Nocturne In Black Film Techniques

Often times when viewing a film or short video project one may find a particular aspect of the production which above the other production elements drives the mood or the purpose of the production. In viewing the short film “Nocturne in Black” directed by Jimmy Keyrouz from Columbia University, this was undeniably the case. While the film was produced at an undeniably high caliper, with every detail ranging from lighting to shot development being nearly without flaw, the sound design above all else drove the mood of the production forward. Of all the elements of the sound design of a production, likely the first to appear and additionally the first which is noticed by the audience is the music. The plot of the film “Nocturne in Black” centers on a piano which brings both hope to those around it, through its music, and devastation to them as well, as a result of music being illegal. On account of the piano being a major focal point of the production, nearly all of the music used in the background was …show more content…
Of all the sound effects used, a bass drone was the most obvious. The purpose of this one effect, and many of the others which were used, is obvious — to build suspense and foreshadow the impending danger to the audience. They were used in moments where the terrorist group members were coming into the community to enforce the law on those living there, it allowed the audience to know that these terrorists were, in fact, the antagonist of the story. Additionally, they were used to build suspense for the climax of the piece. We saw the young boy begin to play the piano as the terrorists drove in, the drones and other sound effects were used as the main protagonist ran to find the boy. This allowed the audience to develop a sense of dread for what was about to happen which of course ended up being the death of the young