A key component in any media production is the audio. Audio within a film and television production can influence an audience to feel a certain way by complimenting visual references and creating mood, meaning and illusion through sound. Sound for a moving image also gives the production an opportunity for additional creative input and to help an audience understand the storyline in greater detail.
In film, television and even radio, a soundtrack is made up of audio components that are all used together simultaneously to create effect. Typically in any production there has to a base layer track throughout, and this could be room tone or ambient sound otherwise known as a wild track. The purpose of recording a wild track during the production is to obtain a constant background sound that would then be used to cover up any cuts within the postproduction process. An example of using ambient sound in television is from a scene in the British Soap, Eastenders (http://youtu.be/pZaRFtY_Pus). …show more content…
Throughout the scene there is a continuous ambient sound track that is lowered in volume to allow the dialogue from the characters on camera to be heard. The ambient sound would have been recorded either prior or after shooting the dialogue scenes and then added after the picture lock during postproduction. The ambient sound helps stimulate reality to the scene as it allows the viewer to explore and interpret the environment the characters are in, without requiring visual references. It also gives the opportunity for viewers to experience sound sources, which are off scene and out of shot. The rules for maintaining a wild track throughout a scene to maintain continuity is sometimes broken, and an example of this if from the famous elevator scene in the film ‘Drive’ (http://youtu.be/i5ufgkJ-uVE). A large proportion of the scene (from 0:37- 1:58) used a relevant film score to create effect and to possibly instruct the viewer to anticipate what is going to happen next. Using a film score with slow motion visuals gave the scene an almost a surreal feel, as video was not played in real time and there was no audio within the character’s world to reference what is happening on screen. Without ambient and room tone sounds, this created a scene which is very unique as it removes the two characters away from their story, and connects them with sounds that only the viewer is able to hear. In technical terms, this sound would be called non-diegetic sound. Diegetic and non-diegetic sound are two sub categories within a sound component and are used very frequently together to help the director to create a specific mood. A diegetic sound is a sound that exists within a character’s world and this could be from sound sources, which appear on and even off camera. A prime example of a diegetic sound within film is a scene from ‘Fury’ (http://youtu.be/Fgumb9IAibI). In this particular example, the characters within the film hear every sound component as the sounds reference movement and dialogue within the scene. Using only diegetic sounds supports the illusion to the viewers that they are in the character’(s) world, as all they are able to hear are the sounds from the sound sources presented in the character’s world. Non-diegetic sounds have entirely the opposite purpose to diegetic sounds, and only exist outside of the character’s world. The purpose of non-diegetic sounds is to help the audience understand the story in greater detail through a narrative, to create dramatic effect to a scene and to create a precise mood. Many non-diegetic sounds are used in conjunction with diegetic sounds, however in my previous example regarding film score in the film ‘Drive’, it was used independently to create a specific effect. The final dance scene from the film ‘Step Up’ (http://youtu.be/2A3kubSuWQU) introduces the technique of transferring diegetic sound of a movie score that characters can hear, into a non-diegetic soundtrack with slight use of diegetic sound such as clapping from the audience. The subtle transition acts as a filter as there would be no valid reason to include diegetic movement sound from the characters, when they are dancing to the non-diegetic sound of the music. Arguably the film score could be perceived
In film, television and even radio, a soundtrack is made up of audio components that are all used together simultaneously to create effect. Typically in any production there has to a base layer track throughout, and this could be room tone or ambient sound otherwise known as a wild track. The purpose of recording a wild track during the production is to obtain a constant background sound that would then be used to cover up any cuts within the postproduction process. An example of using ambient sound in television is from a scene in the British Soap, Eastenders (http://youtu.be/pZaRFtY_Pus). …show more content…
Throughout the scene there is a continuous ambient sound track that is lowered in volume to allow the dialogue from the characters on camera to be heard. The ambient sound would have been recorded either prior or after shooting the dialogue scenes and then added after the picture lock during postproduction. The ambient sound helps stimulate reality to the scene as it allows the viewer to explore and interpret the environment the characters are in, without requiring visual references. It also gives the opportunity for viewers to experience sound sources, which are off scene and out of shot. The rules for maintaining a wild track throughout a scene to maintain continuity is sometimes broken, and an example of this if from the famous elevator scene in the film ‘Drive’ (http://youtu.be/i5ufgkJ-uVE). A large proportion of the scene (from 0:37- 1:58) used a relevant film score to create effect and to possibly instruct the viewer to anticipate what is going to happen next. Using a film score with slow motion visuals gave the scene an almost a surreal feel, as video was not played in real time and there was no audio within the character’s world to reference what is happening on screen. Without ambient and room tone sounds, this created a scene which is very unique as it removes the two characters away from their story, and connects them with sounds that only the viewer is able to hear. In technical terms, this sound would be called non-diegetic sound. Diegetic and non-diegetic sound are two sub categories within a sound component and are used very frequently together to help the director to create a specific mood. A diegetic sound is a sound that exists within a character’s world and this could be from sound sources, which appear on and even off camera. A prime example of a diegetic sound within film is a scene from ‘Fury’ (http://youtu.be/Fgumb9IAibI). In this particular example, the characters within the film hear every sound component as the sounds reference movement and dialogue within the scene. Using only diegetic sounds supports the illusion to the viewers that they are in the character’(s) world, as all they are able to hear are the sounds from the sound sources presented in the character’s world. Non-diegetic sounds have entirely the opposite purpose to diegetic sounds, and only exist outside of the character’s world. The purpose of non-diegetic sounds is to help the audience understand the story in greater detail through a narrative, to create dramatic effect to a scene and to create a precise mood. Many non-diegetic sounds are used in conjunction with diegetic sounds, however in my previous example regarding film score in the film ‘Drive’, it was used independently to create a specific effect. The final dance scene from the film ‘Step Up’ (http://youtu.be/2A3kubSuWQU) introduces the technique of transferring diegetic sound of a movie score that characters can hear, into a non-diegetic soundtrack with slight use of diegetic sound such as clapping from the audience. The subtle transition acts as a filter as there would be no valid reason to include diegetic movement sound from the characters, when they are dancing to the non-diegetic sound of the music. Arguably the film score could be perceived