TV Drama: Sound

Learning Objectives: To develop an understanding of how sound is used in moving image to create meaning for

the viewer.

Lesson AimsLesson Aims

By the end of the lesson you will be able to:• Identify different types of sound

• Deconstruct how sound is used alongside mise en scene and cinematography to communicate meaning about gender representation.

Starter Activity

• Why is sound important in moving image?• How can sound be used to communicate

information about particular characters?• How can sound be used to add realism to the

scene?

Sound and character• Sound creates a sense of character

• Soundtracks can establish whether a a character is good or evil, hero or victim

• Character theme can indicate the status of a character or the impact they have on other characters in the scene

Sound and genre• Sound elements provide a key

indicator to audiences of the genre

• Both diegetic and non-diegetic

• After The Omen (1976) Gregorian chants seemed to be associated with horror films, especially those concerning demonic possession

Sound and Setting

• Both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds can help create information concerning the different settings

• Safe or not• Contemporary or past time• Country

Different types of Sound• Diegetic sound /non diegetic sound

Internal Diegetic

• Any sounds that happen inside the mind of characters.

• Thoughts• Memories

Although not all characters can hear them they are still inside the world of the film and can be heard by some characters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aulRoQTK5HY

Parallel Sound• When sounds and music

compliment the visuals they are referred to as parallel sounds

• Most sound is parallel and reinforces the visual information

• E.g. Fast paced music in action films or slow tense music in horror

Contrapuntal Sound

• When the image and sound do not match

• This is less common but is still used a lot to create strong reactions from audiences

• Used to create tension/unease or comedy

Sound bridge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIkpD2Nr5yI&NR=1

Asynchronous Sound

• Synchronous soundhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iysU_BwybkM

VOICEOVERVOICEOVER

• When a voice, often that of a character in the film, is heard while we see an image of a space and time in which that character is not actually speaking. The voice over is often used to give a sense of a character's subjectivity or to narrate an event told in flashback.

DON’T FORGET…DON’T FORGET…

• Silence – even when there is no sound this can create an impact

• Dialogue – the tone, pitch and volume of actors voices can all contribute to the meaning of a scene or how the audience relate to them

Sound analysis• How does the dialogue between characters

convey their emotions or dominance?

• How does the music create atmosphere?

• What sound effects are evident? How does this add to the realism of the scene?

• How does the sound signify the mood of the scene?

Lesson Task

How is sound, and editing used in a 5 minute scene from Dr Who to construct gender representation?