CHAPTER 5: “SOUND” STUDY GUIDE
“Cinematic sound…does not simply add to, but multiplies, tow or three times, the effect of the
image.” --Akira Kurosawa, filmmaker
Sound defined as: the sensation of hearing to convey a certain impression
KEY CONCEPT: initially, the limited equipment required “simultaneous [synchronous]
recording of sound and image—the camera was restricted to one position, the actors couldn’t
move far from the microphone, and editing was restricted to its most minimal function: primary
scene changes. The major source of meaning was the dialogue. The images tended merely to
illustrate the soundtrack.” (p. 219-220)
THUS, formalist directors vs. realistic directors—and their styles—developed different
approaches; synchronous sound vs. nonsynchronous, role of dubbing, use of close-ups, technique
of sound montage, etc…
SOUND EFFECTS:
“multiple layers of sound are synthesized (mixed) in a studio rather than recorded in reality; the pitch,
volume and tempo of sound effects can strongly affect our responses to any noise” (225)
- pitch (effect of high vs. low)
- volume “
“
- tempo
- off-screen sounds bring off-screen space into play: the sound expands the image beyond the
confines of the frame; we [the viewer] tend to fear what we can’t see (p. 226)
MUSIC:
“a highly abstract art, tending toward pure form; words make music more concrete, thus both words and
music convey meanings, but each in a different manner” (229)
- be an overture (opening credits) to suggest an overall mood (or theme) of the film
- suggest locales, classes or ethnic groups
- serve as foreshadowing {think Hitchcock}
- control emotional shifts within a scene
- provide ironic contrast (“predominant mood of a scene can be neutralized or even reversed with
contrasting music”)
- develop characterization
 use of song lyrics can further develop characterization, themes, or foreshadowing, and even
further enhance dialogue
MUSICALS (p. 237-241)
-
popular genre, features song and dance
realistic musicals generally focus on a “backstage” story; production numbers are “dramatically
plausible”
formalistic musicals “make no pretense at realism”; characters may burst out with song or dance
in the middle of a scene; “everything is heightened and stylized including sets, costumes, &
acting
SPOKEN LANGUAGE (p. 241-254)
-
language in film can be as complex as literature or not; “some filmmakers may wish to emphasize
other aspects of their art”
film, like the stage, utilizes the spoken word through actors voice inflections; take, for example,
the following possibilities:
I will see him tomorrow. [implying: not you or anyone else, just me!]
I will see him tomorrow. [implying: I don’t care if you approve or not!]
I will see him tomorrow. [implying: but that’s all that I will do!]
I will see him tomorrow. [implying: I won’t be seeing anyone else!]
I will see him tomorrow. [implying: not today—or any other time!] (p. 242)
-
-
-
-
“Because language is spoken in movies and plays, the two mediums enjoy an advantage over
printed language in that the words of a text can be juxtaposed with the ideas and emotions of the
subtext (those implicit meanings behind the language of a film or script)” (p. 243)
“Movies can extend the meanings of language by contrasting spoken words with images; the
sentence ‘I will see him tomorrow’ acquires still other meanings when the image shows the
speaker smiling, for example, or frowning, or looking determined: all sorts of juxtapositions are
possible” (p. 245)
“This advantage of simultaneity extends to other sounds; music and sound effects can modify the
meanings of words considerably.” (p. 246)
“Movies contain two types of spoken language: the monologue and dialogue. Monologues are
often associated with documentaries, in which an off-screen narrator provides the audience with
factual information accompanying the visuals…Monologues have also been used in fiction films.
This technique is especially useful in condensing events and time.”
“Off-screen narration tends to give a movie a sense of objectivity and often an air of
predestination…while interior monologues convey what a character is thinking” (p. 247 – 249)
“Foreign language movies are shown either in dubbed versions or in their original language, with
written subtitles.” (p. 252)
“ ‘…sound permits a director more visual freedom, not less; because speech can reveal a person’s
class, region, occupation, prejudices, and so forth, the director doesn’t need to waste time
establishing these facts visually.” (p. 253)
CONCLUSION
“In analyzing a movie’s sound, we should ask ourselves how sound is orchestrated in each scene. Is
the sound distorted? Why? Is the sound edited down and simplified or dense and complex? Is there any
symbolism in the use of sound? Does the film employ repeated motifs? How is silence used? What type
of musical score does the film feature? Is the score original or derived from outside sources? What type
of instruments is used? How many? A full orchestra? A small combo? A solo instrument? Is music
used to underline speech or is it employed only for action scenes? Or not at all? How is language used?
Is the dialogue spare and functional? Or “literary” and richly textured? Does everyone speak the
standard dialect or are there regional accents? How does dialogue correlate with class? What about the
subtext, the emotional implications beneath the dialogue? How do we know what the characters want if
they don’t talk about it? What about language choice? Any fancy words? Swearing and coarse
expressions? Is there a voice-over narrator? Why was he or she chosen to narrate the story? Why not
another character?” (p. 253 – 254)