My thesis begins with a brief overview of film history regarding the evolution of sound in film. I will then discuss the different types of film sounds and their respective characteristics. I describe how they appear in films, and what emotional effects the director and sound engineer can evoke in the audience. Then, using examples from the David Lynch film Eraserhead, I outline the importance of conscious sound design in atmosphere creation, and its ability to illustrate the emotional world of the characters without being too direct.