That Sounds Scary
Gabrielle Margocs' Independent Study @ Austin College
Scene 4 - Meeting a Ghost
One of the most famous scenes of Kairo recreated in Pulse is of a female ghost who walks toward the main character’s friend Yoshizaki/Stone after investigating a "virus" victim's room.
Kairo
As Yoshizaki glimpses the ghost, the camera goes straight to his POV.
The ghost comes toward the audience in complete silence, visually “glitching” and tripping in slow motion, but without making a sound.
As the ghost draws near the camera, and incidentally the audience, the shot finally breaks to Yoshizaki dropping to the floor breathing heavily. His sporadic breaths and scuttle interrupt a quiet ringing BGM as a loud startle effect.
Soon after, a musical soundtrack adds in, as a ghastly-sounding choir sings along to the ghost attacking Yoshizaki. It ends with his scream echoing into the next scene, and a sharp end to the choir’s song.
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Pulse
When Stone finds the spirit, the scene begins with music, as violins introduce the audience to the ghost with lingering strained notes.
The ghost’s actions are the same as the ones in Kairo, with slow movements and tripping. Yet, when the ghost “glitches”, corresponding static sound effects buzz angrily.
As the ghost nears Stone, (whose breaths and actions are not emphasized like Yoshizaki’s), a loud ‘horn’ beat gives an audial startle and warning above the BGM.
There is a visual overload of quick cuts and "flash" sounds between Stone and the ghost, emphasizing the horror of the moment through facial and bodily actions. Stone’s scream also closes the scene and helps transition into the next one.