Frankenstein: Sound design (direction, amplification, music, sound effects)

Sound Design in Frankenstein

The direction of sound plays a key role in establishing the location and time of various scenes in Frankenstein.
Distinct sounds of laboratorial apparatus, like clanging and buzzing, effectively suggest the creation of the Creature in Frankenstein’s lab.
The directional use of sound suggests movement and location; for instance, the howling wind or crunching footsteps may come from specific speakers to suggest the Creature’s approach or departure.

Amplification of sound is crucial in creating an intense, eerie atmosphere within the play.
The heartbeat or electrical zapping during the creation of the Creature, amplified to provide both intensity and unease.
Dialogue, especially Victor Frankenstein’s monologues or the Creature’s agonised roars, can be amplified or echoed to emphasise emotional intensity and the enormity of their predicaments.

Music in Frankenstein is typically haunting and ominous, setting the tone for the Gothic horror atmosphere.
The dissonant score can reflect the Creature’s emotional turmoil and the moral conflict existing within Victor Frankenstein.
Period-appropriate music can be used as well, often juxtaposed against the horror elements to produce an unsettling contrast.

Through sound effects, the auditory landscape of Frankenstein’s world is established, from the ethereal Arctic landscape to the frightening depths of Frankenstein’s laboratory.
The use of auditory effects such as eerie whispers, creaking doors, thunderclaps, and gusts of wind, enhances the horror and mystery within the play.
Sounds associated with scientific experiments, like electrical zaps, bubbling liquids, or steam releases, reinforce the theme of scientific exploration and its consequences.
The Creature’s voice itself is a sound effect, distorted and deepened to suggest its unnatural existence.