Max Payne Sound Clip Analysis

Shot number	Technical sound description		Effects on meaning/sound
1.	Off-screen non-diegetic sound (20th Century Fox theme song)		This is the company motif. It has an uplifting, royal feeling.
2.	Off-screen non-diegetic sound (wind/talking)		-Voice in silence is mysterious and ominous. -Wing is eerie in the darkness and invites the audience to picture the scene.
3.	On-screen diegetic sound (gasping/water)		-The sound and the image come together creating the scene, giving an alarming feel and an urgency as he struggles.
4.	On-screen diegetic sound (water)		-Water splashing gives an effect of urgency, panic and fear.
5.	On-screen diegetic sound (splashing/water/coughing)		- Increasing panic-making scene tense. -The character is not speaking during this, as it is clear he is struggling for his life. This adds to the sense of urgency and possibly suggests there is no one to help so no point shouting.
6.	On-screen diegetic sound (water/bubbles)		-  As coughing/splashing has stopped it creates a fearful atmosphere that he is just sinking, dying.
7.	Sound bridge (water) on-diegetic off-screen sound (voice)		- Tone of voice is ominous, possibly foreboding danger. It is also a contract to the previous scene of silence.
8.	Off-screen sound (baby crying)		-Babies cry is scary due to context of previous scene and it may signify there is something wrong. Similarly this cause of wrong may link to the man, hence why he is in the perilous situation in the water.
9.	On-screen diegetic sound (voice)		-Voice in silence is mysterious and ominous.
10.	On-screen non-diegetic sound (voice) on screen sound (bubbles/water)		-Voice is drawing you in to listen more, as we know more about the background to the characters story (the baby).
11.	Off-screen sound (clock)		-Mysterious and moving you onto the next scene/part of the story.
12.	Sound bridge (clock) off screen sound (wind-chimes)		-Wind chimes are suppose to signify taking bad dreams away, but this appears to be the opposite so it is ironic. Similarly they’re clearing in a baby’s room, and it may be showing a nightmare, which relates and centres on the baby. This nightmare replays on him and this is shown through the continual none-stopping sounds playing over and over. The use of wind chimes is effective because it is in contrast to how they’re supposed to be viewed. They’re supposed  to be good but here they show evil and creepiness.
13.	Sound bridge (wind-chimes/ clock)		-A dead women lying in the room reveal irony of the wind chimes. The baby continues to cry, as it needs its mother.
14.	Sound bridge (wind-chimes/ clock) off-screen sound (thunder/rain/voice)		-Clock significant as it shows him moving on or a time he is replying in his mind. Wind chimes are usually soothing but in this context they’re creepy, paralleling the images. This is heightened by the bad weather, which could signify bad spirits/omen/karma.
15.	Sound bridge (voice- off screen) Off screen sound (siren)		-Sirens confirm something bad has happened as you only get them in a tragedy or emergency. It either foreshadows something bad about him or the women/baby. This also contrasts the previous scene as it is completely separate and a week earlier.
16.		Sound bridge (siren- off screen) off-screen sound (talking)	-Sirens/image of scene saying ‘one week earlier’ show this has happened previously and he is recalling it in the past scenes. The film from then on will unravel the mystery of the water scene, the dead women and the baby.

Overview of sound:

Sound is ominous and mysterious which fits every scene, as what we see is eerie, and creepy yet unexplained. For example, why is there a dead woman? Why is the baby crying? Each more scenes, which unravels and is unexplained adds to the mystery and fits with the sound. From this I have learned that by using sound bridges and introducing sound before the scene has become visual adds suspense and tension to a scene. This can be more effective sometimes, as oppose to using different shots that slowly reveal something, in particular in horror films as it makes the audience focus on the sound first making them question what they are hearing. If I were to choose to create a horror opening sequence, this technique would be very useful and could be used when editing sound.