Sound Film Study I

Short History of Sound 1895-1920s: The Sounds of Silent Cinema The challenge of synchronizing sound was a feat that few were able to overcome, including Edison Studios. Silent films were anything but silent; they were frequently accompanied by lecturers, pianos, organs, small ensembles, or even full orchestras.

Short History of Sound 1927-1930: Transition to Synchronized Sound The industry was rapidly changing and moving into the mainstream. The Jazz Singer (1927) became the first “talkie” to convince the industry leaders that there was no turning back.

Short History of Sound 1930s-1940s: Challenges and Innovations in Cinema Sound Five major studios grew into behemoth sized corporations and stopped the production of silent films completely. Films were made in multiple languages, often simultaneously, for the first time.

Short History of Sound 1950s-Present: From Stereophonic to Digital Sound 1950s: Stereophonic 1970s: Dolby and surround sound 1990s: Digital sound

Sound Source Diegetic Sound Any sound that the character or characters on screen can hear Examples: Characters talking to one another Footsteps, keys jingling, water features Punches, slaps, physical movement Non-Diegetic Sound Any sound that the audience can hear but the characters on screen cannot. Examples: Film score/soundtrack Third person narration

Sound Source Nonsimultaneous Sound Sound that takes place earlier in the story than the current image that is shown Used to give information without having to show the events taking place Rent Example

Sound Source Synchronous Sound Sound that is matched with the action and movements being viewed A character playing the piano, while the audience hears the sounds of the piano simultaneously

Sound Source Direct Sound All of the sound that is recorded at the time of filming This includes not only the character dialogue, but also background noises that were not added in during post-production. Examples: gum popping, furniture movement, clothing rustling

Sound Source Sound Perspective How the audio is distorted, or improved, relative to the position of the camera. Example: A concert is being put on at the local theatre. The sound of the music sounds different inside the building than it does outside the building or even standing backstage.

Sound Source Post synchronous Dubbing The process of adding sound to a scene after it has been filmed The sound must relate to some action or movement to be considered synchronous

Sound Production Vocabulary Sound Designer – Oversees the overall sound of a film and its process Sound Recording – Takes place simultaneously with the recording of a scene Clapboard (Slate) – The clapboard being snapped designates the beginning of a scene Direct Sound – Sound recorded straight from the source Reflected Sound – Sound recorded after it interacts with its environment Production Mixer – Also called a ‘location sound engineer.’ Responsible for mixing direct sound and reflected sound on scene Room Tone – The aural properties of a location that are recorded and then mixed in with dialogue and other tracks to achieve a more realistic sound

Sound Production Postproduction Sound The process of editing sound for a final cut of a film “Sound editing interacts with the image track to create rhythmic relationships, establish connections, between sound and onscreen sources, an smooth or mark transitions” Sound Bridge – When sound carries over a visual transition in the film Spotting – Evaluating the film for scoring and other cues Sound Reproduction – The final stage where the audience experiences the sound Sound Bridge Example

Sound Production Postproduction Sound – Foley Artist People who create and record sounds for film. Foley Artist Gary Hecker

Sound Production Postproduction Sound – Automatic Dialogue Replacement (ADR) Actors will dub their lines in a studio after the scene has already been shot

Sound Production Postproduction Sound – Sound Mixing Combining all the sound effects and/or music and balancing the individual sound levels so all sounds are effectively heard.

Voice Voice in Film – What the actors say is crucial. They are often mic’d to ensure quality. Dialogue – capturing multiple voices is easiest when each actor is mic’d. Overlapping dialogue – recording all actors individually and then mixing them later in Post Voice-Off – The presence of the speaker is implied but not seen Voiceover – characters within the diegesis cannot hear voice-over. i.e. Talking Heads – on camera interviews Walla – Background crowd murmur that’s sets the tone/mood of the scene

Music Film Composer – creates original score for the film under the direction of the director Film music provides rhythm and deepens the emotional response of the audience. Narrative Music – nondiegetic music added to the background to raise the emotional response of the audience and add another layer of depth and complexity. Also referred to as ‘the score.’ Prerecorded Music – Popular music has always been a part of film soundtracks, but is has grown in popularity in recent years with growing demand for young adult films.

Music Film Scoring Options Narrative Cueing – The way that music tells us what is happening in the plot Motif – Themes assigned to particular figures Mickey-Mousing – Overillustrating the action through the musical score, drawn from the conventions of composing for cartoons Stinger – Sound that forces the audience to notice the significance of something onscreen, such as the ominous chord struck when the villain’s presence is made known Film Music Recording Example Character Themes Example

Music Parallelism - An instance in which the soundtrack reinforces the image, such as synchronized dialogue or sound effects or a voiceover that is consistent with what is displayed onscreen Counterpoint - Using sound to indicate a different meaning or association than the image *These terms are vague, avoid using them on their own. Rather, use them to support the intended mood of the scene.