TASK 9 //
SOUNDS IN SHORT FILM
To view my analysis of sounds in short films, click on the picture to the left, where I have produced a Prezi presentation. In this presentation, I have demonstrated a knowledge of typical sounds within a short film, particularly being within the coming of age genre. Furthermore, I have gained an understanding with three key terms: diegetic sound, non-diegetic sound and foley sound. Furthermore, underneath this block of text are sound clips which I have recorded from various coming of age short films which are conventional. One of these clips is from a film called 'Soft', where the sound which is typical within the film is the shouting gang members stood outside a household.
As I have been looking into sounds within short films in this task, I was able to highlight the generic sound techniques used within a coming of age film, as well as discovering when diegetic and non-diegetic sounds may be used. I have also learnt the definition of this audio terminology which is frequently used to describe sounds in films. Conventional sounds are something which I have looked into in depth in this task, as it will help me pick what sounds will be needed for my personal production. For example, I have found out that sounds of police sirens, doors and floors creaking, dialogue and often phones ringing can be heard in a coming of age film. These are conventional for many different reasons, as they all are linked to teenage lives nowadays. Themes of violence and crime are linked to the lives of teenagers, which is why police sirens are very frequently implemented into a production. When planning my own production, I will take into the account of the usual ratio of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds: where diegetic sound often dominates the film.
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Sahar by Alexander Farah (2014)
1. The sound is of people repeatedly smashing a car's windshield with a baseball bat. This sound is a diegetic sound.
2. This sound is of a phone vibrating, which is very conventional as teenagers are seen to be reliant on technology. The sound is diegetic.
3. This sound is of a car starting, which is also a diegetic, foley sound.
Conventional Sounds within the
Genre Examples
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Soft by Simon Ellis (2006)
1. Dialogue between characters is able to be heard, where the characters are swearing and shouting loudly. The audio is muzzled, as it is played on screen as if it was recorded on a phone.
2. The next sound clip shows the film to include the sound of loud playing music, which is non-diegetic as the source of sound is not visible.
3. The third sound clip shows the film to include the sound of bird chirping whilst the father walks on a pathway. The sound is foley sound, as this sound is a sound which is heard on a daily basis.
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New Boy by Steph Green (2007)
1. This is also a sound clip of dialogue between characters. This is a foley, diegetic sound.
2. This is the sound of child saying "you're dead" whilst gunshot sounding audio is layered on top. This is conventional as it represents danger. The sound is non-diegetic.
3. The dialogue is of children encouraging two boys to fight. This is diegetic, foley sound.