S o u n d Film Literacy

The Silent Screen For the first 30 years of cinema audiences watched films that were silent. Any dialog or useful information were written on “title cards”. Music was often provided but this was preformed live.

The Advent of Sound In 1927 The Jazz Singer made its cinematic debut ushering in the use of recorded sound in movies.

The Power of Sound Early Pioneers quickly realized that sound opened up a whole new world of possibilities and was pushed and explored rapidly.

Synchronous Sound Synchronous sound is sound that is matched to certain movements occurring in the scene e.g when footsteps correspond to feet walking. Synchronous sound includes all noises whose origins can be seen on-screen: in a "two-shot" conversation between two lovers you simultaneously see their lips flapping and hear the words they speak. In a barroom brawl you see and hear the chair crash over the cowboy's head.

Non-Synchronous Sound Nonsynchronous sound is any noise whose origin you can't see.

Diegetic Sound Sound whose source 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 Diegetic sound is any sound presented as originated from source within the film's world Digetic sound can be either on screen or off screen depending on whatever its source is within the frame or outside the frame.

Non-Diegetic Sound Sound whose 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 Non-diegetic sound is represented as coming from the a source outside story space.

Realism Classicism Formalism Synchronous Non Synchronous Diegetic Non Diegetic

Dialog Spoken word and often a conversation between two or more persons; also : a similar exchange between a person and something else (as a computer)

Voice Over a piece of narration in a movie or broadcast, not accompanied by an image of the speaker.

Musical A movie in which singing and dancing play an essential part. Musicals developed from light opera in the early 20th century.

Sound Effects A sound other than speech or music made artificially for use in a play, movie, or other broadcast production.

Foley Artist Foley is the reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to film, video, and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality. These reproduced sounds can be anything from the swishing of clothing and footsteps to squeaky doors and breaking glass.

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