Ambient sound
Ambient sound, or territory sound (CHION 2009, 467) refers to the background sound of a scene or location.
- Chion describes it as the "sound that envelops a scene" and "inhabits the space". The source(s) of the sound may not be immediately visible onscreen, but it is assumed to come from the diegetic space.
- The expression "territory sound" stresses how the use of ambient sound signals a specific geographical area, or a particular setting (traffic noises for the city; the chirping of birds, or insects, for emphasizing a rural setting, or a specific season—for instance, cicada songs are a typical aural marker of the summer).
- Ambient sound can also provide audio continuity between scenes by preventing unnatural silences. It can also emphasize the mood of the scene (see empathetic effect).
In L'Atalante (Jean Vigo, 1934, France), the sound of church bells is used throughout the sequence as a territory sound, indicating the rural setting of the location, and also the religious occasion (a wedding).
[A. D.]
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