Sound and Picture in moving image.
The relationship between Sound and Moving image
Sound has a major role in any moving image production. Irrespective of weather the production is a multi-million dollar Hollywood project or a high production TV drama, small low-budget film or even an animated short the soundtrack will enhance visual image by helping to create mood meaning and illusion.The mood and pace of a scene can vary and change from simple alterations in sound. This relationship between sound and image in any production is vital to the experience the viewer receives. There are two main types of sound present in most Film productions,TV dramas, animated films or shorts. They are Diegetic & Non- Diegetic Sound.
Diegetic sound is actual sound within the production universe, where the characters are able to hear it. Some examples of diegetic sound are dialogue, sound made by objects within the story and music played by a character or from a radio or phone in the story. Any voice, music, or sound effect originating from a source within the film’s world is diegetic.
External diegetic sound is sound that is supposedly heard within the production universe but is put into the scene from outside of the shot such as sound effects , ambient or background sounds that are edited into shot during the editing process. If a scene lacks certain audio that may be heard within the scene ,using external diegetic sound will add to the scene and create depth.
Non-diegetic is sound that isn’t heard by the characters and isn’t part of the films canon such unexplainable background music, loud sound effects of a jumpscare when, for example, two characters bump into each other suddenly in a horror film.If it originates outside the film then it is non diegetic.
- Diegetic Sound
A classic example of diegetic sound is in the comedy film “Blazing Saddles” where mood music is used to build an image of the newly appointed sheriff dressed up in his best outfit as he rides through to the Old West town of Rock Ridge to start his new job. The audience is aware of the music as it highlights the sheriffs stereotype. However the song is performed by Count Basie and his orchestra called “April in Paris” as the sheriff crosses the Prairie the audience see the on screen character react to the actual music being played as he encounters Count Basie and his orchestra playing the actual music in front of him. A joke repeated by director and writer Mel Brooks in a number of his films where he uses what is thought to be non diegetic sound but the characters react and the audience see it is within the story and the characters can also hear the music.
Why is diegetic sound important?
Another scene where diegetic sound creates an illusion of something big coming is the great T-Rex reveal. Before the dinosaur is revealed, you hear the sound of a loud stomping as if something is approaching, this paired with the cup of water that vibrates with every stomp tells us that the noises being produced are coming from something that is massive and thus leaves the audience and the characters in anticipation. The sound of the electricity fence creaking in the wind is also diegetic and it tells us, the audience and the characters that there is to protection here anymore. The noise of the rain is also diegetic as it's happening in the film and around our characters. This also creates an atmosphere to the scene and gives a sense of dread. These sounds all come together to paint a scene of anxiety, anticipation and allows the scene to be overly tense. The use of no non-diegetic music in this scene also adds to the immersion as it feels more real, it almost makes you feel as if you are there with the characters.
Dialogue
Diegetic can also mean the dialogue between the characters since this sound is heard within the moving images canon. An instance of diegetic can appear in almost every piece of media. In this particle instance its a scene from Malcolm in the Middle where the character Malcolm is shouting at his mother because of his bad luck at bowling and his inability to impress the girls there. This example works well because when the character is shouting at his mum and throws the bowling ball only to miss all the pins, the crowd behind him roar with laughter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3TMwXUb3Ts - Malcolm in the Middle scene.
Interviews
Interviews are also a great examples of diegetic sound since the interviewer and the interviewee are talking to each other on camera using mics. Also evident by the slight rustling of the environment/cloths that get picked up on their microphones. The reason why they tend to not to have non-diegetic music edited over the interviews is to have it feel more naturally and allow the interviewee come across as genuine.
Ambience and sound effects
Ambience such as birds chirping, leaves crackling, sound of rain etc is all diegetic sounds as the the sound is filmed on location, and the actors can hear that sound.
Back to the scene with the T-Rex in Jurassic Park, the sound of rain and the fence creaking is a good use of ambience and sound effects as it makes the scene feel more real. Some of the sound may have been edited in during the editing process to make the sound more exciting but still remains diegetic (external diegetic ) as it takes place within the production universe and supposedly heard by the on screen characters.
Hard sound effects are the common sounds that can be heard on screen . Examples could be doors slamming, cars driving, and gunshots.
More examples of sound effects being used for ambience are the actual sounds that fit in with the scene. Examples could be a thunderstorm, a heavy rainstorm, the sound of a forest, the buzzing of electric lights and shopping mall interiors. The sound of background people talking is also considered a BG (Background) sound effect but only if the speakers are unintelligible and the dialogue is unrecognisable ( known as walla)
Foley sound effects are all the sounds that are synced on screen and need to be done by a foley artist. Examples of these can be footsteps, the movement of props , the rustling of clothes. These sounds are created by a foley artist and edited into the shot. Foley is more of a technique for creating a sound effect than an actual type of sound effect. It is used for creating incidental sounds that are specific to what is happening on screen. Foley sound effects recreate and record the action on screen so the new sounds match what is filmed as much as possible. If done correctly it should be very hard to tell which of the sounds are Foley sounds and which are actually from on set filming.
Design sounds are sounds that do not occur naturally and therefore can not be recorded naturally. These type of sounds are usually found in sci fi programmes or films.
- Non-Diegetic Sound
Non-Diegetic sound can also be known as commentary sound. This is sound that is not within the film universe so the characters are unable to hear it, an example of non-diegetic sound is the backing track/music. A classic example of this is used in great effect in the film Jaws where the soundtrack builds tension by using a signature piece of music for the shark. It achieves the tension effect due to the theme progressively getting louder and faster with every beat, this paired with the camera slowly moving towards its victim makes the effect extremely effective. However, if you pair the scene with music from a comedy or classical music (or no music at all) for instance, it won’t have the same anxiety inducing effect.
Narration
Non-diegetic can also mean narration since typically narration doesn't interact with the film but instead it’s directed towards the audience instead. Narration is used to further give context to the story to the audience directly. An example of this is in the film Goodfellas when Henry Hill is occasionally talking to the audience directly about his time and experience with the Mafia. In this scene we see the ex-mobster Henry when he was in the gang with the rest of the group, the narration is coming from him years later talking about what he and the rest of the mob were about to do at this moment in the film.
Animation
Sound in animated films takes on a slightly different realm.
Animation sound teams are made up of several key positions usually
a supervising sound editor whose job it is to oversee the entire creative process, sound effects editors or designers who create and sync sound effects to picture, dialogue editors who adjust the synchronization and quality of the recorded dialogue, foley artists who perform footsteps and record props, and re-recording mixers who combine all of these sonic elements together with the addition of music.
The role of a sound editor or designer for animation is to create something that is new and interesting that furthers the audience’s connection to the work. Whether it is the tentative nature of a pizzicato tiptoe or a heartwarming soundtrack the sound editor brings the animated world to life. These sounds are diegetic because the characters within the animated universe are aware of these sounds. Unless its background music in most cases, narration etc which are non-diegetic.
Why is sound important?
Sound is really important to give the audience a sense of realism, build tension and excitement. For example if the dinosaurs great booming roar in Jurassic Park was replaced with a dull chirp or quacking sound instead, it would not have had the same impact on the viewing audience.
(As you can see sound is very important and can make a scene feel either dramatic or in this case anticlimactic.)
The use of sound can have a huge impact on the audiences feeling to the film, both diegetic and non-diegetic sound are both very important for television production or film production. The audio soundtrack builds mood, atmosphere and creates moments of tension as well as relaxation. The sound effects and ambient sound create realism and dialogue tells the story. Sound refers to everything we hear in a film. Sound is used to heighten a mood, provide us with information about the location of a scene, advance the plot, and tell us about the characters in the story.
References
http://www.elementsofcinema.com/sound/non-diegetic/
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