In an essay entitled "Designing a film for sound," author Randy Thom laments how sound is often discounted in favor of visuals when it comes to producing a film. He calls for a consideration of sound as a design element at every stage of filmmaking. Read through this article and consider the following questions. What does Thom mean when he says a filmmaker can "design a film for sound?" What kinds of choices and decisions does he advocate at various stages in the filmmaking process to give greater weight to the role of sound? What are some specific techniques he calls for, and how do they relate to visual techniques? How can designing a film for sound affect choices to be made at the visual level?

BLINDSPOTS is a website that provides movie reviews for the visually impaired. Intriguingly, the site reviews current, popular theatrical films from the standpoint of a blind audience member. Read through an explanatory essay posted at the site, and then read through a number of film reviews. What does your perusal of this site tell you about the role of film sound? What elements of sound make it easier or more difficult for a non-sighted viewer to understand a typical film? What elements of sound do the positive and negative reviews highlight? Is a film's soundtrack alone considered a cinematic experience?

Your Film Art textbook highlights the unique style of filmmaker Robert Bresson, particularly in terms of the use of sound across his films. The following website presents Bresson's "Notes on Sound," a brief delineation of the sonic and visual interrelationships that help to define his filmmaking. Read through the page and think about how Bresson's principles contrast with standard Hollywood technique in terms of the role of sound. How do Bresson's principles compare to standard Hollywood style, in terms of the relationship of sound to image? What are some specific differences? What does this indicate about how Bresson typically utilizes sound as a stylistic element and how Hollywood films typically utilize sound as a stylistic element?

Music in most films is nondiegetic, meaning the actors and action onscreen are not aware or affected by the music the viewer hears. Are there exceptions to this rule? In movies such as Last of the Mohicans, where the action is choreographed specifically to the soundtrack music, does the music then remain nondiegetic or does it become diegetic? Can you think of other examples where the action is choreographed to the soundtrack? Why would directors choose to merge the film world and the viewing world?