Karina AS Media Blog

Most films are edited with only the dialogue in place and the raw sound in the background of shots. The sound editing usually takes place after the visual edit and will include the stripping of unwanted sounds from each shot, with dialogue either ‘looped’ by actors or replaced with a ‘clean’ dialogue track recorded on set. A technique called ADR allows precise lip sync. Things such as footsteps, doors opening etc are replaced by Foley arrests. These tracks of several recorded separately are known as Foley tracks. ‘Ambient’ sound or reverb will be added to stimulate and match the visual environment of the scene. Other effects may be created entirely by combinations of synthesisers and sampled sounds. For star wars for example, the sound editor included samples of London underground trains to create the effect of spaceships travelling past the camera. It is also common in action sequences for certain effects to be sonically exaggerated (such as gunfire, punches in fights and screeching tyres in chases etc.)
The last element to be added is generally the music which could be anything from a symphonic tune to a pre recorded rock song. Editors will often edit to a ‘temp (temporary) track of some pre existing music. The final stage of sound editing involves creating a mix of all the elements. Nowadays, several mixes will be produced for the films exhibition in different theatrical environments. These are made using proprietary equipment and involves sending different elements in the mix to different channels (speakers), including rear surrounds. The most widely used are DTS (digital theatre systems) and Dolby digital. The desire to recreate the quality of movie soundtracks in the home has led to the growth of home cinema; using DVD’s to carry six-channel (or more)soundtrack information.

Soundtrack music-

A lot of well known characters have their own signified theme tune which emphasises key action moments. Star wars films have many major actors and characters with their own clearly identifiable theme, one of many traditions to emerge from melodrama (which actually means ‘drama with music’). Music is a way to add shape and meaning to an action sequence and it can effectively create mood and emphasise on a certain emotion and drama. In the ‘silent era, accompanying music was seen as an essential part of watching a film and the viewing experience. The tradition continues as soon as the technology became available.

Key terms:

Symphonic- Music performed by an orchestra.
Melody- a distinctive tune
Atonal- music having no established key.
Rhythmic- percussive sounds forming a beat.
Dissonant- Non harmonious combination of sounds or lacking conventional harmonies.

Diagetic and non diagetic sound

DIAGETIC: The term diagetic refers to the world of the film, the fictional space created by every successive shot. Sounds that emerge from sources within the frame are known as diagetic. Those that come from somewhere else are therefore usually non-diagetic, unless it clearly comes from a radio or a stereo in shot.
NON DIAGETIC: These sounds also cannot be heard by the films characters. (Occasionally however, directors play with our expectations). Sometimes we are able to hear a characters thoughts and sometimes a character may address the audience directly to camera. This is rare in mainstream dramatic movies but a voice over narration from one of the characters is not uncommon.

Analysis of films sound notes

People used to have a piano playing beside a film to add to the effect and emotions being portrayed in the film.
diagetic -
voices of characters
sounds made by objects in the story
music represented as coming from instruments in the story space ( = source music)
Digetic sound can be either on screen or off screen depending on whatever its source is within the frame or outside the frame.Another term for diegetic sound is actual sound.
Non diagetic-
The distinction between diegetic or non-diegetic sound depends on our understanding of the conventions of film viewing and listening. We know of that certain sounds are represented as coming from the story world, while others are represented as coming from outside the space of the story events. A play with diegetic and non-diegetic conventions can be used to create ambiguity (horror), or to surprise the audience (comedy).

1. 52/60 HIGH band 4. The guns, chase, bomb and limited time scale were all appropriate for the target audience, which I believe is male. This was a thriller/action adventure and conformed to these genre's conventions.

2. There was slightly too many titles which all seemed to say Rory Cambell on them. Some of them went past too quickly and you couldn't really see what they were even saying. The editing of the titles and credits was really professional and made it look like an actual beginning of a film.

3. When the chase began the music then started to drop and the use of drumming was very effective. It accelerated the pulse of the viewer and engaged them effectively.

4.The camera work was too shaky at the begging which made it look as if was very amature The use of Close Up and Pans from right to left (which was the establishing shot) made the camera work more professional.

5. At the beggining when there was the use of dissolves which made the viewer believe it was going to be a different genre. It also made the timing of the shots move forward in time/setting. Then it went to straight cuts which confomred the conventions becuase the pace quickened and the cutes needed to be straight forward.