Echoing Institutions and Auditory Chaos
Examiners love it when students mix diegetic sound (sounds the characters can hear, like a slamming hospital door) with non-diegetic sound (sounds representing internal emotion, like a high-pitched ringing to show panic). Because Find Me jumps in and out of Verity's mind, your sound design should physically overwhelm the audience to make them feel her confusion.
For the hospital and care home scenes, introduce a continuous, low-frequency non-diegetic bass rumble mixed with the faint buzzing of a fluorescent light. This creates a deeply uncomfortable, clinical atmosphere. It operates on a subconscious level, making the audience feel the slow, crushing weight of the 1970s care system.
Use these pre-structured sentences in your exam to instantly hit the top marking bands for sound design justification.
| Design Element (What) | Impact Justification (Why) | Key Terminology |
|---|---|---|
| A jarring, highly amplified non-diegetic sound of a heavy iron door slamming shut to transition into the hospital scenes. | This sudden percussive sound shocks the audience and physically mimics the feeling of being trapped. It highlights the episodic structure of the play and the cold reality of Verity's institutionalization. | Non-diegetic Percussive Transition Amplification Atmosphere |