Summary:
This paper aims to answer questions concerning the final soundtrack and the psychology of the audience of Horror films. To achieve this goal, theoretical foundations were laid and then used for the creation of a soundtrack of a short Horror film. Finally, two questionnaires were distributed to two different teams. There are two separate screenings of the same film, one with the sound design and music, created based on the theory, and one screening without sound, to draw results and conclusions about the elicitation of emotions in relation to the image and the sound, from the individuals that participated in those two screenings.
The first part of the paper includes the theoretical background and is divided into two main chapters. In the first chapter, there is reference to music and emotion, music and cinema, specifically in the field of horror films, as well as the combination of these two sections.
The second chapter analyzes the nature of film sound design, from the pre-production stage to the basic principles of sound design. Emphasis is placed on the application of sound design in Horror films, as well as the psychological dimension of sound design. At the end of the second chapter, there is a mention of similar research that has been conducted around the subject and study the psychological response of the viewers during the screening of a film with sound and music.
The second part includes the practical part of this paper. In the third chapter, the research methodology is explained. In the fourth chapter, the music, and the sound of the short film Horror, called “Don't Peek” is presented in detail, from the stage of pre-production to the stage of final mixing. Finally, in the fifth chapter, the results of the questionnaires are listed and analyzed.
Keywords:
cinema, film music, soundtrack, sound design, horror films, music and emotion, sound design and emotion, audience psychology
