Mise en scene - Sound

There are two types of sound in a film...

Diegetic sounds:  diegetic is when its source is visible or implied in the world of the film. Common diegetic sounds present in most films are:

• Dialogue
• Ambient sound

Non-diegetic sound: Sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film:  

•  Voices of characters 
•  Sounds made by objects in the story
•  Music represented as coming from instruments in the story space ( = source music)

The hunger

In the clip we witness the last few minutes of Bobby Sands life. There is little dialogue in this clip and long spells where little sound is projected.  This is unusually for modern day films were there is little speech is filled with sounds effects and music. The clip is set in a prison, the noise of the gates doors opening and keys being rattled were exaggerated and emphasised. I think the noise of the doors were enhanced because they were like the different stages of death he was going through.

There is very little non- diegetic sound within the clip. However there is one part where there is a flashback with a sound track being played over the top of three scenes, this allows the audience to see the link between the different stages of his life before he dies. There were also birds singing in the background at several point during the clip which symbolise with wanting to be free (like birds outside the prison walls).

Ratchatcher

• The film begins with a boy wrapped up in a curtain but its a rather unclear what the  abstract image is to begin with. There is also abstract sounds  in the background, the diegetic sound sounds as if its coming from inside the boys head. There are two sounds one of children laughing and shouting and another  a muffled sound that sounds like inside the boys head like blood rushing I his head.
• There is then diegetic sound of the mother then slaps the boy bringing him and the audience back to reality.
• It then goes back to the curtain as it unrolls and the same sounds at the start are repeated (the sound of children and the muffled sound)
• As the boy looks out the window the same diegetic sound is repeated of children playing as if that's what he is imagining in his head because he really wants to go outside and play where he would hear them sounds.
• There is a conversation between the boy and his mum as she runs of. They both have a strong, clear Scottish accent that stands out to the audience, maybe the actor is stereotyping the low class of Scotland as they are in a run down location.
• Sounds are deliberately heightened such as when the boy pulled his trouser of his wellies to make a point in this case him standing up to so him.
• The camera is then  from inside the window as if its someone's point of view we can tell this because speech is muffled of the children outside fighting although, the sound quickly gets louder as it changes to the boys points of views outside.
• When the boys head is pushed underwater the water the same sound as the start begins again the abstract unclear sound of blood rushing around the boys head.
• It then shows the kids playing football and the noise of the ball is heightened and then it goes silent.

Slum Dog Millionaire

I watched the opening of slum millionaire and put looked at the different sounds in each shots such as the action, description of sounds, diagetic/non diagetic sound, atmosphere created by sound and the music type- type atmosphere.

Sound in opening of genre films

In class we listened to the opening sounds of a selection of songs.

The first selection of songs were from horror films. There were no lyrics in the songs which made to effective because it gave a mysterious eeriness to the sound but it did include sounds effects in some of the music such as knifes and spooky laughter which went well with having no music because it meant the audience could focus on the spooky sound effects making the audience feel scared. The music is staccato that's suspenseful as the tension builds up.

The second selection of songs were from western films. The sound is made using acoustic instruments and strings. Western are different to horrors in the sense they have lyrics with the songs. They were effective because they were up beat and with all the instrument's sounding like the desert and sand you could picture yourself in the scene.

The third selection of songs were from sci-fi film. The songs are rather atmospheric which is effective because they make you create new world in your head and you can put yourself in the world created in your head. The sci-fi music is made form orchestra, so they're rather dramatic and busy as the music builds up getting faster and louder creating suspense; which is mysterious like the sounds at the beginning of horror film's.