Freekstorm VFX Blog

My oldest son (also leading star of our latest movie) is learning Media Studies for his GCSE’s at Hogwarts School. This is very handy for me because it incorporates a huge amount of Film Studies, so I am learning along with him and soaking up any juicy crumbs of filmmaking lore that he drops along the way.

Last week his most learned Professor taught him a new word: "diegetic."

For the completely clueless such as myself, “diegesis” means the fictional story world and everything that happens within it. Conversely, a “non-diegetic” scene is one which happens outside the story world that is inserted into the main narrative, for example, if the actor talks directly to the viewer in the film.

Titles, subtitles and voice over-narration are also non-diegetic and some clever filmmakers can switch between the two as a way of connecting with the viewer. Think of “Scrubs” where J.D. usually talks to the cast as part of the internal story-line, but he also often addresses the audience directly. He readily switches between diegetic and non-diegetic, which acts as an effective and humorous mechanism for drawing the viewer into the story.

Similarly, sound in a movie is diegetic if it forms part of the story of the film. For example, if a film character is whistling a tune or playing a piano in the movie, then that would be "diegetic sound" or "actual sound." In contrast, if music cannot be heard by the film’s characters (e.g. the score, or the suspense music in our own little movie) then the sound is “non-diegetic,” or more accurately “extra diegetic.”

Some directors loathe non-diegetic sound and refuse to use a score. However, with Diabolus Domi we have used it extensively. As this is a horror-short, we are trying to get a similar feel to the T.V. series “Supernatural” (of which we are all huge fans) so suspense music is definitely required as a mechanism for setting the atmosphere which, along with subdued lighting, is used to stimulate a reaction of fear in the viewer.

As to whether or not our efforts to scare your socks off succeed, that will be up to you wonderful viewers to decide. As with all elements of filmmaking, effective use of diegetics takes practice, practice, practice!

Labels: filmmaking