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This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with its author and due acknowledgement must always be made of the use of any material contained in, or derived from, this thesis. 1 blank 2 COLLABORATION AND INTEGRATION: A Method of Advancing Film Sound Based on The Coen Brothers' Use of Sound and Their Mode of Production Two volumes: volume 1 Randall Barnes A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Bournemouth University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy November 2005 3 Randall Barnes COLLABORATION AND INTEGRATION: A Method of Advancing Film Sound Based on The Coen Brothers' Use of Sound and Their Mode of Production For the majority of cinema history, the film industry has treated sound as a less integral ingredient in the filmmaking process. This has translated into working practices that have marginalised sound's contribution and have divided personnel. Joel and Ethan Coen's mode of production stands in contrast to a majority of those currently working in the film industry. They foreground sound's contribution by priming their scripts for sound, involving their sound personnel sooner and by encouraging close collaboration between those responsible for the soundtrack. The Coens' model serves as a way of highlighting sound's importance and as way of generating more integrated soundtracks. As such, filmmakers should build upon their mode of production; a notion supported by other professionals and educational institutions. By advocating this alternative way of working, future filmmakers can be encouraged to reassess sound's role in film construction. 4 COLLABORATION AND INTEGRATION: A Method of Advancing Film Sound Based on The Coen Brothers' Use of Sound and Their Mode of Production Volume 1 Copyright Statement page i Title page iii Abstract page iv Contents page v Acknowledgments page ix Dedication page xi Author's Note page xii Introduction page 13 Literature Review page 18 General Overview of the Literature Foundational Texts in Film Sound Theory Film Sound History Joel and Ethan Coen Methodology page 55 Part 1 The Historical Context page 63 Early Developments of Sound Recording and Reproduction The Studio-Era: 1930-1965 Post-Studio Era: 1965-present 5 Part 2 Coen Independence: The Commodity of Originality page 101 Origins of Independence Models of Independence The Coens' Approach to the Narrative and Finance Hollywood Tradition and Infighting The Coen Mode of Production Part 3 How the Coen Brothers' Mode of Production page 154 Influences the Sound Content of their Films Part 4 Interpretations of the Sound page 171 of the Coen Brothers' Films Introduction: Internal and External Factors BARTON FINK: The Atmospheric Sounds of the Creative Mind Sound and Music Made 'BLOOD' SIMPLE The Sound of Comedy: Music, Dialogue and Sound Effects in RAISING ARIZONA Aural Counterpoint: Stylised Sound in MILLER'S CROSSING Film Worlds in Contrast: Sound in THE HUDSUCKER PROXY and FARGO Defining Characters with Sound: The Dialogue and Music of THE BIG LEBOWSKI The Unusual Musical: O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? The Internal Nature of THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE Journeys in commercialism: INTOLERABLE CRUELTY and THE LADYKILLERS Conclusion Recommendations based on the Coen Model page 272 6 Volume 2 Title page 290 Contents page 291 Appendices: A: The Nature of Sound and page 293 Its Unique Impact on Filmmaking Sound’s General Influence on the Narrative Film Sound: MUSIC Film Sound: NOISE and AMBIENT EFFECTS Film Sound: THE VOICE B: The Historical Development of Sound page 328 Technology and its Impact on Filmmaking Practices and Styles Early Developments in the History of Sound Recording and Reproduction The Origins of Competition Sound Film and the Part-Talkie The First All-Talkies: Difficulties and Improvements Reinventing Film Forms and Foreign Markets Standardisation and New Technology Early Unconventional Uses of Sound: European and American Creative Fidelity: KING KONG and CITIZEN KANE The Historical Development of Magnetic Sound Magnetic Sound Film Formats Stylistic Uses of Music Post-WWII to 1959 Sound Effects Stylists Post-WWII to 1959 The first big wave in stylised sound: Films and filmmakers from 1960-1971 Hitchcock’s horror and other sonic chillers Foregrounding Film Sound as an Artistic Expression: Jean-Luc Godard The Re-contextualisation of Music: Stanley Kubrick The Dolby Sound Revolution Sound Gains Recognition: The Work of Walter Murch, Ben Burtt and Alan Splet 7 C: The Coen’s Use of Sound: Main Themes page 443 Narrative Echoes: the Use of Aural Repetition Hyperreal Worlds: Sound and Setting D: Interview Transcripts page 462 Interviews with Skip Lievsay Interview with Carter Burwell Interview with Larry Sider Interview with Bob Last E: Personal Emails page 548 Emails from Skip Lievsay Emails from Carter Burwell Email from Ren Klyce Emails from Randy Thom Emails from Larry Sider F: Sound Interpretations of Non-Coen Brothers’ page 558 films: Earlier Papers by the Author Reality Stretching: The Use of Sound in David Lynch’s ERASERHEAD He’d Kill Us If He Got the Chance G: Film Clip Index page 571 Film Clip Examples (CD appendix F) Inside back cover List of References page 573 Bibliography page 589 Filmography and Television References page 625 8 Acknowledgments I am extremely grateful to all of those who have encouraged and guided my research into film sound. I am especially indebted to my first supervisor Professor Stephen Deutsch of the Media School at Bournemouth University for his encouragement, inspiration and insight throughout the entire process. Both his praise and criticism were extremely helpful in pursuing the ends of this thesis. My thanks also go to my second supervisor Dominic Power of the National Film and Television School for his support; I am particularly grateful to him for sharing his abundant knowledge of film history and theory. I would also like to thank other members of staff at Bournemouth University for their assistance. In the Media School, I am grateful to Dr Seán Street for all our useful discussions about the structure and content of the paper, as well as Dr Jan Johnson-Smith and Dr David Gauntlett, whose guidance I found extremely useful. I am also grateful to the school subject's librarian Matt Holland for his help in locating and acquiring texts and DVDs/videos for me that were essential to my research. Additionally, I would like to express my gratitude to Dr Hugh Chignell for helping me prepare for the viva voce and Sue Brownlee for assisting in the transcriptions. My understanding of sound and teaching institutions that support a greater integration of aural ingredients was significantly broadened by the input of Larry Sider. As the Head of Post-Production at the National Film and Television School, one of the co-founders of the School of Sound and a sound designer, Larry Sider's knowledge and understanding of the film industry and its deficiencies were fundamental to my research and helped form the basis of many of the arguments made in this thesis. 9 The insights I gained through direct contact with Skip Lievsay, the Coen brothers' regular supervising sound editor, and Carter Burwell, their regular composer, were central to this paper. In light of their busy schedules, I am extremely grateful for the time that both of them offered me - whether by telephone, email or in person. It is as a result of their personal input that this thesis has gained a stronger foundation, and for that I owe them a debt of gratitude. I would also like to extend my thanks to music consultant/music supervisor/producer Bob Last, and sound designers Randy Thom and Ren Klyce for their personal input. Though I never had the opportunity to meet Joel and Ethan Coen, naturally, I am deeply indebted to them for their creative narratives and enterprising work practices. Without their inspiration, this thesis would not exist. Most of all I would like to thank those closest to me for their patience and support throughout this entire project. Firstly, I am grateful to my father-in- law Roger Pleace for his meticulous guidance in relation to the mechanics and structure of the paper. Secondly, I owe a great deal of appreciation to the Widge, my feline companion, who had been a tremendous source of comfort during this time. Lastly, and above all, I am deeply beholden to my wife Emma, who endured much over the past few years. I could not and would not have achieved this without her support and understanding. To her, I extend my deepest gratitude. Randall Barnes Bournemouth, November 2005 10 For Emma, the Widge and all my friends 11 AUTHOR'S NOTE A specific approach to the writing of this thesis has been taken in order to support the arguments made. This approach includes: • Film titles throughout the paper are denoted by capital letters, thus distinguishing them from books, journals or plays. • Wherever possible, terms that refer to filmmaking and the filmmaking experience have been used generically to avoid terminology that reinforces the dominance of the film image. Examples include: the word 'film' is used because it conjures up less of a visual bias than 'motion picture' or its derivative 'movie'; and audience members are referred to as 'filmgoers' or merely 'audience' rather than 'spectators' or 'viewers'. • The word 'filmmakers' is also used as opposed to 'director' to emphasise that a film's production extends beyond the responsibility of one individual. • The use of the word 'soundtrack' refers to the all three elements: effects/noises, music and dialogue. • When capitalised, 'the Studios', refers to all of the major (and some minor) Hollywood film companies that have been prominent in American cinema history.