COMM 3000 1st EditionLecture 4Early Sound Recording & Film StyleEarly sound technology posed aesthetic problems. – 1928-1931 The movies ceased to move when they began to talk. – camera work and actors became static Editing posed problems – synchronizing sound and image from shot to shot was difficult Sound BoothsCameras were motorized to run at 24 fps. – caused cameras to be loud when operated Cameras had to be placed in soundproof booths.– nicknamed“iceboxes” Early MicrophonesEarly microphones had very little range. – Actors had to speak directly into the microphones. Microphones were hidden in a prop within the scene. – Actors were positioned around the microphone. Sound technicians rose to prominence in Hollywood. – came from the telephone industry – had no understanding of filmmaking – briefly possessed more power than the director – determined where the cameras & microphones would be placed Multicamera ShootingTechnique widely adopted in the early sound period – filming a scene from a variety of vantage points – generally involved three cameras Scenes were shot straight through in their entirety. – Shots from the three cameras were edited together. Ensured that sound and image were synchronous Live Sound RecordingAll sounds for a scene had to be recorded at once. – post synchronization (or post recording) wasn’t possible. – combining multiple sounds that were recorded separately Sound BlimpsHousing attached to the camera – dampened the sound caused by the camera– enabled mobile camera work The Importance of SoundSounds plays a critical role in determining how audiences react to images. Film sound is the product of very specific decisions by the filmmakers. To study sound, we must learn to listen to films. Sound Design● Sound design – the process of recording, mixing, and editing a film’s soundtrackSound DesignerIndividual responsible for creating the sound for a film The sound designer supervises the sound crew. – sound recordist – sound mixer – sound editor – music supervisor – boom operator– foley artistWalter MurchCoined the term Sound Designer – first person to receive credit for sound design Pioneered multi-track recording – Apocalypse Now (1979) – 140 tracks were used Elevated the art of film sound Types of Film SoundThree types of film sound – dialogue – music – sound effects Film sound can be: – diegetic or nondiegetic– on screen or off screen – internal or externalDiegetic and Nondiegetic SoundDiegesis – the world of the story – comes from the Greek word for telling Diegetic sound – sound emanating from a source within the film’s world – sound that can be heard by the characters Nondiegetic sound – sound emanating from a source outside the film’s world – sound that can not be heard by the characters Onscreen and Offscreen SoundOnscreen sound– emanates from a source that wesee – the source of the sound is on screen Offscreen sound– emanates from a source that we cannot see – the source of the sound is off screen Internal SoundThe use of sound to enter a character’s mind – a subjective use of sound The audience hears a character’s thoughts or memories – voice over narration The audience hears sounds through a character’s ears – a naural point of view Contrapuntal SoundThe ironic juxtaposition of sound and image – sound that does not fit the action occurring onscreen This contrast can foster an emotional response.– uneasiness, laughter, etc. Can also prompt the audience to view the scene more critically – to draw connections between the sound and image Asynchronous SoundSound that is not temporally linked with the onscreen action. – sound that is out-of-sync with the film Sound that does not correspond to the onscreen events – sound that does not match what the audience sees Sound BridgeSound from one scene carries over into the next scene – or vice versa – the sound bridges the two scenes A way of transitioning from one scene to another● Often used to draw a connection between two scenesSound PerspectiveThe apparent distance between the listener and the origin of a sound. Provides a sense of a sound’s location within the scene“I like to think that I not only record a sound but the space between me and the sound.” ~Walter Murch, sound designerSound EffectsArtificially created or enhanced sounds There are two main types of sound effects: – ambient sound – foley sound Foley Sound EffectsSound effects recorded and added to a film during post- production – recorded in sync with the movie– often used to create incidental real world sounds Foley ArtistsIndividuals who create foley soundNamed for Jack Foleycredited with inventing the art of foleyIt was common to use prerecorded sound effects. Jack Foley used synchronized soundscreated sound specifically for a movie created a greater sense of realismSilenceSilence can be a powerful part of a film’s soundtrack Frustrates the audience’s normal perceptions – distances the audience from the action taking place Often prompts the audience to listen more