As well as lighting, sound was used very effectively to stage the story. For example “echoes” were created in the alleyways, to make us think that Eddie’s house was a long way away. These echoes were also used to symbolise Eddie’s loneliness. This could show that there is emptiness in Eddie’s heart that can only be filled by a close friend or a brother. There was a bold use of sound especially in scary, dramatic or important scenes. This added to the drama of the overall performance, it made the audience feel a variety of emotions. In the scene when Mrs. Lyons tries to murder Mrs. Johnston, the sound affects really emphasised how Mrs. Lyons was feeling and her sheer madness. The use of surround sound made me feel like I was in the scene and it made the whole performance much more realistic.
In any genre, the correct note at the exact, pivotal moment can leave a member of the audience in tears, bliss, or suspense. Contrary to Julia Heimdinger’s opinion, however, the lack of non-digetic sound tends to be very important to the horror genre. This is because it allows you to experience the genuine fear that the protagonist is feeling. You can hear their frantic breath, or the creaking of floor boards, or even the rustling of leaves. This suspends the audience into a very realistic moment of suspence and fear. According to Clifford G. Schuette of Kansas State University: “when sound is taken out of the equation, one’s attention to detail and focus vastly increases” (Schuette 13). Once the soundtrack is removed and only digetic sound remains, the viewer may become more involved and invested in the scene. This will ultimately create a more intense emotional reaction when the scene’s suspense and tension culminate into the climatic scare.
A history of the sound in horror films Horror films are known for their ability to scare audiences, to get the audience’s hearts racing, their blood rushing. A good horror film will cause viewers to be on the edge of their seats and having their perception of reality distorted as they attempt to understand the unraveling plot of the horror film. The tone of the film aides in the amount of suspense that a horror film produces, since a much darker film will create a more suspenseful atmosphere than one that is more focused on campy monster makeup. But the tone of a film is determined by the sound of the film, or in other words, the score. Sound or music in a horror film, or the lack thereof, make the intense scenes and without the addition
The Prestige Analysis The Prestige is a film adaptation of the Christopher Priest novel bearing the same name. The story is set in the turn-of-the-century London about two stage magicians, their rivalry, and their obsession to be the best with the artistry and secrecy of illusion. The analysis of
It is usually pre-recorded and placed over the top of a film or video and commonly used in documentaries or news reports to explain information. Focusing on selected sounds can create tension, atmosphere, and emotion. It can also impart personality to film characters. Walter Murch (the doyen of sound designers) once described the character sounds (in a film he directed) as "coronas" which can magnify each character' s screen space. A figure who is associated with a particular sound (often suggested by his or her clothing), has "a real presence that is pervasive even when the scene is about something else or the character is off-screen."
For example, in the nut sorting room, when Veruca’s shoes are clicking on the floor, which is a diegetic sound. This creates the effect that everything has suddenly gone very quiet and anticipation is growing. But, in Big Fish, Tim Burton uses sound to make people feel many different things. For example, in the town of Spectre, when the townspeople were dancing, the diegetic sounds were all of the happy dancing music. This creates the effect of happiness.
The music interacts with dialogue in the film; the techno beat is, at times, accompanied by vocals, which correspond with not only what is happening in the scene, but also the internal diegetic dialogue—another important motif.
The Wizard of Oz (1939) uses both mise en scène and sound to create an immense sequence of dream imagery, particularly in the second to last scene where Dorothy is at the point of going back to Kansas. This scene is distinctly significant in terms of mise en scène and
Along with background music, sound effects play more of a role on the way we feel than many moviegoers think, and "although the function of sound effects is primarily atmospheric, they can also be precise sources of meaning in film" (Giannetti, 225). When the
For example, in the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Tim Burton uses non-diegetic music to point out emotions of the children when they are loose in the eatable room. By using music, Burton shows the children’s thoughts and emotion. Burton lets the viewer absorb a deeper understanding of each character. This also lets the viewer experience the candy room through each of the children perspective which creates a connection between the character and the viewers. Tim Burton also uses music and sound in the film Edward Scissorhands. When Peg makes her way into the garden of the mansion, Peg sees green and well design bushes of objects in the garden. This scene is companied by sounds of bells and strong presence of strings incorporated. These elements gives the viewer a childlike and romantic feeling. The music and sound playing the background can make the viewer feel warm in the inside and see Peg isn’t in danger. It can also make the reader why the garden is so nice and bright and the mansion looks dark and
A complex layering of different types of sound in the film is intentionally to present the narrative, while there is no dialog or on screen caption. In Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), diegetic sounds and non-diegetic sounds are played as the important roles in explaining the scenarios. Kubrick first states that the main concept of the film is forced more on a visual experience than anything else; however, the layers of sound have actually created a strong impact and attract the audience’s attention. While Dave Bowman sitting in front of the dashboard, he seems facing some abnormal, so he starts to operate the systems to check out what went wrong, and then take action to safe himself. Although the scene is dark and quiet, the
The importance of music in movies is highly regarded for manipulating the viewer’s emotions and helping them immerse into the story. Music is one of the prime elements in cinema. Without it a movie would feel dull and unexciting. There are three elements in a movie: one is acting, the second is picture, and the third one is music. It is a holy trinity; if incomplete, there would be a lack of sensation and excitement. Both acting and picture can stand independently from one another, but music is the one that makes the movie memorable.
By offering a shot by shot analysis of a scene that uses diegetic sound the audience can understand why the director used these sound aspects to tell his story. This analysis does not just follow one scene but rather a series of scenes in order of what is relevant. First we are witness to the mother in her apartment washing clothes on the washing board and the camera then cuts to the clock, which is striking time and making an animated noise that brings the audience into this important element of the film. The story then cuts to Elsie being honked at on the street with horns that are overly dramatic in sound, yet another way for the director to use the sound technique. Another way the director uses sound in a dramatic way is when he presents Elsie bouncing her ball down the sidewalk and on the
Going to the movies becomes a distant memory when you have the Sony TA-9000ES pre-amplifier in your home theater system. Dolby Digital's sound creates stellar audio and delivers a near-perfect theater experience in your home.
“The Sound of a Voice” by David Henry Hwang is a one act play telling the story of two characters, Man and Woman. These characters both live alone and isolated. Woman is rumored to be a witch, and Man is a soldier without a purpose who comes in hope of killing Woman. They both have a fear of silence and love. These unusual fears result in their fatal downfall. This play explores deep emotions, such as the fear of silence that Man and Woman share which pushes Woman to commit suicide. A fear of intimacy, felt exceptionally strong by Man, results in unfortunate timing leading to Woman’s death. Loneliness displayed by both characters is the underlying cause of the outcome. These feelings play together to contribute to Man and Woman’s tragic love.