Dominic Wood – Screen Sound

Part A – The Terms

Diegetic Sound Diegetic sound is simply sound the characters themselves can hear. This would include ambience, such as wind, cars, or conversation. But also sounds such as chairs, keyboards, or switches. Another type of this sound is called “internal diegetic sound”. This is basically thought voice, or internal monologue. Both the audience and the necessary character can hear it, but it’s not necessarily “real”. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xToQ4cIHkk In this example, a lot of audio, especially in the beginning, is what Wall-E hears.

Non Diegetic Sound Non diegetic sound is simply sound that only the audience can hear. The biggest example is musical scores, but also includes narration that isn’t internal monologue. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6D8PAGelN8 In this example, the characters never speak, and only the musical score is used to set the mood.

Off-Screen Sound Off-screen sound is sound that can be heard, but actually isn’t on- screen. An example would be if somebody was in a bedroom, and a TV’s on at full volume in another room. It can be heard, to both the viewer and the characters, but it can’t be seen. Can create the sense of two scenes being in the same place, or something relevant is about to happen. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z6mpfupPnY About a minute in, there is an entire struggle off-screen

Voiceover Voiceover is simply a form of narration that isn’t necessarily spoken by a character, but usually explains the plot, what’s happened, or small, relevant details that have been easily missed. It can be funny, dramatic, or just there to explain things, but they normally help set a scene. It can be spoken by the character themselves. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCxgqHqakXc In this example, voiceover is to set the scene, and give an idea of what the film’s like.

Interior Monologue (Thought Voice) Interior monologue, or thought voice, is another type of narration, but it’s the characters own thoughts, and is usually in a scene itself. Like voiceover, interior monologue can help set the scene, or explain details. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnmzcHSCn0c

Ambient Sound Ambient sound is simply unimportant sound that sets a scene. Often off-screen, some examples include leaves rustling, non- descript conversation, keyboard typing by extras, and cars driving in the background. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJh59vZ8ccc While quiet, the entire scene has a lot of ambience, right from the beginning

SFX (Special Sound Effects) SFX are sounds made in post production, so any sound besides dialogue. These give character to a scene, completes it, adds realism, and sometimes takes the realism away. Disney used instruments to create sound, so they used a slightly different method. Examples include thunder, footsteps, wind, birds, punches, objects being smashed, gravel, water drops, animal noise, zips, objects being scratched, painting, and knocking. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tukQDg22o9M The fight itself incorporates heavy use of very audible sound effects, so the scene feels very over exaggerated.

Part B – How Sound Effects are Used in a Scene of My Choice

My Chosen Scene – The Opening Sequence to WALL-E Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLx_7wEmwms

Analysis While sound effects are used sparingly throughout the scene, they are used very effectively. At the start, all that’s heard is the music. This shows the emptiness of space, as other sounds are heard as the camera’s zooming into the earth to show the landscape. As the panoramic shots happen, light wind is head. This is to emphasise the contrast. The use of turning the music into the soundtrack, then playing out of Wall-E is very effective. As the scene plays on, very electronic sounds are heard, except the cricket. At one point, Wall-E makes very human-like sounds, his hums telling us he’s confused about an object. This tells the viewer he can feel emotions, and helps us connect with him. After this, the scene finally ends with Wall-E turning the music off by pressing a very audible play button, which is a familiar sound.

How Effective the Sounds are Overall, the scene is a mixture of mechanical and familiar sounds, so the world feels almost alien, yet still familiar and relatable. As a ruined, deserted Earth should feel like. One of the biggest sound effects to set the mood is the use, or lack, of wind. It was only heard a few times, but to me, is what really sets the scene. It’s used to make the setting feel deserted, yet still human and familiar. In fact, the lack of wind at some points is a bigger indicator of the setting.

Part C – How Effective the Soundtrack is I think the soundtrack is very effective. To start, the music is there to entertain the viewer. As we go to Earth, it becomes incredibly ironic, having a song talk about how great the world outside is, yet the scenery being very bleak, de-saturated, and monotonous. The timing of the music cutting out is very deliberate, as Wall-E enters the scene. It brings the viewer into reality. Then we discover that “Put Your Sunday Clothes On” is actually playing from Wall-E, adding to the irony.

How I Can Use this Knowledge to My Advantage After doing this presentation, I am now more knowledgeable of how sounds are used. If I was to make my own film or video, I can more accurately study films, and be inspired by their techniques.