2.4 Parameters for Audiation

The first three parameters were necessary for the cue to be verified as metadiegetic.

• Focus on a particular character's point of reference
• Identifiable triggers
• Pre-existing or very stereotypical music
• Temporal deviations
• Outward manifestation of audiation

These parameters were formulated after assessing the findings of my pilot study. According to the pilot study, 100% of subjects indicated experiencing audiation, 100% experience repetitive audiation, 99% will begin singing for no apparent reason, and most of the time (on average) audiation will take place before the singing. Most subjects reported audiating only pre-existing music. However, one trigger reported was "situation prompts lyric or style", which suggests that people can audiate stereotypical styles of music without it necessarily being pre-existing, if it fits a situation. It was indicated that there is a temporal deviation in audiation, with sections repeating, skipped, or out of order. For the purposes of the case studies, all quasi-diegetic and non-diegetic music was investigated. Any musical cue which fits the parameters must be metadiegetic music, produced by the character. However, music which is quasi-diegetic or non-diegetic is not automatically metadiegetic. Metadiegetic music is audiation. Emphasis must be on a particular character or their point of view in the scene in question, and the cue must adhere to the first three parameters indicated here and by Table 2 (triggers) in the Discussion. Whilst diegetic music is not in itself audiation, it can act as a trigger for audiation (refer to Table 2) or suggest the presence of audiation within a character.

The cues that were investigated varied in their adherence to these parameters, so some were excluded on the basis that they did not conform well or clearly enough to the parameters for audiation.