Arts & Culture
The Use of Diegetic Sound in Building Film Narrative Tension
Quick fact
In Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho,' the famous shower scene uses almost no music—only the diegetic sounds of water running, the knife slashing, and the victim's screams—creating a raw, visceral terror that still haunts audiences today.
Why this is interesting
You're watching a thriller. A character slowly opens a creaking door—you lean forward, heart pounding. But have you ever wondered how that single creak, a sound that exists only in the film's world, can make you so tense?