Write-Up #9 Assignment
Saving Private Ryan (1998) Steven Spielberg
HUM 110: Introduction to American Film
JC Clapp, North Seattle College
Focus/Topic of Write-Up: Sound
Sound in films includes dialogue (text, volume, pitch, acoustic qualities, voice-overs), sound
effects (functions and characteristics), and music (patterns, lyrics, tempo, volume,
instrumentation, cultural significance). Music, specifically, is used to communicate moods and
evoke emotional responses in the audience.
Your Task (What your Write-Up should include):
Choose one scene in Saving Private Ryan where you found the sound to be particularly
interesting and then analyze how the various aspects of sound affect the scene. You may NOT
choose the opening battle scene, however! Choose another scene! Go into depth and point out
how sound is used in that one scene (or how silence is used). How does it create a mood or
evoke an emotional response in the viewer? How does the choice of music affect the scene?
(Note that you do not have to focus on music at al here, you may choose any aspect of sound
that interests you.)
What your Write-Up should not include:
 a review (don’t tell us whether or not you liked the film or music– at all)
 a biography of the director or actors or a synopsis of what the director/actors say in the
“Director’s Cut” of the film
 the use of any research
 a plot summary (don’t tell us what happens in the film – at all.)
 an analysis of sound in the film as a whole – stick to just one scene
Grading Criteria (20 points): I will be looking for these elements when grading your Write-Up:
 Choice of one scene from the film and an analysis of the use of sound in that scene
 A minimum of 500 words (about 2+ pages)
 A heading that includes the name of the film, the year, and the name of the director
 Assignment typed in 12 pt. font, double spaced, and has 1 inch margins
 No response, critique, review, evaluation, or reaction
 No ideas or word used from any other source
 Grammatically correct and proofread – if there are extensive problems in this category,
the paper as a whole will not earn more than 13 points.