Contextual Studies: Sound

David Lynch= "Films are 50% visual and 50% sound. Sometimes sound even overplays the visual"

Objectives:

• To look at the importance and the function of sound
• To look at the elements of sound
• To look at the creative uses of sound

Can you have sound without moving images? 

Examples of films that use sound without moving images include:

Derek Jarman's "Blue"  Link to video (part 1)

Chris Marker's "La Jetee" (1962) Link to video (extract)

Silent cinema showings would often have live musical accompanying it.

What is the function of sound?

Sound can provide an aural narrative to a film in the form of dialogue for characters or a narrative voice over.

Example of dialogue pushing a story forward "Donnie Darko"

Sonic ambiance, it can add to the mood/atmosphere.

Example of how sound effects (breathing, heartbeat and blade effects) can add to the atmosphere as well as music "Supernatural"

Emotional or intellectual resonance or dissonance through music.

Key elements of film sound

• Speech (dialogue or narration) 
• Ambient or natural sound
• Sound effects
• Musical score or soundtrack

Use of sound effects

• Heightens drama- abstract or enhanced effects are designed to affect the audience's perception or emotional state Link to "American Sniper" breathing and gun effects are heightened
• Simulate reality- ambient background that underscores and reinforces unity of mise en scene and editing Link to "Lethal Weapon"background chatter at the start

Aesthetic uses of sound

• Impressionistic- harmonious sound that evokes a mood, atmosphere or tone                          Link to "Pushing Daisies"
• Expressionistic- discordant sound that evokes abstract or dark psychological states              Link to "Donnie Darko"
• Asynchronous- sound and visuals are mismatched for dramatic effect                                   Link to "American Psycho" clip

• Diegetic sound- any sound that is intrinsic to the film space or is implied by an action such as speech or performance
• Non-diegetic sound- any sound that is external to the film space such as a voice over or soundtrack

Music as narrative device

• Music underscores or accentuates the visual narrative, emotion or drama
• It can create emotional or intellectual resonance or dissonance
• Use of leitmotifs: a short recurring musical phrase associated with a certain person, place or idea Link to Star Wars "Imperial March"
• Pop songs as a commentary/dramatic device

Modernism vs Postmodernism

• Modernism- an aesthetic and cultural reaction to classicism, it relies on innovations in form, material and techniques to create new modes of rational and progressive expression and representation. It's broadly ideologically utopian (Soviet montage).
• Postmodernism- a reaction to a failure of modernism's objective rationalism. It playfully deconstructs form, fusing disparate elements of high/low culture and meta reference (intertextuality). It's broadly ideologically disruptive.

Use of narration

• First person subjective (monologues or contributors voice)
• "Voice of God" objective commentary (expository narrative, often used in a classic documentary) 
• Conventions of male vs female voices (male being dominant and female being empathetic)
• RP vs regional (authoritative vs authentic)

Overall from this lecture I learnt how important sound (narration, music and sound effects) actually are to a production and for the audience, it can help the push the story forward quickly and effectively.