Every now and then we read an article that encapsulates a particular aspect of some cultural phenomenon, and becomes definitive—an article that is referred to often by many in subsequent years. This is not that article, but it comes close. It certainly has the content, and its method of delivery is neither pretentious nor patronising.
This article about evoking (terror) fear in film scores—a "how" and "why" pocket manual—is revealing, educational and thorough. It is obvious the author has had first-hand experience in evoking terror through the use of sound in film and the examples given are uncomplicated and credible. The author's grasp of the fundamental premise that "sounds are more frightening than visual images" underscores the entire approach to creating terror in film music. The explanations of this psychological phenomenon, in terms such as "we feel sound in our bones, making it difficult to distance ourselves from them", are perceptive and enlightening.
The author begins by looking at the psychological, emotional and physiological nature of fear and our reactions to sound and visual stimuli—in particular the brain mechanisms involved with fear responses. Here, the choice of the word "confusion", used to describe the effect of the lack of literal connection between visual and auditory sources, is perhaps not the most appropriate—"bewilderment" might make more sense in this context. The author then points out that fear is usually associated with unfamiliar circumstances and therefore it is difficult to express fear using conventional music structures. Apart from the traditional use of leitmotiv, where a repeated musical theme becomes associated with a terrifying character, the most effective way to induce fear is by use of sound itself—by variation of what the author calls secondary or non-culturally derived characteristics such as pace, loudness, timbre and pitch height. Our evolutionary fear of certain sounds, such as low-pitched sounds indicating aggression or high-pitched screeches indicating alarm-calls, has been with us for thousands of years. Today, while we are essentially free of the naturally occurring circumstances that would invoke fear such as the likelihood of attack from wild animals or exposure to the elements, we actively seek a group experience of fear to cement our group solidarity and social cohesion.
The fundamental premise behind fear—unfamiliarity—is demonstrated by reference to a wide diversity of circumstances. But a problem arises with today's proliferation of film and television entertainment, a problem that is not addressed completely here. The task of writing successful film music becomes increasingly difficult as fear-inducing sounds become more familiar and what were once effective musical devices lose their punch. This highlights a continuing problem for the film music composer working to induce fear as distinct from merely providing appropriate music—how to avoid familiarity. At least knowing what is already familiar and having a broad understanding of musical techniques gives a strong foundation towards developing an individual and effective style.
