In your assignment you should aim to define and explain as many key terms in your assignment as you can while analysing your examples.
Use an image of the classroom whiteboard , the blog and your own notes. These should include key terms for Music, Dialogue, Voiceover and Sound effects and should include the following :
Functional dialogue.... , spare, often low in mix , used simply for essential information or emotional outbursts. Dialogue is timed to avoid action so you can hear it clearly. Villains don't even get dialogue.
Music : mood rhythm pace
Diegetic Music also low in sound mix...sound effects are highest.
Music combined with sound effects for pace, rhythm and mood. The scene is violent yet upbeat because of the music , and the timing of the sound effects with the music, and the sudden pauses, creates a comic effect.
Song starts diegetic but becomes non-diegetic as scene progresses, Is this naturalistic ? Genre , mood of music matches scene ? Song fits scene in terms of length and structure. Meaning and theme of song ? No dialogue necessary.
Diegetic/non-diegetic music? and sound effects . Non-naturalistic. Emotional realism ( a sound that puts you inside the mind and emotional state of a character)
Sound motif : repeated piece of music the audience associates with specific character or event in the film
Non-naturalistic sound . Often the sound mix in film scenes is artificial and unrealistic to make sure the audience understands key information , or to exaggerate certain points in the story. Is the diegetic music mixed realistically here ?
Spoken word content in film is primarily about creating meaning for the audience , giving them information about genre, characters, and the plot of the film. This particularly applies to voiceover , which is a device that can be used to get the audience inside a character's head ( emotional realism) and to give the audience key information that would otherwise not be spoken aloud.
1 VOICEOVER
Usually the main character has a voiceover , as this is who the audience will find out out most information about and will see the film through their eyes.
The Shawshank Redemption
all elements present
As well as creating meaning , the tone and emotional content of the voiceover can also create mood for the audience.
( traditional , information to audience , warm tone, mood, pace) The Shawshank Redemption roof scene
DIALOGUE
Can be functional , naturalistic or artificial ( anti-naturalistic). Many films use a combination of these. Action films tend to use a lot of functional dialogue as long realistic conversations are not necessarily want the audience wants , and functional dialogue is best suited to action scenes. ( See the Expendables 2 at top of page).
Here are another couple of examples of use of dialogue : note what information the audience is being given about character and plot to create meaning as well as how it is being delivered.
Sound effect ( the train ) used instead of music for emotional realism. It is exaggerated ( hyperreal) and non-naturalistic as it would not be that loud in reality.
Diegetic/non diegetic. Emotional realism. Mood and meaning. Foley.
Naturalistic/non-naturalistic. Minimal dialogue/no music. Sound effects are the main audio element of the scene.
SOUND BRIDGE A sound ( usually a diegetic sound effect) that crosses across two different scenes and acts as a sonic fade between them. Although not realistic, this makes the transition between scenes smoother and may also add to the narrative of the scenes if the chosen sound effect has meaning.
For example , the alarm clock at the end of this scene.
