Zettl - Ch 7

This chapter asserts the importance of sound to the total package of a film or to television, be it in terms of noise, music, or dialogue. Some of the best insight focuses on the quality of sound in television versus that in film. Television audio should be restricted to low definition to complement it's cooler environment. This counters the common sense notion that greater fidelity is always better. Uses of audio in these different contexts can range from the pervasive and unconscious to the apparent. Often, sound is used on the unconscious level to set mood, space, or as a leitmotiv, affecting the audience without them noticing. Of course dialogue is the most common form of audio and has special considerations for film and television, where narration and direct address is better suited due to the mediums more iconic nature.