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Sound in Film
Film Analysis Part Four
Origins
No completely silent period
Organists, pianists or even full orchestras
supplied live musicals accompaniment in
theatres
Sound effects created on spot by
specialists
October 1927: The Jazz Singer
Al Jolson says “You ain’t heard nothin’
yet!”
Not first, but most remembered
Origins (cont.)
Sound drew more ticket buyers
However, created new problems
technically:
Cameras in sound proof boxes
Actors close to microphones
Emphasized speech more than
movement
In theatres- can’t keep up reels with
sound
Comical misalignments (male voice
with female)
Movietone sound-on-film standard
by 1931
Diegetic Sound
Sound in film divided into two
major categories: diegetic and nondiegetic
Diegetic: sound that is within the
world of the film
Dialogue
Sounds made by objects in the story
Example: Pulp Fiction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=xNe3mp7ross&feature=related
Non-Diegetic Sound
Sound that is not present within
the world of the film:
Score (aka background music)
Narrator’s commentary
Example: The Breakfast Club
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Sv1I4q6lOpo
Diegetic or Non-Diegetic?
Which is which?
Scene Number One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y88xeUvS1g
Scene Number Two:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHgvErjAbpo
Categories
Three main kinds of
sound:
Spoken Word
Sound Effects
Music
Dialogue
Intertitles: frames with written text,
coming between image shots, used in silent
films to transmit necessary verbal
information, such as explanations or
dialogue (Nosferatu)
Conversations between two or more
people, includes voiceovers/narration
Not all dialogue recorded live: ADR
(Automated Dialogue Replacement) to
fix unstable live track or change actors’
lines
Narration/voiceovers/specific sound
effects are recorded post-production
“Humans can focus on a maximum of
two sounds at a time.” (tune out
background noise)
Sound Effects
All other sound (except most
dialogue) is added later
Foley is performed while watching
projected film and is sometimes
called “walking Foley” b/c of
footsteps required
The Foley techniques are named for
Jack Foley, a sound editor at
Universal Studios
Car engines, explosions, etc. are
added by the sound effects editor(s)
Foley Artists
Foley artists at work
View film while creating
sounds
Musical Score
Film score conveys mood, emotion and
character in ways dialogue cannot
1908 first score tailored for film
Leitmotif: short musical phrase
representing and recurring with a
character, situation or emotion
(examples: Jaws, Star Wars)
Hints at unspoken conflicts or feelings
Film scores are usually composed after
the film has finished shooting.
Songs
Use of existing popular songs,
composer takes advantage of the
audience’s prior associations with
music.
Well-known songs can establish
historical periods/time
Original songs, written specifically for
a film, may highlight a particular
moment or entire film’s theme
In musicals, songs function as a type of
dialogue—closely interwoven with
script
Songs for musicals are written and
recorded before production begins.
Guessing Game
Scene One: Wayne’s World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STt9dqPsFTE&feature=relate
d
A. Dialogue
B. Sound effect
C. Score
D. Use of Popular Song
Scene Two: Reservoir Dogs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enJwYaeolXc
A. Dialogue
B. Sound effect
C. Score
D. Popular Song
Guessing Game (cont.)
Scene Three: Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dDwPSjFCeI
A. Dialogue
B. Sound effect
C. Score
D. Use of Popular Song
Scene Two: The Last of the Mohicans (START AT 2:00!!!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9SEFMIBwAs
A. Dialogue
B. Sound effect
C. Score
D. Popular Song