The Prestige Analysis

Sound is something quite special, impactful, and adds layers of elements and complexity to a film. As with the progression of the movie making medium, sound has grown and changed drastically over the decades. However, sound cues in the form of effects, dialogue, and everything in between, shapes our perceptions of a scene and movie.

     The music helped in elaborating this great film. As I mentioned in class different instruments helped create different moods for different scenes in the movie. We heard the cello and the violin to create sadness and remorse. The flute created eeriness and the trumpet created awareness. I thought these were instruments and tools that help make this film extraordinary.

The audio although normally overpowered by the visual aspect played a key role in defining and empowering the movie. The music was fast and uplifting during celebration and on

The use of sound is another that is interesting in the movie and between the play. For example,

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

Two components that have an immense impact on the quality and caliber of a film are the editing and sound found within the film. These two aspects alone can make or break a film. In the film The Kings of Summer, directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, these two elements collaborate to highlight certain emotions and key moments in the film’s plot. Some of the sub-elements of these two components that can easily be identified within the film include the flashforward, the flashback, both nondiegetic and diegetic sound, semi diegetic sound, graphic matching and voice offs. Within the film The Kings Of Summer, editing and sound are methodically and tactfully utilized in order to produce a film that is both entertaining and meaningful for the audience.

Another aspect of sound in this film was how it affected the story. By using sound dramatically in certain parts and not using it at all in other parts, sound gave this story an entity of its own. For example, during long stretches of film with mostly dialogue, there was no music played in the background, only a phone ringing in the distance, or the men's voices during their deliberation. These long silences also took place during editing shots of the town and images that surrounded this German city. This dramatic difference in sound was a revelation of how mood can be made by images and sound put together to make an incredible component.

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 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.

Music can be extraordinarily influential in films, as it has the ability to evoke emotion not displayed by on-screen action. Music used in films can play many roles; it can depict time and place, mood, atmosphere, character, and can be used to underscore the onscreen drama and titles. Alan Silvestri and John Williams successfully manipulate the use of music in film to establish characters (along with their personality, actions and changing emotions), as well as underscore the mood for the entirety of their given films. The contrasts of Silvestri’s “The Feather Theme” with Williams’ “Batman Theme” exemplify the power of music in film.

LISTENER RELEVANCE: Since film scores are such an important part of movies, it makes sense to learn a little bit more about them.

The Müller-Lyer (1889) illusion contains two identical lines that just seem different in length, due to fins fixed at the top of both lines. The line with the fins-in is perceived as shorter line than the fins-out line.

Choosing the soundtrack for a movie is another difficult task that a director has to do because they have to find a perfect song or an instrumental track that will fit or compliment the scene that they are editing. The soundtrack of a movie is also a guaranteed way of effecting the emotions of the audience members. As a result, directors spend a great deal of time in choosing the right soundtrack for the movie. They want to make sure that they target the correct emotions for each scene. The sequence of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” featured many different sounds; such as, speech, music and sound effects.

In the movies, there are a number of factors that will impact the quality of the film and the story. This is because producers and directors are using different techniques that will enhance their ability to entertain. The Sound of Music is taking numerous ideas and is integrating them together. To fully understand what is happening, there will be an examination of the film and various concepts. This will be accomplished by focusing on: the storytelling, acting, cinematography, editing, sound, style / directing, impact of the film on society / vice versa, genre, application of at least one approach and overall textual themes. Together, these elements will highlight the effects of the film and how it has influenced others inside the industry.

Christopher Nolan is credited as being an illusionist in the way that he directs his films. Inception and The Prestige are two of his films that will keep you pausing and rewinding for the duration while you try to keep up with the complex story lines and mind bending conclusions. Both films share a dark and sinister vibe,putting them amongst the neo noir genre of films, and The Prestige being set in an ominous, turn of the century London, and Inception based around extracting thoughts from the depth of minds it is no wonder they follow such shadowy themes.