Sound and Meaning
- 2. soundis invisible but a powerful tool for generating meaningaural not visual but can provoke an equally powerful response in the viewerWhat sound film memories do you have?
- 3. Sound in film analysis divides into twoDiegetic SoundInside the story world
- 4. diegetic sound can be heard by the characters in the filmExamplesradio sound, speech, traffic noises, weather, doors closing etcNon- diegetic SoundOutside the story world
- 5. non- diegetic sound cannot be heard by the characters in the filmExamplesvoice- over, soundtrackDiegetic and non-diegetic sound are often used together to generate a particular response in the viewer
- 7. Jaws non- diegetic soundintroduces threatening element in the film
- 9. shark not seen but its presence is implied by the soundtrack
- 10. the score uses a series of low , repeated notes in order to illustrate the relentless threatening nature of the shark
- 11. the notes continue to build tension and anxiety for the viewer, no resolutionTHE NON- DIEGETIC SOUND IN THIS SEQUENCE ESTABLISHES THE TONE, ATMOSPHERE, GENRE AND THE MAIN THREAT WITHIN THE FILM.
- 13. Rear Window- diegetic soundthe first sounds we hear are what Jeffries can hear: voices, jazz music, traffic sounds. We hear these as Jeffries would hear them, the diegetic sound has a muffled echoing qualityJeffries is detached from the life going on around him and in a bored frame of mind. The diegetic sound helps to establish this.
- 14. 4 main areas of meaning that can be generated through sound (diegetic and non- diegetic)character
- 15. genre
- 16. setting
- 17. narrativesound & character can establishevil or good
- 18. victim or hero
- 19. character regularly have a piece of music attached to them- called a character theme
- 21. a character can be signalled by playing their theme when not on screen
- 22. Aural motifs( not music but repeated sounds)
- 23. A character’s nervous state of mind could be conveyed through non- diegetic sound( clattering of noise flinching)
- 24. A sudden shift in the non- diegetic soundtrack of a film into a sequence of long-held, low chords could indicate peril for a characterSound &genresound can let the audience know the genre( type of film they are watchinggun shots, shattering glass, explosions, screeching tyres?
- 25. screams, knife slashes, howling wind, screeching doors?
- 26. Composers can even become associated with a type of film- EnnioMorricone/ Gregorian chantslisten to these two tracks, guess the genre
- 28. sound & settingsafe or not?contemporary or past?country?wind , leaves, stringed music, windows blowing open and shut in the wind= ????slaves being shouted at, whips cracking, swords clanking water lapping ??????listen to these two soundtracksand work out the setting
- 29. sound & narrativenon diegeticvoice overssound bridge- connect two scenes, carries on from one scene into the otherhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPOcR087uxM&feature=related