Sound technique · used in 1 film

Sound Decoupled From Image

Pairing sounds with images that do not match them, so noises and music seem to come from nowhere. The gap makes ordinary scenes feel haunted.

Examples

Where you can see it

  1. Kwaidan (1965) poster

    Kwaidan

    Masaki Kobayashi · 1965

    Composer Toru Takemitsu made a score and sound effects that often do not match what is on screen. A sound seems to come from nowhere, and a quiet image is paired with a strange noise. The gap leaves you uneasy even before anything scary happens.

    Where to see it: The Black Hair. A samurai goes back to his first wife, then wakes beside her rotted corpse.

Questions

Quick answers

What is sound decoupled from image in film?
Pairing sounds with images that do not match them, so noises and music seem to come from nowhere. The gap makes ordinary scenes feel haunted.
Which films use sound decoupled from image?
Kwaidan (1965).
What kind of technique is sound decoupled from image?
It is a sound technique. Related sound techniques include Pop Music Needle Drop, Strategic Silence, Diegetic Sound Design.

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