Read on Twitter
I can't help but keep thinking about this scene in WEP #01. What makes it so unsettling and horrific is definitely how the storyboard, sound and timing all come together.
For starters, as Ai stands up, the cut changes to where she covers the creepy figure in the shot, already-
For starters, as Ai stands up, the cut changes to where she covers the creepy figure in the shot, already-
giving the audience some sort of anticipation. This is then amplified by the following cut after the next where it's the same shot but Ai turns away from the figure. During this, the diegetic music gradually builds up in tempo and volume to a complete stop as the axe is thrown.
The diegetic music, which sounds like something out of a theme park, almost feels like non-diegetic sound bc of how perfectly timed it is with the cuts and actions. This alone gives the idea that this 'dream' world has its own set of rules and mechanics.
More on the sound, the 'whoosh' noise of the axe being suddenly thrown is quick and loud, almost shock-inducing. This is effective as it is louder than where the theme park-ish music was cut off, magnified by the miniscule break of silence in between.
What's interesting is that this shot is in the POV of the mysterious figure as opposed to Kurumi's and doesn't cut away until the axe hits the ground. Followed by a cut that shows the bloodied axe sliding across the floor. This alone makes a pretty clear statement.
