Understanding the purpose of diegetic and non diegetic sound

Sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film: 

• voices of characters 
• sounds made by objects in the story 
• music represented as coming from instruments in the story space ( = source music)

Diegetic sound is any sound presented as originated from source within the film's world 

Digetic sound can be either on screen or off screen depending on whatever its source is within the frame or outside the frame. 

The Diegetic sound in this scene is off pulp fiction in the scene sam l jackson character Jules goes to gather the debt owed by one of Marcelos Wallaces business partners there is a lot of speech in this scene and objects making noises such as paper rustling briefcases clicking etc these are good for the audience as in the scene the talking creates tension at the start its a calm conversation and towards the end its a tense conversation as Brett a character in the film gets very nervous and knows Jules is here to kill him.  



The Diegetic noises in this scene off heat is guns firing Val Kilmers character rustling around the van looking for the package and when they blow the back of the van open with explosives people talking this is intense as this scene is full of action and this is exciting for viewers. 

Sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be present in the action: 

• narrator's commentary
• sound effects which is added for the dramatic effect
• mood music

Non-diegetic sound is represented as coming from the a source outside story space.


This Scene is off star wars episode 1 the phantom menace and the non diegetic sounds in this scene is stuff like the music from composer John William's there is also other non diegetic sounds such as 



my other non diegetic scene is also from another star wars film episode 7 and its the scene battle for takodana the non diegetic in this scene is again the music used in the film as its only the audience that can hear this