Film Form, Part V: Sound in the Cinema The Powers of Sound •Though we may not always notice the score or sounds emanating from a film, we are deeply affected by them •Sounds can cue our emotions or responses •They can reinforce or counter themes in a movie •They can heighten obviously the visual and make more dramatic or fantastic or real-seeming an action on the screen •As with any other stylistic element, sound can function in collaboration with cinematography and editing, for instance Fundamentals of Film Sound • Perceptual Properties •Loudness: can vary depending on spatial relations •Pitch: perceived highness or lowness •Timbre: the “color” or tone quality • Sound in the movies comes in three forms: speech, music, and noise (aka, sound effects and foley sounds) •Sounds are usually manipulated so as to seem more real or dramatic (for effect) •Dynamic sound is achieved when the filmmaker(s) employ a full range of sound volume and type Dimensions of Film Sound • Rhythm: beat or pulse, tempo or pace, and the pattern of accents (i.e., stronger or weaker beats) • Coordinating sound rhythms with visual rhythms is common; matching movement to music is called Mickey Mousing • Sound as counterpoint •Space: sounds have a spatial dimension in that they originate from a source •diegetic sound vs. nondiegetic sound •internal diegetic sound •sound perspective •Time: sounds happen with respect to temporal events •synchronous sound vs. asynchronous sound: Is the sound synchronized with the image/action? Do we see the diegetic source at the same time as we hear it? •sound bridge •sonic flashback or sonic flashforward Key Personnel in Sound • Sound Designer -- In charge of post-production sound of a movie • Dialogue Editor -- In charge of assembling/editing dialogue in a soundtrack • Sound Editor -- Assembles and edits all sound effects in soundtrack • Music Supervisor -- Works to choose and integrate songs in the soundtrack • Composer -- Writes musical score • Foley Artist -- Records ambient sound effects