Diegetic vs Non-Diegetic

Diegetic Sound

Diegetic is sound that the actors or performers can hear and acknowledge, it is also sound that the source is very clear and visible on screen. This can be:

• Voices of characters
• Sounds made by objects in the scene
• Music represented as coming from instruments in the story.

Diegetic sound is any sound presented as originated from the source of the film. Diegetic sound can either be seen on-screen or off-screen depending on what is happening in the scene at the time.

Non-Diegetic Sound

Non-Diegetic is sound that is not in the cut of the film that is shot but is instead added in during post-production. This can be:

• Music relating to the mood
• Sound effects that are used to enhance the drama of a scene
• Narrator's commentary.

With the use of non-diegetic sound it can have mixed results, on one hand it can help the film or TV show establish the mood in a certain scene. However it can also distract the viewer if they understand the difference between viewing and listening if the music doesn't fit the mood it can almost bounce the viewer out of the experience because it could distract them.

Information researched at: http://filmsound.org/terminology/diegetic.htm

Synchronous Sound

Synchronous sound is sound that is matched to certain movements for example when you hear footsteps it corresponds to people walking about. It can be recorded on tape or a magnetic film, if it is recorded on a magnetic film the picture and sounds have to be synched up, these have to be precise so the audio is clear. For example an actor/actresses mouth have to moving at the same time to make the the video piece seem more realistic