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Audio Techniques
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Welcome Back!
Please take out your notebook and a pen/pencil for notes today.
3 Ways To Read Film:Literary Dramatic Cinematic
Aspects that film shares with literature:
Plot Characters Setting Props Costumes Themes Point of View Recurring images Symbols
Aspects the film shares with live drama:
Dialogue Use of Voice Speed/Pacing Emotion
Actions of the actorsGestures Speed/Pacing (physical) Emotions
Costumes Makeup (essential in establishing characters)
Sets
Aspects of film that include the following:
Audio TechniquesSound editing
Visual TechniquesTypes of camera shots FocusLighting
Editing
Written Techniques Special visual effects
Audio Techniques
SoundsSound can achieve strong effects yet remain unnoticeable.
There are 4 main kinds of sound in movies:• Dialogue• Sound effects
• Music• Voice-over
Some of these are diegetic sounds-sounds that could be heard logically by the characters within a film.
These are nondiegetic. These are sounds that could not be heard by characters; sound given directly to the audience by the director.
Sound in a film impacts our perceptions & interpretations
Voice Over/Narration: this can clarify the action taking place on the screen as well as correct images we may misinterpret. Think about the opening of various movies—Lord of the Rings when the opportunity to destroy the ring was lost; End of Watch when the officer is explaining what he does on the job, etc.
Voice Over/Narration affects what we-the audience- know/feel about a subject. Can the narrator be trusted? Do we know more/less than the characters at a certain point and why?
Sounds can also contradict/challenge what we see on the screen.
-happy music with a sad scene
-voice over/narration says one thing, but images show something different
Visual Techniques
Directors also use the framing and shots to show the audience what they want them to see. There are many different kinds of shots directors can use to accomplish this, but the following examples will focus on the three most common:
•Long shots•Close shots•Medium shots
This is a long shot. Notice that this is taken from some distance. This shows the full subject—from head to toe-- and perhaps the surrounding scene.
This is a close up, and in a close up the image being shot takes up at least 80% of the frame.
Medium Shot: this is between the long shot and close shot. People are seen from the waist up.
Angles: Positioning of the camera
We will take a look at 4 camera positions:
1)Straight on angle 2)High angle3)Low angle 4)Dutch angle
The Straight on angle is eye level. The positioning of the camera is neutral. The actors and audience are eye level looking at each other, if you will. They are equals symbolically.
With a high angle, the camera is above the subjects and looks down. Symbolically, this can mean that the subject(s) are small, weak, powerless, and inferior. Or, it could simply be a technique used to show the location!
With a low angle, the camera is below the subjects. Symbolically, this can mean that the subject(s) are larger, more powerful, dominant, and or important. Or, it could simply be a technique used to look up!
The Dutch angle is when the camera is tilted so the image and or subjects are off kilter or off balance. Symbolically this could mean that things are emotionally imbalanced.
Camera Movement:Basically, how the camera moves
There are 4 techniques we examine:
1)Pan2)Tilt3)Zoom4)Dolly
PanThis is when the camera is moved horizontally from left to right or right to left.
TiltThis is when the camera is moved vertically up and down.
ZoomThe camera magnifies an image. Zooming alters the focal length of the lens to give the illusion of moving closer to or further away from the action.
Dolly
This is like zooming, but the camera moves closer or further from the subject while simultaneously adjusting the zoom angle to keep the subject the same size in the frame. The effect is that the subject appears stationary while the background size changes (this is called perspective distortion).
3) The duration of the shot, basically, is the length of the shot. How long does the director stay on the subject(s)? The duration is an un-cut, unedited & uninterrupted sequence shot in real-time.
Next, rack focus is a technique which allows the director to shift the audience’s attention (or focus) from one object to another in the same shot without cutting the scene.
2) Framing of the shot: How
the object will be positioned
within the shot, or how much
of the frame of the movie
screen the object will occupy.
The video clip will show you
some examples of this.
LightingLighting really sets the stage for the feeling
of the movie. Lighting can be bright, natural, neutral, dim, scary, romantic,
dream-like, or anything else. The use of light in film is very deliberate.
This example of low light, from the 1999 version of The Mummy, creates a feeling of mystery. Low-key lighting is when the scene is flooded with shadows and darkness. Usually this creates suspense or suspicion.
High-key light is when the scene is flooded with light, creating a bright and open looking scene. Free from shadows
Neutral-key light is neither light nor dark. The goal is even lighting throughout the shot.
An example of side key-light from the film poster for Martin Scorsese’s 2010 Shutter Island. The light hits only one side of the subject’s face, suggesting things are mysterious or not what they seem.
This movie still (also from Shutter Island) is an example of Front / Rear-key light. This is direct lighting on the face or back of a subject . It may suggest innocence due to the “halo” effect on the subject.
Other things to look for…• Color symbolism/scheme
• Archival footage : material obtained from a film library or archive and inserted into a documentary to show historical events or to add detail without the need for additional filming.
• Re-enactments: artificial scenes of an event which has been reconstructed and acted out on film based on information of the event.
• Narrative Montage: a visual representation of the characters thoughts to help the viewer better understand what the character is saying. It visually presents a progression of ideas on a screen
• Direct Interviews: we see both interviewer and interviewee
• Indirect Interview: we only see the interviewee
Editing
• This is where the entire film comes together!• Editing can make or break a film.
A “cut”One piece of film is cut and attached to another piece. The result is a second of black before the next scene appears. This is a lot like the blink of an eye!
FadeThe on-screen image slowly fades away and the entire screen is black for a time before a new image fades in.
Significance…This edit may be used to show the end of one scene or the passing of time.
With this, we know something has happened, but it is left to the audience to interpret exactly what happened.
CrosscutWith this, the director is showing events happening in different spaces at the same time. This can be used to create suspense, or create links between characters, themes, or plots.
Other types of editing…• Flash-back or flash-forward (time
jumping or sequencing)
Written Techniques/GraphicsWritten information given to the
viewer on the screen.
Groups of 4
• Lighting• Camera Angles and Shots*• Sound*• Setting (& Costumes- if applicable)
In your notes, write down what you see and hear. What are the cinematic elements the director and editors use?
After, we will address the effect (or intended effect) these techniques have on the message and the viewers.
