Transcript 38344842-Film-Sound

Sound in Cinema
He wants to
watch where he
pokes that thing
Dialogue
Music
Sound Effects
Knock
his
teeth
out!
Two Types of SOUND:
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DIEGETIC (from inside the DIEGESIS) refers
to sound that BOTH the audience and the
characters can hear. This would be sound
effects or music played in the scene.
NON-DIEGETIC refers to sound that ONLY
the audience can hear. Typically, this would
be Soundtrack music – played for effect, to
build tension in the audience but not part of
the scene itself
The Powers of Sound
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Sound is a powerful film technique for
many reasons.
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To begin, sound engages a distinct
sense which can lead to a
“synchronization of senses”-- making a
single rhythm or expressive quality unify
both image and sound.
The Powers of Sound
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Secondly, film sound can direct our attention
quite specifically within the image
For example, our attention on the foreground
not the background.
The soundtrack can clarify image events,
contradict them, or render them ambiguous.
In all cases, the sound track can enter into an
active relation with the image track.
Click HERE for an example of how sound can
change meaning.
The Powers of Sound
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Thirdly, sound cues us to form
expectations.
For example, a door creaking would
make us expect someone or something
has entered the room.
The use of sound can creatively cheat
or redirect the viewer’s expectations.
The Powers of Sound
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In addition, sound gives a new value
to silence.
For example, a quiet passage in a film
can create almost unbearable tension,
forcing the viewer to concentrate on the
screen and wait in anticipation for
whatever sound will emerge.
The Powers of Sound
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Lastly, sound is full of many creative possibilities as
editing.
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The filmmaker can mix any sonic phenomena into a
whole.
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The infinity of visual possibilities is joined with the
infinity of acoustic possibilities to create meaningful
relations.
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Click HERE for an example of how sound is used to
build tension in a scene.
Fundamentals of Film Sound
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Perceptual Properties: The three
aspects of sound we perceive are:
Loudness
Pitch
Timbre
Fundamentals of Film Sound
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As fundamental components of film sound,
loudness, pitch and timbre interact to define
the overall sonic texture of a film.
At the most basic level, these three acoustic
factors enable us to distinguish the various
sounds in film.
For example, these qualities enable us to
recognize different characters' voices.
Selection, Alteration and
Combination
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Sound in cinema is categorized into
three types:
Dialogue
Music
Sound effects
Sometimes, a sound may cross
categories and be ambiguous
Choosing and Manipulating
Sounds
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The creation of the sound track is
similar to and demands as much choice
and control as the editing of the image
track.
Sometimes the sound track is
conceived before the image track.
For example, studio-made animation
and experimental film.
Choosing and Manipulating
Sounds
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Sound guides the viewer’s attention.
Normally, this means clarifying and
simplifying the sound track so that
important material stands out.
Dialogue, the transmitter of story
information, is usually recorded and
reproduced for maximum clarity.
Choosing and Manipulating
Sounds
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Foley work – where rerecorded sound is used to
enhance ‘real’ sound
Important lines should not have to
compete with music or
background noise.
Sound effects are usually less
important and supply an overall
sense of a realistic environment.
However, if they were missing the
silence would be distracting.
Music is also subordinate to
dialogue, noticeable during
pauses in dialogue and
transitions.
Choosing and Manipulating
Sounds
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Dialogue does not always rank highest
in importance.
Sound effects are central to action
sequences. Imagine a car chase without
squealing tyres…
Music can dominate dance scenes,
transitions, or very emotional moments
with no dialogue.
Choosing and Manipulating
Sounds
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In creating a sound track, the filmmaker must
select sounds that will fulfill a particular
function.
Usually, the filmmaker will provide a clearer,
simpler sound world than that of everyday
life.
This helps the audience to focus on only the
sound which is important and not needless
background noise.
Choosing and Manipulating
Sounds
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The microphone is unselective; like the
camera lens, it does not automatically filter
out what is distracting.
Directional and shielded microphones absorb
motor noise.
Foley work – which re-creates the specific
diegetic sounds.
Editing from libraries of stock sounds.
All of these allow the filmmaker to choose
exactly what the sound track requires.
Choosing and Manipulating
Sounds
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By choosing certain sounds, the filmmaker
guides our perception of the image and the
action.
If you notice how the filmmaker’s selection
of sound shapes the viewer’s perception,
you will also notice that they use sound
unrealistically.
This is to shift the viewer’s attention to
what is narratively or visually important.
Choosing and Manipulating
Sounds
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Today, film sound is
normally reprocessed to
produce exactly the
qualities desired.
A dry recording of the
sound will be changed
electronically to produce
the desired effect.
For example, the voice of
someone on a telephone
will be digitally filtered to
make it more tinny and
muffled.
Sound Mixing
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Guiding the viewer’s attention,
depends on selecting and
reworking sounds.
It also depends on mixing, or
combining them.
The sound track is not a set of
discrete sound units but an
ongoing stream of auditory
information.
Sound Mixing
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Combining sounds is usually done after
shooting, in the mixing process called Audio
Post.
The mixer can precisely control the volume,
duration, and tone quality of each sound.
Sound Mixing
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Today, a dozen or more separate
tracks may be mixed in layers at
any moment.
The mix can be quite dense, like
in a busy airport or very sparse
with an occasional sound
emerging against a quiet
background.
These choices reflect the mood
of the film the filmmaker aims to
achieve.
Layers of Audio built up
to create the right mood
Sound and Film Form
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The choice and combination of sound materials can
also create patterns and motifs that run through the
film as a whole.
This is most easily seen by examining how the
filmmaker uses a musical score.
They can select preexisting music to accompany the
images or compose new music for the film.
Opening titles to Batman The Movie (1989)
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Opening titles to Spiderman (2002)
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Sound and Film Form
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The rhythm, melody, harmony and
instrumentation of the music can
strongly affect the viewer’s emotional
reactions.
Also, a melody, musical phrase or
sound effect can be associated with a
particular character, setting, situation or
idea creating a sound motif.
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