Film SoundFilm Sound

Chapter 8: Sound Effects and Dialogue

3D Sound in 3D Sound in FilmFilm

Citizen KaneConsidered the first modern sound film due to influence of Orson Wells and his background in radio.Varied sound quality • Volume, clarity,

reverberation and tonal qualities

• Changed position of sound effects relative to the camera.

Development of Cinerama and six-track stereophonic sound.

1950’s Cinerama Developed followed by Cinemascope

3D Sound in Film3D Sound in Film Dolby Sound was

developed in the 70’s and continues to be refined.

Achieves a 360 degree sound environment.Clockwork Orange was the first film to use Dolby-NR

SDDS (Sony Dynamic Digital Sound) introduced in 1990’s supports 7.1 surround sound environment.

Uses both edges of the film track. With redundant optical track.

Diegetic Sound Diegetic Sound vs. Non-Diegetic vs. Non-Diegetic

SoundSoundDiegetic Sound is sound that has a source

within the story world of the film.Dialogue, Sounds made by objects seen in the story world, and music created by instruments within the story world.

Non-Diegetic sound is represented as coming from outside of the story world.

Omniscient Narrator or Music added to heighten the emotional impact of the story,

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Notice how the filmmaker Notice how the filmmaker (Brooks) fools the audience (Brooks) fools the audience by flipping from “apparent” by flipping from “apparent”

non-diegetic to diegetic non-diegetic to diegetic sound in the middle of this sound in the middle of this clip from Blazing Saddlesclip from Blazing Saddles

Layered SoundLayered Sound

Contemporary Films today use layered sound to achieve a realistic depth in the sound environment.

Sound can actively shape how we perceive and interpret the image. Its ability to connect emotionally is often very powerful

Film sound can direct our attention to a specific event. • A creaking floor or the slow, squeaky turn of a door knob.

Sound can cue us to form expectations.• A siren approaching, Footsteps on a path

Sound can give new value to silence.• Clarice in the Darkness being stalked by Hannibal Lecter

The Sound MixThe Sound Mix

• Dialogue• ADR (Automatic

Dialogue Replacement – Dubbing)

• Foley

• Original Music• Soundtrack

(diegetic and non-diegetic)

• Sound effects

The Four The Four Dimensions of Dimensions of

Film SoundFilm Sound

RhythmFidelitySpaceTime

Rhythm in Film Rhythm in Film SoundSound

Because sound occupies a duration, it has a Rhythm.

Rhythm involves, minimally:1. A beat, or pulse; 2. A tempo, or pace; 3. A pattern of accents, or

stronger and weaker beats.

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Notice the rhythm of music in Notice the rhythm of music in the following scene. What kind the following scene. What kind

of feelings does it convey or of feelings does it convey or provoke? How would you provoke? How would you

describe the rhythm?describe the rhythm?

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Now listen to this next scene. Now listen to this next scene. Again, notice the rhythm of Again, notice the rhythm of

the music. How are the the music. How are the feelings evoked different feelings evoked different

than those of the previous than those of the previous scene? How would you scene? How would you describe this rhythm?describe this rhythm?

FidelityFidelity

Fidelity refers to the extent to which the sound is faithful to the source as we conceive it.

Fidelity has nothing to do with what originally made the sound in production.

Fidelity is purely a matter of expectation.

Fidelity can be applied to all three types of sound (Speech, Music, and Sound Fx)

Sound SpaceSound Space

Sound has a spatial dimension because it comes from a source.

Sound creates the sense of space or a three-dimensional environment through the use of Diegetic and Nondiegetic sound.

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Notice how the Notice how the Diegetic Sound that Diegetic Sound that happens within this happens within this

clip from Cold clip from Cold Mountain helps to Mountain helps to shape the spaceshape the space

Sound & TimeSound & Time

Sound takes place in time and can be used to manipulate time or represent time in a variety of ways.

Simultaneous sound is sound that takes place at the same time as the image in terms of story events (most sounds fall into this category)Non-simultaneous sound describes sound that we hear at the same time as the present image, but that represents a moment from the past or from the future.

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Notice how the voice-Notice how the voice-over dialogue in this over dialogue in this sequence of scenes sequence of scenes

from from The English The English PatientPatient originates in originates in one time frame (the one time frame (the present), while the present), while the

images show another images show another time frame (the past).time frame (the past).

Special Effects in Special Effects in SoundSound

Using sound to tell the inner storyTo reinforce the emotional struggle of the character

• Pile Driver and mechanical waterfront sounds to support the inner struggle that Terry Malloy faces in confession of a murder.

Distortion of Sound – Subjective POVSound reflect the inner psychosis of a character.

Slow-Motion SoundThe power of a single punch in Raging Bull.

Texture in Texture in DialogueDialogue

Robert Altman is most noted for his use of layered dialogue in films like M*A*S*H, Nashville, and Gosford Park.

Layered dialogue appears more naturalBlending of ambient sounds with dialogueAltman weaves visual and aural elements together into a equal blend that creates a unique texture in film.

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Listen to the layers of Listen to the layers of dialogue and ambient dialogue and ambient

sound that are blended sound that are blended together in this clip from together in this clip from Robert Altman’s Gosford Robert Altman’s Gosford

ParkPark

The Sound The Sound BridgeBridge

A split edit essentially bridges two shots with sound.

the audio track transitions at a different time than the video. The sound from the first of the two clips may continue several seconds after the visual transition has taken place, or the sound from the second clip may begin several seconds before the visual transition takes place. In either case, sound is used to bridge the two shots. 

Sound Bridge: Sound Bridge: Audio Leads Video Audio Leads Video 

In this scene, a Vietnam veteran opens up to a friend about the war.

The scene is a two-shot of the two men.

As the vet recounts what the nights were like in the jungle, the shot zooms to a close-up of his face. Sweat is visible on his brow and upper lip.

As we see him talk, we begin to hear the sound of machine gun fire, mortars, people yelling and loud explosions. (Sound Bridge)

As we see him talk, we hear what his mind hears and slowly, the video dissolves to a war scene and we are inside his head, experiencing the terror and chaos of war. 

Sound Bridge: Sound Bridge: Video Leads AudioVideo Leads Audio

Again the two men talk about the war. We see the anguished face of the Vietnam vet as he begins to tell his story.

The video slowly dissolves to a black-and-white shot of a platoon of men, including the vet himself, as they come under fire in the jungle. We see the war, but continue to hear the vet as he describes what he remembers. (Sound Bridge)

Guns blaze and dirt flies as mortars explode, but the sounds of the explosions and machine guns are secondary to the voice of the vet.

FoleyFoley

Sound Effects developed by human activity within the film frame.

Created by a Foley ArtistComes from the first Foley Artist: Jack Foley

Short film on Foley work:

TermsTerms

Rhythm Fidelity Sound Space Time & Sound Simultaneous Sound Non-Simultaneous

Sound Voice Over

Dolby Surround Sound

Diegetic Sound Non-Diegetic Sound ADR Foley Sound Effects Layered or Textured

Sound

Assignment:Assignment:Visual Visual

SoundscapeSoundscape

Translate a picture or a group of related pictures into a “Visual Soundscape”.

Imagine what sounds would accompany this picture(s) (e.g.: a moon rising over a foggy wetland forest-what movement do we hear? A taxi cab rushing through a busy intersection-who’s talking in the back seat? An old woman sitting in a rocker on her front porch-what does she see?). Create a soundscape to support the implied mood of the picture or series of pictures.

IMPORTANT: The image doesn't have to be yours, but if you do go to a location to capture an image (or group of images) then you can always gather audio to use as the bed for all the other sounds you add to create your soundscape.

If you use more than one picture all of them must be closely interrelated and cite your sources, even if the pictures and sounds are ones you created or captured.

The use of images available through Creative Commons Attribution is strongly encouraged.

Time limit for this project is approximately (+/-) 1 minute.