Sound Deconstruction: ‘We Need ToTalk About Kevin’
The trailer begins with non-diegetic sound that most would consider chirpy, cheerful and light, the song choice is ‘Everyday’ by the famous Buddy Holly. The sound is synchronous with the fast paced cuts of unrelated ‘happy times’ of the seemingly joyous characters who almost appear sort of stable and happy within the equilibrium that is set, e.g. clips of the family spending time together, dancing and laughing, mother and father playfully kissing, mother admiring her pregnant stomach in the mirror etc.
The non-diegetic sound sharply halts and a new instrumental begins, dramatic and eerie; signifying disequilibrium and a new turn the trailer takes that allows the audience to really understand the bulk of the plot.
The next sound that stands out is the overwhelming screech, yells and cries of a baby (presumably part of the family) that pierces the mood set by once chirpy non-diegetic sound.
Even the voiceover of the protagonist Ezra Miller’s is rather creepy but I think that is exactly what the producers intended.
As the trailer progresses, more clips of the usual diegetic sound of baby’s cries continue and it appears to have increased in volume. The non-diegetic orchestral sound heightens and a final hard hitting drum beat finalises the trailer as the movie title comes up.
The sound alone was particularly effective because it supported the motion, what was happening, and perfectly reflected the narrative’s high and low. It also added that element of tension, anticipation for the worst and again that element of creepiness (similarly to Donnie Darko).
For our trailer, we would like to use non-diegetic sound similar to the way it’s used here; synchronous with the clips of the equilibrium but can also turn dark and dramatic enough for when the trailer shows pieces of the disequilibrium.
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