DRAMATIC GENRE

  What sorts of things would you expect out of a drama?  High emotions  Sad, intense music  What else?  The Drama Genre The Drama Genre CONVENTIONS OF THE DRAMA GENRE

  Music for a dramatic film is of great importance because it has the ability to cue the viewers emotions to engage and sympathize with a character driven plot.  GENRE: a group of films that share a set of narrative, stylistic, and thematic characteristics  EFFECTS OF SOUND:  danger without location  calm, serenity  pleasure through the fulfillment of expectations  repetition of similar theme - sometimes reflecting a different mood ( Amelie ) SOUND CONVENTIONS NOTE

  DIAGETIC SOUND: Any sound presented as originated from source within the film's world.  It is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film:  voices of characters  sounds made by objects in the story  music represented as coming from instruments in the story space ( = source music)  NON-DIAGETIC SOUND: Sound that originates outside the story space. Its source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be present in the action:  narrator's commentary  sound effects which is added for the dramatic effect  mood music DIAGETIC AND NON-DIAGETIC SOUND TYPES OF SOUND

 The Shawshank Redemption  REDEMPTION:  the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil.  the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt.  PLOT:  Andy Dufresne is a young and successful banker whose life changes drastically when he is convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife and her lover. Set in the 1940s, the film shows how Andy, with the help of his friend Red, the prison entrepreneur, turns out to be a most unconventional prisoner. (IMDB)

  ASSIGNMENT:  Why is this film considered a drama? How does the film use diagetic and non-diagetic sound to communicate its dramatic elements?  NOTES YOU MUST TAKE DURING THE VIEWING:  CHARACTERS:  Andy Dufresne  Ellis “Red” Redding  INTERESTING PLOT POINTS:  Andy convicted of murdering wife and her lover; receives two life sentences  CONVENTIONS OF THE DRAMA GENRE:  Realistic character dealing with emotions (i.e. Andy dealing with being convicted of killing his wife and love and being sent to prison for the remainder of his life.)  CONNECTIONS TO THEME (CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES):  choices: wife cheated, husband kills her (?) YOUR ASSIGNMENT