HITHER GATEMUSIC
HITHER GATEMUSIC
A key aspect of sound design is whether the sound is literal diagetic (an action belongs within the story space and you hear the natural sound that goes with it) or non-literal diagetic (at one end of the spectrum, the natural sound is enhanced, enlarged, made more vivid in some way, and at the other end of the spectrum, the sound is not the natural sound at all, but some other abstract construct that is somehow appropriate and brings out the emotions contained in or implied by the scene – the viewer may very well not notice the sound at all, much less that it is not the natural sound, but does respond to the emotional content and interpret the action accordingly). (See Ben Burtt's comments, SD, p.197)
Both the literal and the non-literal can be within the story space (diagetic, on-screen or off-screen). Off-screen diagetic sounds can direct the viewer's attention to something unseen or about to happen (create anticipation) – NB: still within the 'story space'. Off-screen sounds can also be interior monologue or the character's aural perception in certain circumstances, such as in a drug haze. Music and sounds outside of the story space (non-diagetic 'underscore') include voiceover and background music or abstract sonic events, used to set an overall emotional tone, but not linked to any specific actions within the story.
At all times, the sound designer must decide which sounds to use and how prominent to make them. It is a matter of directing attention, telling the story and enhancing the drama, clarifying and simplifying the soundtrack so that the important material stands out. "As with other film techniques, sound guides the viewer's attention." (Film Art, p. 352).
Placement in time
- simultaneous – occur together with and support the action seen on-screen or hinted at off-screen
- sound is earlier in the story than the images – this is a sonic flashback, such as remembering what someone said some time ago; or a sound bridge, where the sound from one scene continues although the images of the next scene begin
- sound is later in the story than the images – the images are in the past, but the sound is in the present, such as a character speaking in the present about something in the past, while the images from the past are shown. Or, the sound anticipates the action of a scene to come.
Sound Effects
- natural, correct sounds increase the credibility of the action on-screen
- sounds that are enhanced literal or non-literal bring out the emotional subtext in a scene
- sounds, often enhanced literal and with a powerful rhythmic dimension, tend to be central to action sequences
- unusual sounds can evoke the strange, eerie, other-worldly, scary
- create things mechanical (robots, machines, including giving a mechanical dimension to organic entities)
- lack of fidelity (obviously the wrong sound for the action) can be funny or shocking
- silence can be used creatively for contrast or specific emotional effects
Music
- can dominate dance sequences
- is often used for transitional sequences, to help bridge different shots, dialogue or scenes
- appears as underscore for emotion-laden moments without dialogue, often with a subtle fade-in
- can set the mood of a scene: by the overall pace (tempo), the character of the harmonies, the rhythms used and the contour shape of melodic lines
- evokes locations by using music with period, cultural / ethnic associations
- can match the story's narrative development, providing both unity and variety, by using variants of the same melody (variation technique: changes of harmonic landscape, embellishment, contour displacements, rhythmic character, instrumentation)
- summarises the action of the film during the titles and/or the credits
Compiled by A Endrich
Last updated: 14 November 2004