{"id":1513120,"date":"2017-06-01T12:12:53","date_gmt":"2017-06-01T19:12:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dostoevsky-bts.com\/blog\/?p=1513120"},"modified":"2017-06-01T22:07:13","modified_gmt":"2017-06-02T05:07:13","slug":"the-sounds-of-silence-and-asmr-triggers-in-film","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dostoevsky-bts.com\/blog\/the-sounds-of-silence-and-asmr-triggers-in-film\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sounds of Silence and ASMR Triggers in Film"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cOn the fifth day, which was a Sunday, it rained very hard. I like it when it rains hard. It sounds like white noise everywhere, which is like silence but not empty.\u201d
\n\u2015 Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time<\/em><\/p>\n

The silent films of the early twentieth century, as you know, were not silent at all; orchestras provided live musical accompaniment, often improvised, because, surely, it was unthinkable to share an actual silent film? Was it so difficult to record a live soundtrack? Well, yes, it was. Filmmakers had not yet managed to obtain good quality sound recordings, let alone synchronise the sound with the visuals accurately.<\/p>\n

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\"Silent<\/a><\/td>\n\"Vitaphone<\/a><\/td>\n\"Vitaphone<\/a><\/td>\n\"Vitaphone<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Then in 1926, Warner Bothers introduced a new system, the Vitaphone, to bring synchronized sound to their film, Don Juan<\/em>, followed (more famously) by The Jazz Singer<\/em> in 1927. And so the first \u2018talkies\u2019 were produced, and nothing would ever be the same again; films became filled with dialogue, music and sound effects. During the silent film era, it was considered acceptable to talk while the film played; audience members exchanged views, forging a sense of community and unity. As Robert Sklar said in his book, Movie-Made America<\/em>, “talking audiences for silent pictures became a silent audience for talking pictures”. It is interesting to note that there was substantial resistance to this development at the time. It was felt by some that the inclusion of dialogue and sound effects damaged the aesthetic integrity of the art-form that was film. I have to admit that I\u2019m not at all comfortable with the latest Chinese initiative to allow film viewers to comment on films as they watch them via their phones, the comments then scrolling across the screen. Sounds hellish!<\/p>\n

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\"China-<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\"China-<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Nowadays, thrillers and action films go hand in hand with an equally thrilling soundtrack, and there is no doubt that film soundtracks can be absolute works of art that intensify the overall effect of the film, but moments of peace and silence are utilised just as effectively to make an impact.
\nAs far as planet-dwelling, living human beings are concerned, complete, perfect silence is unattainable (in a sound-proofed room, you will still hear your own heart beat and blood flow, your breath, your joints, and human stomachs will always gurgle). Absolute silence in film would be undesirable; a moment of total silence might appear to announce a technical breakdown. Silences, or perhaps I should say \u2018near silences\u2019, in film are given texture through the retention of ambient sounds; these almost imperceptible background noises serve to improve the viewer\u2019s perception of silence. The art of adding or enhancing these ambient sounds to film is called Foley, after Jack Foley, who worked for Universal Studios from 1919 until his death in 1967; he was instrumental in bringing sound to the \u2018talkies\u2019.<\/p>\n

\"gunfoley\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The use of silence in film has been thoroughly explored and is very well documented. Moments of near silence in films such as Saving Private Ryan, Raging Bull, 2001-A Space Odyssey, The Pianist and The Hurt Locker<\/em>, to name but a few, snatch the viewer\u2019s breath away, freeze you in time, demand your attention, make you FEEL, pull you directly into the film\u2026 As you might imagine, with the inherent freedom to experiment creatively, there are many indie films that boldly explore the use of sound and silence. Hush<\/em> is a Netflix indie film that was made (on a very low budget) about a deaf woman whose cabin in the woods is invaded; her lack of hearing is used to build tension in the film, and the viewer is put on a level of high alert as other senses come into play. Our very own indie film production company, VM Productions<\/a>, is currently in the post production stage of our latest Dostoyevsky-inspired film, Dostoyevsky Reimagined:The Making of Notes from the New World<\/em>. <\/a>The documentary style of this film means that there are many moments of near silence, where incidental sounds become perceptible, adding to the \u2018real-life\u2019 effect. Other notable indie films that use sound, or lack of it, to good effect are Elephant<\/em> (2003), Them<\/em> (2006), The Blair Witch Project<\/em> (1999) and Withnail & I<\/em> (1987).<\/p>\n

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\"BTS-<\/a><\/td>\n<\/td>\n\"Blair\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

But I\u2019m not going to go further into that here, fascinating though it is. Maybe another time.<\/p>\n

I want to explore the use of those little ambient sounds.<\/p>\n

Watching the latest episodes of Twin Peaks<\/em>, and having recently re-watched Mulholland Drive<\/em> (yes, I\u2019m a Lynch fan), I realized that the long periods of near silence throughout, gently peppered with little ambient everyday sounds, reminded me of some of the ASMR videos I\u2019ve seen online. I believe that the use of near silence and ambient ASMR-inducing sounds can draw the viewer towards a state of higher consciousness and build a tense sense of anticipation.
\nI\u2019m sure you know at least a little about ASMR; there is a massive internet community of \u2018ASMRtists\u2019 devoted to stimulating the particular pleasures associated with this perceptual phenomenon, but for those of you who are new to this, or didn\u2019t know it had a name, I\u2019m referring to Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. It is characterized by a pleasurable tingling that begins on the scalp and radiates down your spine and into your limbs, bringing about a sensation of deep calm, or even irresistible sleepiness; this feeling is sometimes referred to as a \u2018brain orgasm\u2019. Yes! But don\u2019t make the mistake of thinking ASMR has anything to do with sex. The intensely pleasurable sensations are brought about by various \u2018triggers\u2019, including whispering, tapping, scratching, rustling. Triggers can also be visual or tactile, but are frequently associated with sounds.<\/p>\n

No-one knows how prevalent ASMR is; until recently, it wasn\u2019t even a thing. For those who experience it, it is commonly familiar from early childhood, where perhaps the soothing whirring of the washing machine, the clipped sound of marbles ticking together, the pleasing clicks of Lego bricks, the sound of soothing voices, the swish of a hair brush, the fragrant, silky yield of Play-doh. Of course, softly sung lullabies are a tried and tested tool to bring about calm and sleep in babies and young children. It\u2019s no accident that these are used in so many horror films\u2026
\nI remember being sent into ecstasies (no, nothing sexual) during visits to the optician (\u2018Better like thissss? Or better like thissss?\u2019) as an endless array of lenses were plunked into the futuristic face contraption, and to the hairdresser as I was lulled into a semi-hypnotic state; that sort of close, intimate attention is a common trigger. And I recall my Geography teacher with her potent, low-toned Yorkshire accent tapping the board with a stick, pointing out features on a map; I remember my eyelids becoming impossibly heavy during her lessons, and this may well explain my D grade in the exam. I am still rendered semi-conscious by any lecturer making use of a laser pointer, oh, that slow circling of light on the screen\u2026 And watching fusty TV programmes such as Antiques Roadshow<\/em>; all of that careful handling of delicate, dusty heirlooms, overlaid with knowledge being imparted in awed tones.<\/p>\n

I then began to wonder if David Lynch was intentionally incorporating ASMR triggers to bring a new dimension to audience appreciation of his work. We\u2019d have to ask him\u2026 but he\u2019s famously reserved about discussing his \u2018techniques\u2019. It\u2019s my guess, however, that his understanding of sound in film cares not about labels; he is undoubtedly simply creating a potent aural element to accompany his haunting visuals. One must assume that a good film director\/producer instinctively understands human responses at all levels. Well, maybe that\u2019s true. Or maybe Lynch is totally au fait with ASMR and intends to trigger us all. If I meet him, I\u2019ll broach the subject and let you know.<\/p>\n

Pre-empting my curiosity, a 2014 survey on www.reddit.com asked its readers what film scenes triggered their ASMR. Here are some of the suggestions:<\/p>\n

Toy Story 2<\/em> The scene where the old man fixes Woody up
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