Sound & Picture
In this blog i will be talking about how sound in films and TV impact the mood and meaning to a scene or the film/TV programme as a whole. I will be using two examples.
Titanic
Everyone knows the iconic soundtrack of this blockbuster film. Non- Diegetic sound is first introduced into this film with the a woman singing a soft melody which goes perfevtly with what you are seeing on the screen. Another Non-Diegetic sound used in this film is the song 'My heart will go on' which was created by James Horner and written for and sang by Celine Dion. This song uses instruments such as flutes, acoustic guitars and a piano to create this soft, gentle and emotional sound with coincides with the feel of the film as a whole. Another example of Non-Diegetic sound is the scene where the ship is introduced, the music in this scene is happy and sounds almost hopeful with the violins to add a certain kind of grandness into the scene. When the older Rose is talking over a scene which younger Rose is in this is Non-Diegetic because it's almost a voice over of what your watching on screen, this happens a few times in the film.
Diegetic sound is used a lot in this film, the very first scene is a example of Diegetic sound is the sound of a submarine with the screen showing a few seconds of a submarine until it eventually fades into the title Titanic. Another example of Diegetic sound is the scene in which Jack and Rose are at a party underdeck when music is being played. The music that is being played is very fast and rythmic which is totally the opposite to the music which Rose is used to such as the very stiff upper lipped violins, so when she does the Irish Jig it's all new and fast which is represented hugely in the sound. In the scene where Jack draws Rose you can hear the pencil skimming across the paper as he draws her, this is an example of Diegetic sound because it's a sound being made by an object in the scene. Anyone who has seen this scene will know it is an intense scene so not much music is added into it apart from the the instrumental of 'My heart will go on' quietly on in the background which eventually gets louder but it think this lack of music makes a huge impact on the scene, it highlights the fact that there is only them two in their own little bubble with no distraction then when the music fades in its a reminder of the softness of the scene because the music is also very soft and emotional which adds effect.
In the scenes which the older Rose is talking over another scene with the younger Rose i think this could also pass for Internal Diegetic sound because she's describing what she was feeling at that exact time so i think in a way it could pass for Internal, i think it boosts the story because she is quite young and thinks like everyone her age but because of her upbringing she is very stiff and it is almost forbidden for her to ask questions or have any curiosity about anything so it lets you into her mind at the time.
http://cli.ps/xwKU
This link takes you a clip of the flying scene from the Titanic and i feel like the music just carrys this whole scene in the way that the music is quite soft for probably one of the most romantic scene in the whole movie, plus the music feels almost weightless which goes together well with what your seeing on screen, especially the part where she is stood at the front of the ship with her arms open as if she is flying. They also highlighted the sound of the wind going past them to show how fast they are going and that's what it would sound like if you were actually flying.
Apocalypto
Apocalypto won an academy award for best soundtrack in 2006 and is composed by James Horner who also composed Titanic which also won an academy award for best sound. In this film James Horner switched from his usual style of orchestral music to a more foreign type of sound including instruments such as Swedish Bark trumpets and the Tromba Marina which is a triangular bowed string instrument. I feel like the Non-Diegetic sound is way more intense than the Diegetic sound. The obvious major Diegetic sound is the sound of the characters speaking which is present in every film except silent ones of course. The other Diegetic sound i picked up on was when the drums were being played and the tribe are dancing in the scenes before they are being captured.
Non-Diegetic sound features heavily in this film. It's first introduced right at the beggining of the film with an ambient sound playing when the screen is black, the shot eventually fades into a wilderness scene which then makes the scene Diegetic because you then see the boar running out of the bushes, the ambient sound creates a tense atmosphere so when the shot zooms into a bush it builds up into a moment where there is a bang on a drum in the same second that the boar runs out the bush which has a massive effect on the scene. Later on in the film there is another tense moment in the film which is hugely supported by Non-Diegetic sounds such as a man singing quietly over a drum which adds a bit of curiosity to the fact they have come across strangers. Another example of Non-Diegetic sound is the moment that the tribe are being told an old tale round the fire and a flute is being played in the background which adds a really ancient feel to the scene and draws you into the story and into the scene.
In the scene where Jaguar Paw (main character) is dreaming Non-Diegetic sound is used when the a fellow prisoner is holding his intestines. The sound used is a heartbeat quickening and getting louder as the scene progresses. I think this sound carries this scene because it gives what your seeing on screen a sense of feeling like danger is coming towards them at a fast pace and is coming closer and closer to them.
This clip is the chase scene where Jaguar Paw gets chased by a Black Jaguar and i think the sound used or not used rather is great for this scene, their is tribe music being played for a few seconds but then the sound drops to just a quiet ambient sound and the shot moves to a Black Jaguar cub roaring at him which creates a tense few seconds till you hear the massive roar of a fully grown Black Jaguar. When he is actually being chased Non-Diegetic sound appears again in the form of his heavy breathing whilst running, i think this goes amazingly well with the scene because it's highlighting his desperation to get away from the Jaguar.
Diegetic sound is used a lot in this film, the very first scene is a example of Diegetic sound is the sound of a submarine with the screen showing a few seconds of a submarine until it eventually fades into the title Titanic. Another example of Diegetic sound is the scene in which Jack and Rose are at a party underdeck when music is being played. The music that is being played is very fast and rythmic which is totally the opposite to the music which Rose is used to such as the very stiff upper lipped violins, so when she does the Irish Jig it's all new and fast which is represented hugely in the sound. In the scene where Jack draws Rose you can hear the pencil skimming across the paper as he draws her, this is an example of Diegetic sound because it's a sound being made by an object in the scene. Anyone who has seen this scene will know it is an intense scene so not much music is added into it apart from the the instrumental of 'My heart will go on' quietly on in the background which eventually gets louder but it think this lack of music makes a huge impact on the scene, it highlights the fact that there is only them two in their own little bubble with no distraction then when the music fades in its a reminder of the softness of the scene because the music is also very soft and emotional which adds effect.
In the scenes which the older Rose is talking over another scene with the younger Rose i think this could also pass for Internal Diegetic sound because she's describing what she was feeling at that exact time so i think in a way it could pass for Internal, i think it boosts the story because she is quite young and thinks like everyone her age but because of her upbringing she is very stiff and it is almost forbidden for her to ask questions or have any curiosity about anything so it lets you into her mind at the time.
http://cli.ps/xwKU
This link takes you a clip of the flying scene from the Titanic and i feel like the music just carrys this whole scene in the way that the music is quite soft for probably one of the most romantic scene in the whole movie, plus the music feels almost weightless which goes together well with what your seeing on screen, especially the part where she is stood at the front of the ship with her arms open as if she is flying. They also highlighted the sound of the wind going past them to show how fast they are going and that's what it would sound like if you were actually flying.
Apocalypto
Apocalypto won an academy award for best soundtrack in 2006 and is composed by James Horner who also composed Titanic which also won an academy award for best sound. In this film James Horner switched from his usual style of orchestral music to a more foreign type of sound including instruments such as Swedish Bark trumpets and the Tromba Marina which is a triangular bowed string instrument. I feel like the Non-Diegetic sound is way more intense than the Diegetic sound. The obvious major Diegetic sound is the sound of the characters speaking which is present in every film except silent ones of course. The other Diegetic sound i picked up on was when the drums were being played and the tribe are dancing in the scenes before they are being captured.
Non-Diegetic sound features heavily in this film. It's first introduced right at the beggining of the film with an ambient sound playing when the screen is black, the shot eventually fades into a wilderness scene which then makes the scene Diegetic because you then see the boar running out of the bushes, the ambient sound creates a tense atmosphere so when the shot zooms into a bush it builds up into a moment where there is a bang on a drum in the same second that the boar runs out the bush which has a massive effect on the scene. Later on in the film there is another tense moment in the film which is hugely supported by Non-Diegetic sounds such as a man singing quietly over a drum which adds a bit of curiosity to the fact they have come across strangers. Another example of Non-Diegetic sound is the moment that the tribe are being told an old tale round the fire and a flute is being played in the background which adds a really ancient feel to the scene and draws you into the story and into the scene.
In the scene where Jaguar Paw (main character) is dreaming Non-Diegetic sound is used when the a fellow prisoner is holding his intestines. The sound used is a heartbeat quickening and getting louder as the scene progresses. I think this sound carries this scene because it gives what your seeing on screen a sense of feeling like danger is coming towards them at a fast pace and is coming closer and closer to them.
This clip is the chase scene where Jaguar Paw gets chased by a Black Jaguar and i think the sound used or not used rather is great for this scene, their is tribe music being played for a few seconds but then the sound drops to just a quiet ambient sound and the shot moves to a Black Jaguar cub roaring at him which creates a tense few seconds till you hear the massive roar of a fully grown Black Jaguar. When he is actually being chased Non-Diegetic sound appears again in the form of his heavy breathing whilst running, i think this goes amazingly well with the scene because it's highlighting his desperation to get away from the Jaguar.
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