Unit 22-Technical features - Sound Design

Sound Design - Task 1

--Soundtrack-- 

Amongst the epic stunts and gripping technology, the scene which shows stunning sound design is the train scene seen in Mission Impossible. The use of a soundtrack at the beginning of the scene, where the actor is alone with a lady. The music style is quite serene and slow violin notes which humbles the atmosphere and emphasizes on control and stability. Therefore the audience feel secure and safe , the use of this music  drifts the audience away from thinking negatively and so they can escape the intensity, feeling a more warmer mood.

The director may have wanted to use this sound technique in order to show two sides to a situation in this scene the music starts off calm and still but soon changes and is more upbeat and demanding. This reflects the scene and the character, they're calm and contained with the situation and then with the music decide to also become demanding by as we see later Tom Cruise going to get revenge. This technique is effective to an audience watching because it eases everything that is happening for them, music is often a way of telling a story and when it is put together with a plot line then it is even more simpler, ultimately the audience gain pleasure from understanding , and the more you can understand what is going on the more you'll be able to be entertain and follow on smoothly. 

--Foley Sound-- 

In addition, the same scene uses Foley sound, this is displayed during the fight scene, where the punches and kicks are dramatic allowing the audience to stay engaged and champion on the two opponents. It is natural for us humans to enjoy watching a fight, it makes us feel a level of excitement, it is clear that the sounds are artificial as you wouldn't hear these sounds so loudly naturally in a fight, however, the realism lies where the actors continuously strike at each other, which to the audience of perhaps young teens is real enough. This therefore entertains the audience, and almost gives them a sense of catharsis. I think that if there was real sounds, then it wouldn't be so effective because it wouldn't sound like they're attacking each other.   

--Diegetic and Non-Diegetic Sound--

Diegetic sound is any sound that the character or characters on screen can hear. So for example the sound of one character talking to another would be diegetic. Non-diegetic sound is any sound that the audience can hear but the characters on screen cannot. Any background music is a prime example of non-diegetic sound. This clip from Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead simultaneously depicts both diegetic and non-diegetic sound. The sounds of the characters speaking, the records flying, and the zombies are all diegetic; the characters can hear them. Whereas, the beats and riffs of the background music serves as an example of non-diegetic sound that goes unheard by Shaun, Pete, and the menacing zombies.

--Sound Perspective--

Sound perspective is where the audience can hear another character or thing in the background, but the sound isn't particularly loud. This is often at a distance point.   Sound perspective can give us clues as to who and where is present in a scene and their relative importance to the film’s narrative/story line. This clip from the opening sequence of the film Touch of Evil ',that shows a good use of sound perspective.  The sound’s distance is made obvious by the fading and increasing volume of the car’s music and people’s voices as they move toward or away from the camera.  In this example sound contributes to point of view; we hear what the characters hear as they navigate the streets of a border town on foot.

--Voice Over--

A voice over is a sound technique used to almost narrate a scene, it is done by recording the character speaking and placing this over the scene. I reckon this is done to express the characters feelings or emotions or even thoughts , because a narration or voice over is almost a first hand experience, so the audience feel like the character is talking to them. A voice over can be done in the first person or as we see in the clip below in the third person. This is done to provide us with a story about the characters events which helps us make sense of the story.  I have found this clip from youtube , which I think best displays what a voice over sounds like. 'The Royal Tenenbaums', is a film which tells a story of a young girl abandoned by her parents and then adopted by new owners, the voice over tells us all of this.