Sound Film Studies Importance of Sound in film

Sound Film Studies

Importance of Sound in film � Though we might think of film as an essentially visual experience, we really cannot afford to underestimate the importance of film sound. A meaningful sound track is often as complicated as the image on the screen. The entire sound track is comprised of three essential ingredients: � the human voice � sound effects � music � These three tracks must be mixed and balanced so as to produce the necessary emphases which in turn create desired effects. � Example: � Star Wars – with soundtrack and without soundtrack

Diegetic Sound �The most common form of sound. �It is any sound that should exist in the reality of the film world, speech, cars squealing in a car shase, bullets from a gun etc �Example: Goodfellas (opening scene)

Non-Diegetic Sound � Sound that is added in post -production to enhance the viewer’s experience of the film � Examples of non-diegetic sound include a voiceover, a soundtrack and subtle enhancements to the diegetic sound � Example: Goodfellas (opening scene)

Dialogue �The bedrock of all modern movies, character speech �Examples: � 100 Best movie lines in 100 seconds

Silence �Sound doesn’t have to be used, silence is a powerful tool for the director to suggest fear, create suspense or make the audience question what they are seeing �Example: �The Artist (sound scene) �The Cube (not that one)

Soundscape � Characteristic sound that is associated with a particular location. For example car horns and traffic in an urban location or the tweeting of birds in a forest. These sounds add to the feeling of immersion felt by the viewer (reality of scene) � Example: � Once upon a time in America (opening)

Voiceover � A type of non-diegetic sound that gives the audience a true reflection of how a character feels � Also used to set the scene of a film world or to relay information to the audience � Example: � Watchman – Roscharch’s Journal � Easy A (opening scene)

Leitmotif �Sounds or music (in the form of a short recurring repeated soundtrack ) that is associated with a particular character �Example: �Raiders of the Lost Ark �James Bond – Ski scene

Direct Address � When an actor talks directly at the audience. It is similar to a monologue in a play and the audience are usually invited to share the character’s secrets or his/her’s view � Direct address is not common because the audience have to suspend their disbelief and also what is called the fourth wall is broken � Example - Alfie

Soundtrack � Music/compositions added to the film in post-production to guide the viewer’s feelings at critical times in the film, when there is an emotional beat or a period of action for example � Example: � Best movie soundtracks

Soundbridge � When the music from the soundtrack is sustained from one scene to the next � Example: � Generic example from You. Tube

Synchronous Sound � The most common form of actor’s dialogue. This form of sound is when the speech matches the lip movements of the character speaking. � Sometimes actor’s dialogue has to be dubbed because of the conditions on set, if it is loud or windy for example, so the actor rerecords all of the dialogue in the studio which is then dubbed onto his acting from the set footage; obviously it has to match – be synchronous – � Mission Impossible 2

Asynchronous Sound � The opposite of synchronous sound. It is when the lips and dialogue don’t match and this is done either for comedic effects or to illustrate that a character is drugged, drunk or in a dream. This type of sound can also be found in foreign films that are dubbed badly meaning sound is incorrectly synched up � Example: � The 39 Steps (scream) � Bruce Lee fight

Music Sting �A music punctuation mark to suggest a dramatic climax – often used in horror films to highlight a shock to the audience. – �Example: �Cat People (park scene)

Pleonastic Sound � Similar to a music sting but used more often. � These are sounds added in post- production in order to increase the impact of a particular moment in a film i. e. the sound of a punch in a boxing film or the sound of a sword being taken out of a scabbard to suggest how sharp the sword is � Example: � Kill Bill – Crazy 88 fight scene

Contrapuntal Sound � Sounds which go against what you’re seeing on the screen, to make the audience question what they are seeing, to provide humour or to make an artistic comment on the nature of reality � Examples: � The Shining – opening � Face off – Somewhere over the Rainbow scene � A Clockwork Orange – Singing in the Rain

Incidental Music � More commonly termed as background music, these are sounds used to establish the mood of a character, or a setting etc. Very similar to a soundtrack. �Example: �Carry On Incidental music