Sound can be the most effective way to create mood or tension in a film. Any mood can be created ranging from romance to fear depending on the sound/music. A good example is the 'Jaws' theme above. It starts off slow with helps build tension and progressively gains speed making the audience feel increasingly uncomfortable while waiting for something to go wrong. During the piece of music there are trumpets with don't seem to play in order which would give the audience an idea that something is wrong, this can mess with their head a bit.
Another example is the garden fence scene in the zom-com film 'Shaun of the Dead'. In the background we can hear a car alarm and a dog barking. Although we may not hear this unless listening carefully, our minds hear it and make us feel as if we are in an uncomfortable situation because whenever a car alarm goes off we automatically think something has gone wrong. As well as the uncontrollable bark of a dog.
Sound is one of the most important factors as it helps create the mood and tension. Although there is a range of sounds and music that is used in horror films they mostly consist of the same instruments and rhythms. These include isolated instruments before a key moment which gives the idea of vulnerability. Long suspenseful notes often contrasted with quick, sharp notes to give a sense of shock. Also extreme changes of pitch tones to make an intense atmosphere.
The sound of characters voices in films have a huge impact in a horror film. An example is Jigsaw from the SAW series. His voice has a distinctive voice compared to the other characters which effectively creates fear, tension and intimidation with its deep strong tone with a husky filter.
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