Sound
AIM: Within this section i will define the term sound and analyse the ways in which Chaplin, Ben Drew and Steve Oram use sound within their films.
OBJECTIVE: At the end of this page the reader will be provided with a definition of sound, an explanation of the categories and an explanation of how I plan to link it into my film.
DEFINITION: Sound can be divided into two categories, diegetic and non diegetic. Diegetic sounds are natural or real sounds such as somebody talking, non diegetic sounds are overlaid sounds such as music.
OBJECTIVE: At the end of this page the reader will be provided with a definition of sound, an explanation of the categories and an explanation of how I plan to link it into my film.
DEFINITION: Sound can be divided into two categories, diegetic and non diegetic. Diegetic sounds are natural or real sounds such as somebody talking, non diegetic sounds are overlaid sounds such as music.
MODERN TIMES
EXPLANATION AND LIST OF SOUND CATEGORIES: Modern Times is a silent film so there is no diegetic sound within it. However, throughout the whole film Chaplin uses music he composed to enhance the physicality of the film. For example in one of the scenes Chaplin dances around the factory, he uses balletic music to enhance the comedy of his movement. There is a juxtaposition between the seriousness of Chaplin's actions and the comical music. Typically, around the time of Chaplin most films were silent, by doing this, the audience can create their own scenario or watch the actors movement more. To compensate for the silence, physical comedies would use title cards. These title cards would be used to explain the content of the film, to demonstrate some of the dialogue, and would also enhance the comedy of the film.
For example, during the scene where Chaplin is being abused by the new technology, a title card reads "we'll start with soup again", this enhances the comedy of the film because without it, Chaplin's reaction to the discussion between the mechanic and the boss wouldn't be communicated as well to the audience.
For example, during the scene where Chaplin is being abused by the new technology, a title card reads "we'll start with soup again", this enhances the comedy of the film because without it, Chaplin's reaction to the discussion between the mechanic and the boss wouldn't be communicated as well to the audience.
This image shows an example of the title cards used in Chaplin's film.
HOW THIS LINKS TO MY FILM: In my film I intend to juxtapose the music and the visual happenings for example my film is a black and white film set in modern times, this is a juxtaposition within itself however i will use similar playful music to Chaplin to enhance the juxtaposition. I intend to use modern music at the beginning of my film where there will be colour, and when the audience is taken back in time, I intend on using typical playful Chaplin music.
ILL MANORS
SOUND CATEGORIES USED IN ILL MANORS: Within the film Ill Manors the most significant sound is a non diegetic track of the rapped narration, performed by Plan B. The narration consists of stories of the character's lives and important messages about our society. This use of sound is used to make the audience aware of the situation at hand, as well as making the audience empathise with the characters and have an emotional connection to them. Below i have inserted the track which i find the most heart wrenching and the track that illustrates the character's struggle.
The non diegetic sound of the film, such as the music is targetted to teenagers, generally of the working class. This also reflects the mood of the film, for example during the scene where Kirby is released from jail, the song "Drug Dealer" was played, this was used to illustrate the reason why the character was in prison. In addition, the sounds that are used to reflect the mood of the film are sounds such as sirens which transitions between one scene to another.
Furthermore, there is a use of narration within the scene where the actors are in the drug den. This creates a historical background for certain characters such as Chris and makes the audience empathise with them. For example within this scene the narrator (Plan B) illustrates the fact that Chris' mother was taking drugs while she was pregnant with him, it also illustrates the fact that he grew up in the drug den and was abused then. By the end of the narration, the audience understand the his mother passed away because of a drug over dose and she died in his arms. From this narration, the audience can understand why the character Chris is such an aggressive individual. This also stops the audience from placing judgement on people of who work in this industry.
HOW THIS LINKS TO MY FILM: The tracks of this film relate to my film because they communicate the message that my film portrays in a comedic way. Within my film I am using the track Mr Drug Dealer by Plan B to set the whole film, this will communicate the main content of the film, as my film is a comedy there will be no heart wrenching music or narration. Throughout the title cards within my film there will be a use of typical physical comedic music for example the music used in Charlie Chaplin's films and lastly at the end of my film there will be a use of the chorus from locked up by Akon to enhance the comedic elements of the film.
CONNECTIONS
EXPLANATION AND LIST OF SOUND CATEGORIES: Within the film connections there is no use of diegetic sound, the film is therefore conforming to the typical sound categories of a black and white film. However, in order to enhance the comedy of the action, there is a use of non diegetic sound which is the narration. The narration itself explains the content of the film. In terms of the comedic elements of the film, the fact that its an individual singing about a drunk man who entered somebody's house in the early hours of the morning enhances the comedy. An example of this would be the lyrics "I go to his bedroom and touch him on the hair". These lyrics seem odd without the image and vice versa, but together it enhances the comedy of the film.
HOW THIS LINKS TO MY FILM: In my film I intend to juxtapose the music and the visual happenings for example my film is a black and white film set in modern times, this is a juxtaposition within itself however i will use similar playful music to Chaplin to enhance the juxtaposition. I intend to use modern music at the beginning of my film where there will be colour, and when the audience is taken back in time, I intend on using typical playful Chaplin music.