Sound and music in film

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Approaches to Cinema 1: Film Language and Form Lecture 8: Sound and Music

Transcript of Sound and music in film

Page 1: Sound and music in film

Approaches to Cinema 1: Film Language and Form

Lecture 8: Sound and Music

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properties of sound

sound

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key functions of sound

‘synchronisation of the senses’ (Sergei Eisenstein)

directs our attention within the image

creates expectation

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diegetic sound

sound whose source is from the story world of the film (eg dialogue, music the characters can hear)

non-diegetic sound

sound whose sourceis outside the story world of the film(eg narrator’s commentary, sound effects, score)

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sound editing

sound bridge (cross fading)

internal diegetic sound

Foley sounds

sound mixing (audio post)

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soundscapes

the characteristic types of sound commonly heard in a given location or period

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introduction of sound

first synchronisedsound film,Warner Bros, 1927

standardised Classical Hollywood style

created fully ‘psychologised’ characters

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sound design and technology

multi-track recorders

(Robert Altman, 1975)

development of complex andrealistic soundscapes

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silence

‘the soundtrack invented silence’ (Robert Bresson, cited in A History of Film Music, Mervyn Cooke, 2008: 3)

was silent cinema ever really silent?

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key functions of film music

establishes time and place

foreshadows and develops narrative features

creates emotion

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Classical Hollywood film music

soundtrack composedby Max Steiner

Central and Eastern Europeanimmigrants

music composed in 19th centuryRomantic tradition

1950s: shift towards more tonaland jazz-inflected scores

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pop and rock songs

from 1960s pre-existing musicused to promote film

younger audiences

soundtrack and synergy

influence of music videos

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leitmotif

short distinctivemelody associated with theme or character

micky mousing

music matchesmovement(opposite ofcontrapuntalmusic)