Zootopia' is mentioned for its creative sound design, such as emulating the sounds of rabbit footsteps.
• 🎥 The script calls for the Academy to recognize and award innovative sound design that contributes to storytelling.
• 👶 The film taps into primal and childhood fears, like the boogeyman, by using sound as a central narrative element.
• 🎭 The script concludes by emphasizing the immersive power of sound in film, urging viewers to appreciate the art of sound design.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video script discussing?

The video script is discussing the importance and impact of sound design in movies, particularly in the horror genre, using 'A Quiet Place' as a prime example.

What is the unique experiment described in the script involving bacon sounds?

The script describes an experiment where the sound of rain in a video is replaced with the sound of bacon frying to test which of three videos has the altered audio, only to reveal that all three have the bacon sound.

Why are horror movies often overlooked for prestigious awards like the Academy Awards?

Horror movies are often overlooked for prestigious awards because the genre is not typically associated with technical achievements or narrative depth, despite the pivotal role sound plays in these films.

What is the premise of 'A Quiet Place'?

'A Quiet Place' is a survival story about a family living in a world where any sound they make could attract deadly monsters.

How does 'A Quiet Place' innovate the use of jump scares?

In 'A Quiet Place', jump scares are innovated by integrating them into the narrative, making them a clever technique rather than just startling moments.

What is the role of sound design in creating tension in horror movies?

Sound design in horror movies is crucial for maintaining tension by creating a sense of fear and paranoia, which keeps the audience engaged and on edge.

How does the script describe the use of sound design for the character Regan, the deaf daughter in 'A Quiet Place'?

The script describes how sound design is used to strip all sound from the movie when switching to Regan's perspective, allowing the audience to empathize with her vulnerability and experience the world as she does.

What is the significance of the scene where Regan tests her hearing device with speakers in 'A Quiet Place'?

The scene where Regan tests her hearing device is significant as it plays with audience expectations of sound, creating a sense of alienation and vulnerability when the expected sound does not occur.

How does 'A Quiet Place' use the absence of sound to build tension?

By drawing attention to the potential dangers of sound and then taking it away, 'A Quiet Place' forces the audience to bottle up natural emotional responses, building internal tension.

What is the comparison made between 'A Quiet Place' and 'Lights Out' in terms of narrative techniques?

Both 'A Quiet Place' and 'Lights Out' are compared in their creative use of common film techniques—sound and lighting, respectively—to fit into their narratives and enhance the storytelling.

What is the final message the script conveys about the importance of sound design in movies?

The script emphasizes that sound design should be recognized not just as a tool for storytelling but as a creative force that can push narratives forward in innovative ways.

Outlines

00:00

🎬 The Impact of Sound Design in Horror Movies

This paragraph discusses the transformative power of sound design in movies, particularly in the horror genre. It begins with a creative demonstration where the sound of rain is replaced with bacon frying, highlighting how sound can be manipulated to alter perceptions. The discussion then shifts to the Academy Awards' tendency to overlook horror films, despite their technical achievements, exemplified by 'Get Out' and 'A Quiet Place'. 'A Quiet Place' is lauded for its innovative use of sound to build tension and fear, turning a common horror trope—the jump scare—into a narrative tool. The video also touches on the broader importance of sound design, using 'Zootopia' as an example of how subtle sound details can enhance storytelling. The unique approach to sound when portraying the perspective of the deaf character, Regan, is also highlighted, emphasizing how it allows the audience to empathize with her vulnerability.

05:02

👂 Sound as a Narrative Tool in 'A Quiet Place'

The second paragraph delves deeper into 'A Quiet Place', exploring how the film uses sound—or the absence of it—to create a sense of dread and suspense. It discusses how the movie's premise, where any sound can attract deadly creatures, forces characters to suppress natural human reactions like screaming or yelling. This creates an internal tension that is unique to the film. The paragraph also draws parallels between the film's use of sound and childhood fears of the boogeyman, suggesting that 'A Quiet Place' taps into a primal fear. The narrative technique of using sound as a central element of the story is praised, and the paragraph concludes with a call for the Academy to recognize the innovative use of sound design in storytelling. The video encourages viewers to appreciate the细致 and immersive sound design that can elevate a movie beyond its visual elements.

Keywords

💡Sound Design

Sound design refers to the creation and manipulation of audio elements in film, television, and other media. In the context of the video, sound design is crucial as it not only sets the atmosphere but also serves as a narrative tool, especially in horror films where it can heighten tension and fear. The script discusses how 'A Quiet Place' uses sound design innovatively to make the audience feel the characters' vulnerability and the constant threat of the monsters, as sound can attract them.

💡Jump Scares

Jump scares are a common technique in horror films where a sudden loud noise or visual change startles the audience. The video script critiques this technique for being predictable and argues for more nuanced uses of sound to build sustained tension. 'A Quiet Place' is praised for transforming the jump scare into a narrative device that is integral to the plot, making it more than just a momentary shock.

💡Tension

Tension in film is the feeling of suspense or anticipation that keeps the audience engaged and on edge. The script discusses how effective horror films maintain tension throughout, using sound design to create a continuous sense of dread. In 'A Quiet Place,' the lack of sound becomes a source of tension, as any noise could lead to disaster, thus keeping the audience in a state of heightened awareness.

💡Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. The video script highlights how 'A Quiet Place' uses sound design to help the audience empathize with the deaf character, Regan, by stripping away sound to simulate her experience. This technique allows viewers to not just see but feel the character's vulnerability and the constant threat she faces.

💡Survival Story

A survival story is a genre that focuses on characters' struggle to stay alive in a dangerous or hostile environment. The script describes 'A Quiet Place' as a survival story where the family must navigate a world where any sound they make could attract deadly creatures. The sound design plays a critical role in conveying the constant threat and the family's desperate attempts to survive.

💡Primal Fear

Primal fear refers to deep-seated, instinctual fears that are inherent to human nature. The video script connects the fear of making noise in 'A Quiet Place' to primal fears, like the childhood fear of the boogeyman, which is triggered by misbehavior. This connection makes the threat in the film more relatable and intensifies the audience's fear response.

💡Character-Driven Narrative

A character-driven narrative focuses on the development and motivations of characters rather than plot-driven events. The script suggests that 'A Quiet Place' is an example of sound design being used to create a character-driven narrative, where the story is told through the characters' experiences with sound, rather than through dialogue or exposition.

💡Innovative

In the context of the video, innovative refers to the fresh and creative approach taken by 'A Quiet Place' in its use of sound design. The film innovates by turning common horror movie tropes, like jump scares, into narrative tools that serve the story, rather than simply relying on them for cheap thrills.

💡Horror Genre

The horror genre is characterized by fear, anxiety, and other emotions intended to create a sense of dread and terror. The script discusses how the horror genre often relies on sound to create these emotions, but 'A Quiet Place' stands out for its innovative use of sound design to enhance the narrative and immerse the audience in the film's world.

💡Academy Awards

The Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, are prestigious awards for cinematic achievements. The video script suggests that while the horror genre is often overlooked by the Academy, films like 'A Quiet Place' that showcase innovative sound design deserve recognition for their contributions to storytelling.

💡Immersion

Immersion in film refers to the experience of being deeply engaged in the world and narrative of the movie. The script argues that sound design in 'A Quiet Place' is so effective that it immerses the audience in the film's world, making them feel as if they are experiencing the story alongside the characters.

Highlights

Tasos Frantzolas discusses the power of sound design in a video experiment where rain sounds are replaced with bacon frying.

The Academy Awards rarely recognize horror movies for their achievements, despite their importance in sound design.

John Krasinski's 'A Quiet Place' is highlighted for its innovative use of sound design in a horror setting.

In 'A Quiet Place', any sound can attract deadly monsters, creating a unique premise for sound design.

Traditional jump scares are criticized for being startling rather than scary, often deflating tension.

Effective horror relies on maintaining tension and inducing a sense of fear that keeps the audience engaged.

'A Quiet Place' reimagines the jump scare as an integral part of the narrative, rather than a simple trope.

Sound design should feel like a character and blend seamlessly into the film, as explained by Wired.

The Pixar movie 'Zootopia' is used as an example of unique sound design for different characters and actions.

In 'A Quiet Place', the perspective of the deaf daughter, Regan, is portrayed by removing sound, enhancing empathy.

A heart-wrenching scene in 'A Quiet Place' uses sound design to make the audience feel alienated and vulnerable like Regan.

The film 'A Quiet Place' draws attention to sound by making any sound a threat, preying on primal fears.

The movie uses the absence of sound to build tension and force the audience to suppress natural reactions.

Common horror movie sounds like glass smashing or muffled footsteps are repurposed as dangers in 'A Quiet Place'.

David F. Sandberg's 'Lights Out' is mentioned for its creative use of lighting similar to 'A Quiet Place's' sound design.

The film taps into the childhood fear of the boogeyman, relating to the rule of sound in 'A Quiet Place'.

Movies should transport us into the characters' world, and 'A Quiet Place' achieves this through sound.

The Academy should recognize sound design as a storytelling tool that can be both subtle and innovative.

The lesson from 'A Quiet Place' is to pay attention to how sound can immerse us into a movie's world.

The story of 'A Quiet Place' is told not by dialogue or narration, but through sound design.

Transcripts

I'm going to play three videos of a

rainy day but I've replaced the audio of

one of the videos and instead of the

sound of rain I've added the sound of

bacon frying so I want you to think

carefully which one the clip with the

bacon is

all right so actually I lied they're all

bacon

[Applause]

[Music]

what you've just witnessed is a

discussion about sound design by Tasos

for solace and if you're like me and

relatively new to the art form odds are

you just had your mind blown by what

just happened the Academy Awards aren't

exactly known for giving awards to

horror movies whilst recently Jordan

peels get-out was nominated for Best

Picture and ended up winning Best

Original Screenplay the genre is sorely

underappreciated when it comes to

prestigious awards however I think you

could make a great case for John

Krasinski's a quiet place for technical

achievements in sound design a quiet

place has a simple premise it's a

survival story of a family living in a

world where any sound they make could

attract deadly monsters that stop at

nothing to make a meal out of them now

of course in the horror genre sound

always plays a pivotal role usually a

scare will be accompanied by a slowly

building score that culminates in a loud

jump scares are pretty commonplace in

most horror movies and have been the

subjects of many other video essays

mostly with negative connotations but I

do believe there are effective ways to

employ this technique the most common

criticism is that aren't scary

they're just startling and whilst they

may make you jump if it doesn't leave

any lasting impact then it's just gonna

feel like popping a balloon

yes it's loud and startling but then all

tension will have deflated from the

scene and for a horror movie to be

effective it needs to keep the tension

going as quick as the pacing thus

hypnotizing the audience into a paranoid

sense of fear that grips them to their

seats I walked away from a quiet place

with my mind blown to how it managed to

innovate the jump scare from an overused

trope to a very clever technique within

the film's narrative in a video by wired

sound design is explained as having to

feel like a character itself whilst

simultaneously blending in this may be

why some general audience members may

switch off when they hear something

about sound design because sound is

something we take for granted as part of

our day-to-day lives and thus goes

unnoticed

unless it's particularly unique or

startling hence the jump scares they

went on to use an example for the Pixar

movie Zootopia having to come up with

unique ways to emulate the sounds of

rabbit footsteps pictures moving lifting

up a suitcase and having the protagonist

judy hopps jump onto her bed if you

watch that scene in the movie you might

not notice these things but I urge you

to watch the video in the description to

see how that entire sequence was created

in sound design it's even particularly

unique that when we switch to the

perspective of Regan the family's deaf

daughter who in an impressive casting

choice was played by a legitimate deaf

actress in these moments all sound is

stripped from the movie it makes us see

the world of the movie how she does with

just a faint humming it's a good way to

make us empathize and demonstrate how

vulnerable she is to the threat of the

monster which I call clicker field you

know cuz it's like a mix of the clickers

from the last of us and the monster from

Cloverfield okay nevermind there's also

a heart-wrenching scene that cleverly

uses sound design involving Regan one of

the points of the movie is that her

father played by John Krasinski wishes

to aid her deafness by amplifying her

hearing device with speakers to which

she refuses hinting that she's given up

on this fantasy but a small part of hope

lingers inside her so when she puts them

on later to test them out and tries to

snap her fingers to see if they work

nothing happens all sound drains from

the scene and whilst we expect to hear a

snapping we don't my brains are

naturally wired to expect this sound and

when it doesn't happen it can make us

feel alienated a vulnerable just like

Regan does in the scenario and whilst we

don't hear her cries and weeping it's

not exactly hard for us to empathize and

imagine what they sound like what I

think a quiet place does very well is

through taking away an element that

we're so used to seeing on film we only

end up noticing and paying attention

when it's gone the film draws attention

to sound by teaching the audience to any

sound you make will result in death it

preys on quite a primal fear as the

natural response to pain is to scream in

agony or to yell in frustration when

something angers

by taking that away it forces us to

bottle up these emotions thus building

an inside rage that you can escape from

simple things like the Smashing of glass

or the sound of muffled footsteps the

hushed whispers it's all things were

used to seeing in horror movies usually

to warn us the dangers on the way

however in the case of a quiet place the

mere existence of sound is the danger

it's very similar to what I think David

F Sandberg did so creatively with lights

out drawing attention to another film

technique with lighting and fitting that

into the narrative with the monsters

abilities if you haven't seen the movie

yet I won't ruin it because the best way

to experience a quiet place is to go in

without knowing what's to come to only

go in knowing that if you make a sound

clicker field will come and get you I

believe this harkens back to the

childhood fear of the boogey man who

would haunt children if they did

anything bad and since the laws of this

movie outlaw sound I believe the

existence of clicker field does tap into

that childlike relatable fear of that

one thing going bump in the night

I believe movies exist to take us out of

our natural world and to place us firmly

in the world of the characters

experiencing the journey along with them

and allowing us to empathize and see the

world through their eyes and in this

case their ears I don't suspect a quiet

place we'll end up winning any major

awards like Best Picture actor or

anything like that but I implore the

Academy to recognize sound design not

only as a tool that helps blend in the

naturalistic methods of storytelling but

used creatively to help push the story

forward in a unique and innovative way

the lesson here is that films like this

teach us to pay attention in new ways

and I would implore anyone checking this

video out to read up further on the art

and then go back and watch some of your

favorite movies wondering how did a

group of people successfully manage to

immerse you into the world only with

sound

we should award movies that take

something we know and twist it into

something new that pay attention to

every little detail and use every

resource they can and in this case

King some away to deliver a truly

entertaining creative adrenaline ride of

a movie a story that isn't told by a

narrator a character or a director in a

quiet place what tells the story is