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Music, sound effects, spoken dialogue – all bring the visual images to life. On most studio films, large parts, or all, of the dialogue is dubbed during postproduction. Sound is recorded during the shoot, but as recording perfect, balanced sound on location is so difficult and time consuming, the on location sound is only recorded for use as a template for the studio work. It need not be perfect, only audible. Background noise such as the wind and sounds that you usually don’t notice such as a car door closing or the sound of footsteps are also created in postproduction. This is the job of the “Foley Artist”. However, when dialogue is not going to be re-recorded in the studio, the location sound track becomes much more complicated.
When recording dialogue, three important factors must be observed:
(1) The sound must accurately relate to the picture.
If a close up is used, the microphone must be close to the subject. If the camera is fifteen feet away, and the mike is only a few inches away, the sound will be out of perspective.
(2) The sound must faithfully reproduce the voice.
The sound track must be as free from distortion as possible, and each voice must be consistent from shot to shot.
(3) The sound must move with the image.
Movement, a primary factor in visual composition, is also a key factor in sound recording. As characters move toward or away from the camera, the sound perspective of the dialogue must also move.
During the early years of sound cinema, when most films were shot in a studio, the dialogue was formal and staged, with each person waiting for the previous speaker to finish their sentence before beginning. Orson Welles was one of the first directors to use realistic dialogue in film, with interruptions, overlapping dialogue and fragmented sentences. Long-range microphones, wireless mikes, and electronic booms have greatly expanded the range of sound recording.
Creative Use of Sound Effects
It is common practice among filmmakers to add sound effects to cover everything on screen. This direct use of sound is usually designed to heighten the sense of reality.
There are several ways to enlarge and enrich this standard use of sound effects. Sound can be used to greatly heighten the mood of a scene. To create an effective FX (sound effects) track, the editor must make an evaluation of each sound as it relates to the action seen on screen. Too often, the FX track is regarded as a finishing touch; but in reality it is one of the most important tracks in the final mix.
The sound effects track can also be used to extend the dimension of what is seen. The filmmaker can use extended images to project people and places beyond the edge of the frame, and the creative use of sound effects can reinforce this removal of the boundaries of film. The filmmaker simply needs add sounds that originate from elements not contained within the frame. The impact of a scene can be heightened by sound effects totally unrelated to what is on screen. For example, most of the sounds we hear at night emanate from unseen sources, but they give us our sense of environment.
The most important use of sound effects are:
(1) to strengthen a sense of reality, of “being there”
(2) to enlarge the boundaries of what is seen.
The sound effects track should be a major artistic factor among the elements that make up the finished film.
The Art of Film Music
For the most part, music had been used in support of the onscreen action, supplying mood and pace. Music has traditionally been employed in the following ways:
(1) To accompany the main titles of the film
(2) To heighten the dramatic effect
(3) To give a sense of locale
(4) To create or support pace and movement
(5) To identify character qualities
(6) To predict things to come
(7) To establish, maintain and change mood
Music can also be used indirectly, such as in The Graduate, or Bonnie and Clyde. A particular piece of music appears three or four times during the film, and although it is independent of the film it expands the meaning and emotional content of the scenes.
Silence
The final element of sound is silence. When skilfully used, absolute silence can carry more impact than a dozen exploding cars. One of the most memorable examples of the creative use of silence appears in the suspense film Rififi. During the burglary sequence, not a single sound is heard, and with each passing moment the suspense mounts until it is almost unbearable. The silent pause as Bonnie and Clyde look at each other before the shattering outburst of guns multiplies the sound that follows tenfold.
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A Short History of Film
Pt. 1: Silent Cinema 1895-1927
Pt. 2: Studio System 1927-1945
Pt. 3: Post-War 1945-1959
Pt. 4: New Waves 1959-1975
Pt. 5: Blockbusters 1975-2002
