Sound Design Film Definition

There are the sources that add authenticity to the character's action: the harp, the organ, and a sermon being broadcast into the room: all of which add immeasurably to the film's atmosphere.

And then there are the "bleeps," the brief, low-level sounds that can drown out the dialogue but also add a sense of realism to the scene.

And finally, there are the heavy breathing, for which you'll want to put a face over the "voice box."

These elements all tie back into the music and the special effects.

The music sets the mood and gives us a sense of the era.

The special effects are what really set the mood, as they help the audience sense the difference between the effects of the reanimation and the reactions of the individual characters.

While the music and the effects are meant to be completely separate, I have found that they often work together, such as when you have a thunderstorm that adds some of the characteristics of the demon itself to the picture.

Another time when this works is when you have music that enhances the focus on a particular person in the scene and also draws the audience in.

While it's a natural human response to avoid giving offense to someone else's religion or beliefs, I will state that the movie was created after the death of the mother of the main character, and the coda includes a sermon preached by Father Merrin.

Merrin starts by saying that "when I first heard about this, I considered it blasphemy and dismissed it as unadulterated fanaticism, along with the Devil and all his works."

He then quotes from the Gospel of Mark, saying, "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." But what does this have to do with the Father's journey to his son, or with exorcism?

There is a distinction between Christianity and all of the other religions and beliefs out there. The movie shows us this distinction.

The Father isn't seeking his son to save him, nor is he calling upon Satan, who cannot enter a sanctuary. He's seeking what was lost, and he's doing so by using sound to open up the perception of sound as a type of salvation.

An exorcist experience

So, you've heard the score before, but what do you do when you experience the movie for the first time? A few experiences are even more overwhelming.

There have been times when my wife and I have arrived at the theater and found the auditorium full of people, mostly boys, who were acting out their own "exorcisms."

You know you are witnessing a lot of strange behavior when there are a couple of mothers walking the aisles, trying to keep a young boy from levitating off his seat during the crucifixion scene.

Or you see the young girl who vomits after an encounter with the demon. But there are more subtle things.

The way the demons communicate and the amount of fear that can be generated by the simple sound of a demon with his wings outstretched is sometimes enough to make you believe the movie isn't true.

And those little things add up, particularly if you've heard it enough times.

My favorite line in the entire movie comes in the first scene. Father Merrin says to the possessed girl, "Are you truly possessed, or are you simply trying to control your actions?"

To me, this is a perfect question to ask any real-life demon, especially a demon that has not been cast out. It takes a great deal of effort to manipulate someone's body with no result, or to compel someone to do something against their will.

In a movie, when someone forces someone to do something, they're just acting, whereas in real life, if someone is coerced or threatened into doing something, they're being influenced.

They are not themselves, and they are not free to choose. The change of the body from possessed to influenced is a clear indication that something is happening.

When the possessed girl responds with a "yes," she is being influenced, even if she isn't aware of it. The devil is real.

He does not come as a man, a vampire, or an insect, but as something else altogether. And when he is cast out, the true God is released, and the child will be free to choose to serve him.

The movie's special effects are good, but the effects of the supernatural world are not the reason people are drawn to it.

It's the fact that you have a chance to understand the world and your own place in it that really makes a difference.

No matter where you stand on the spiritual life, it is important to keep the encounter with God in perspective.

The movie is probably not in keeping with your faith tradition. And there will probably be a lot of moments where you think, "No, that can't happen.

This is just not possible." But that's the point. That's why I recommend watching the movie - just once.

The next time you watch, I hope that what you take away from it is not a fear of demons, but a greater belief in God's ability to protect, guide, and sustain us.

God doesn't force us to believe, but rather to be convinced. And there is no better place to start than to ask him to help you cast out the one who's controlling your life.