Below, you will find videos and clips to help you understand the way films use sound to create meaning, enhance impact, and create the illusion of reality: |
BASIC CONCEPT #1 -- MUSICAL SCORE CREATES GENRE, PLOT, CHARACTER, AND TONE: The following video illustrates how the score (the underlying, musical themes) helps create meaning in a film:
BASIC CONCEPT #2 -- DIEGETIC MUSIC AND SOUND IS USED TO FURTHER THE STORY OR PROVIDE SETTING: The following clip illustrates the move from diegetic to non-diegetic music in a film. The initial diegetic music can be heard by the characters and is used to further the story and add to the realism of the setting. The second, non-diegetic, score music cannot be heard by the characters and is used (again) to create tone and characterization.
BASIC CONCEPT #3 -- "AMBIENT SOUND," "PRESENCE," OR "NAT SOUND" CREATES OR ENHANCES REALITY OF THE SETTING AND AIDS WITH THE AUDIENCE'S SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF: The natural, or ambient, sounds in a location (everything from the hum of a florescent light to the sounds of traffic on a nearby highway) aren't usually noticeable until they're missing. Filmmakers make purposeful choices about the background sounds they include. The following video illustrates the importance of :presence," "nat sound," or "ambient sound."
BASIC CONCEPT #4 -- MUCH OF THE DIALOGUE HEARD IN A FILM IS NOT RECORDED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE VISUALS. IT IS RECORDED LATER AND ADDED INTO THE FILM IN A PROCESS CALLED "ADR" OR "LOOPING": The next clip illustrates the concept of "looping" or Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR).
BASIC CONCEPT #4 -- MUCH OF THE DIALOGUE HEARD IN A FILM IS NOT RECORDED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE VISUALS. IT IS RECORDED LATER AND ADDED INTO THE FILM IN A PROCESS CALLED "ADR" OR "LOOPING": The next clip illustrates the concept of "looping" or Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR).
BASIC CONCEPT #5 -- TO SAVE MONEY, MANY BACKGROUND SOUNDS ARE ADDED FROM PRE-RECORDED SOUND EFFECTS LIBRARIES: "Library" or pre=recorded sounds and effects are cheaper than recording new, original sounds. These sounds get used over and over in different films over many years. Some get used so often they get famous. The following clip illustrates one such sound, known as "The Wilhelm Scream."
BASIC CONCEPT #6 -- MOST DIEGETIC SOUNDS ARE CONSTRUCTED AND ADDED POST-PRODUCTION IN A PROCESS CALLED "FOLEY": Foley is the art of laying in all the little sounds (mainly footsteps, cloth, and props) that create the illusion of reality. In most big productions, over 80% of the sounds the audience hears were added in post-production by Foley artists and sound editors. The following video is an excellent demonstration of how the Foley and ADR processes work together.