Sound

There's no denying sound plays a large part in film. Have you ever watched a film without the score yet inserted, or a YouTube video on mute? It's an entirely different experience--and a little bit boring. We expect sound to be there, to help further our understanding of what we are seeing.

Our commercial features no dialogue, but it does feature sound both inside the shot and separate from the scene--elements known as diegetic and nondiegetic sound, respectively.

Diegetic sounds take place within the world of the characters. For the most part, we don't hear any--which makes those that we do significant. Within each scene, the diegetic sound emphasizes the aspects of awkwardness. In the first scene, we hear the squeak of sneakers as the man hops around trying to undress, then the thud of his fall to the floor. We hear the snap of the bed breaking with the second couple, the whack of the woman's head bonking in the car. The loudness placed on these items only tells us to pay attention to them, forming a recognizable pattern of bangs and thuds.

Nondiegetic sound is any sound coming from outside the story--anything the characters themselves could not hear within the scene. This would include the music that plays throughout the commercial, as well as the voice-over at the end of the commercial. The music sets a mood for the audience--French lyrics, evoking romance, but with an upbeat and quicker tempo, appropriate for the intended humor and the pacing of the PSA.

Within both of these elements, we can recognize a rhythm set by the creators of the commercial. There is a coordination in both the nondiegetic with the diegetic, as well as a relationship between these and the images seen onscreen.

Diegetic sound: Zip + bang = ooh la la?

First, the diegetic sounds we do hear are placed in time with the nondiegetic music. The man unzips his sweatshirt to the beat in the first scene; the woman in the car hits her head to the the beat in the third.

The nondiegetic contributes to the action within the scene as well. The couple within the supply closet, after realizing they are not alone, have an embarrassed and shocked look upon their faces. At the time we see their expressions and they begin to back out of the closet, the music's singer makes an "uuuhhhhh" sound that plays really well with the characters' feelings. 

The music in particular sets the pacing for the commercial. The cuts between scenes often change to the beat of the music, pushing the shots forward with rhythm.

All of these contribute to the overall playful and humorous qualities of the commercial.