Spooked by Sound: The Blair Witch Project

Abstract

The Blair Witch Project (hereafter BWP ) is a noisy film despite the near-absence of music or standard suddenly shocking horror sounds. This low-budget film, directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez (1999), draws on dialogue, foley and location sound for its effect. Indeed, it is through its approach to and connections with the horror’ elements that the film builds its affective impact. This chapter investigates how sound and music are tied into the narrative in BWP. I will analyse a selection of key scenes and their sonic elements to discuss the ways by which sound is used to situate, identify and enhance horrifying events that are not necessarily represented on-screen.