Diegetic Versus Non-Diegetic Sound in Movies

I’ve been teaching a class on film as art, and this past week we covered sound in movies. This was always one of my favorite lessons when I was in film school because learning about it really opened me up to analyzing what you hear as well as what you see on the screen.

There are two kinds of ways you hear sound in movies: Diegetic and Non-Diegetic.

Today, we’re going to go over Diegetic versus Non-Diegetic and learn when you use what and why each of those terms means.

Ready? Let’s dive in.

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What is Diegetic Sound? 

Diegetic sound is sound that occurs within the world of the story. That means the characters on screen can hear these sounds, as well as the audience. Examples include dialogue, footsteps, a car honking, gunshots, music playing from a radio inside the scene.

Examples of Diegetic Sounds in Movies:

• The Lord of the Rings: The characters can hear the sounds of swords clashing and orcs growling, and arrows flying.
• The Godfather: In the cafe, when Michael is about to execute Salazzo, we can hear a subway train roaring, increasing the tension.
• Jurassic Park: We can hear the velociraptor’s nails clicking around the kitchen as they stalk their prey.

When to Use Diegetic Sound?

There are lots of reasons to use diegetic sound within a scene. The most obvious is that it enhances the world of the story and sells it to us. We feel immersed in the realism of the screen. It helps us buy into the story and believe it as well.

Sound can also be part of the plot, like planting a clue, scaring us, and creating a mood or an atmosphere.

What is Non-Diegetic Sound?

Non-diegetic sound is sound that only the audience can hear and not the characters in the story. Some examples would be the musical score, voiceover, and possibly a sound effect used for comedic or dramatic effect. Examples of Non-Diegetic Sounds in Movies:

• Jaws: The iconic “dun-dun” music is non-diegetic, telling us the shark is coming even when we don’t see it.
• Psycho: The screeching violins during the shower scene scare us even if Marion Crane cannot hear them.
• Shawshank Redemption: Red’s voiceover carries the movie but only the audience can hear it.

When to Use Non-Diegetic Sound?

There are lots of reasons to use non-diegetic sounds. Musical scores help us understand the mood and tone of the scene and can help us feel the emotions on screen. Voiceover can move the story forward and give us info we’re not seeing.

You can create tension or get us to jump out of our seats.

Now that you understand what sounds to use and when, you can get back in that editing booth to beef up your work and make sure we really feel each scene.

You can also meld them; like if you hear a radio in a scene and then the song transitions to go over a montage. It can go from diegetic to non-diegetic, which shows the power of the art form.

Executing this kind of stuff will take your work to the next level.

Let me know what you think in the comments.