Bela Balaz's Theory of the Film:Sound

                Rarely does one come across such lucid prose; or the word “din” quite as much as in Balazs’ essay Theory of Film: Sound. Balazs not only advocates the importance of sound in general, but keenly highlights personal recognition of its omnipresence. Keying in on the details of sounds both minute and cacophonous, he provides context for sound in relation to our attention to aural minutiae, sound in relation to its physical environment, as well as its relation and augmentation of silence. Endowing the otherwise unnoticeable nuances of sounds with such weight and substantiality, this essay provides an  intimate appreciation for noise; where tone creates texture, silence carries emotional weight, and sound imparts an adroit resonance to its environment.      

                Sound can be an under-assuming, powerful component of filmmaking. However, our association to it is often tied up to corresponding images. It’s curious how visual senses take precedence over sound, especially when we all experience sound first (in embryo) before all other senses, save maybe touch. That being said, when there are instances of asynchronous sound (think of the profound use of off-screen sounds in Robert Bresson’s oeuvre), they often incite tension by arousing curiosity and expectation.

                I think that Balazs’ essay will serve each of us well, as we continue on in our sound projects. Reminding us of the profundity of even the smallest details of sound. None of which should be remissed or wholly supplanted by visual images.