FIL EXAM 3
What is overlapping sound?
Also known as sound bridge. Sound that carries over form one shot to the next before the sound of the second shot begins.
How would you classify the electronic music that plays during the opening of The Shining?
Completely nondiegetic: we're not supposed to assume that the music is coming from the sky, or playing on the car radio, or coming from any location in the scene on-scene.
What is the film, An Andalusian Dog (1929) known for and who made it?
Created by two Spanish artists working in Paris: painter Salvador Dali and filmmaker Luis Bunuel. Here, the logic of a dream. Its visual effects include an opening sequence in which we see a razor slitting a woman's eyeball.
Who was Alexandre Astruc? What idea did he inspire with his argument that a filmmaker should 'use the camera as personally as the the novelist uses a pen'?
He was a film critic and director. He declared that a filmmaker should use the camera as personally as the novelist uses a pen, thus inspiring the idea of the movie director as auteur (a filmmaker whose personal influence and artistic control over a movie are so great that the filmmaker is regarded as the author of the movie).
What are the main qualities or characteristics of films from the French New Wave (i.e. what are they known for)?
The New Wave directors excelled at demonstrating that cinematic form is more important than content; their films were self-reflexive, focusing attention on them as movies and diverting our attention away from their narratives. In this, they manipulate our perceptions and keep an aesthetic and psychological distance between us and their movies.
Sound Design
The art of creating the sound for a film.
Who is responsible for the overall process of editing and for the sound crew?
The editor
What is double-system recording?
The standard technique of recording film sound on a medium separate from the picture. This technique allows for both maximum quality control of the medium and many aspects of manipulating sound during postproduction editing, mixing, and synchronization.
What is series photography?
The use of a series of still photographs to record the phases of an action.
What film is Dziga Vertov best known for today?
Vertov was the first great theorist and practitioner of the cinema of propaganda in documentary form. In 1922, the year of Robert J. Flaherty's Nanook of the North, Vertov launched kino-pravada (literally, "film truth"). He was influenced by the spirit of Flaherty and the Lumieres, which focused on everyday experiences, as well as by the avant-grande pursuit of innovation. Vertov is best known today for The Man with the Movie Camera (1929).
What are the four categories of sound that filmmakers can include in their sound tracks?
(1) vocal sounds (dialogue and narration), (2) environmental sounds (ambient sound, sound effects, and Foley sounds), (3) music, and (4) silence.
What is the definition of (and difference between) production sounds and postproduction sounds? Are most film sounds recorded during production or constructed during postproduction?
(more in textbook) Although we might suppose that most of the sounds in a movie are the result of recording during filming (such sounds are called production sounds), the reality is that most film sounds are constructed during the postproduction phase (and thus are called postproduction sounds). But before any sounds are recorded or constructed, the overall plan for a movie's sound must be made. That planning process is called sound design.
Which are the basic assumptions upon which the contemporary concept of sound design rests?
- Sound should be integral to all three phases of film production (preproduction, production, and postproduction), not an afterthought to be added in postproduction only - A film's sound is potentially as expressive as its images - Image and sound can create different worlds - Image and sound are co-expressible
What are the differences between them?
1) Traditional sound effects are created or recorded "wild" and then edited into the film, whereas Foleys are created and recorded in sync with the picture. To do this, the technicians known as Foley artists have a studio equipped with recording equipment and a screen for viewing the movie as they create sounds in sync with it. 2) Traditional sound effects can be taken directly from a library of prerecorded effects (e.g. church bells, traffic noises, jungle sound) or created specifically for the movie.
Who was George Melies and what is he known for?
A Frenchman. In the late 1890s, he began to make short narrative movies based on the theatrical model of short, sequential scenes shot from a fixed point of view. The only editing within these self-contained scenes was for cuts or in-camera dissolves. He was known as "the cinema's first narrative artist", famous for innovating many technical and narrative devices. He is best known for his use of special effects- still captivating today- in such landmark films as A Trip to the Moon (1902) and The Impossible Voyage (1904).
Who was Jean-Luc Godard? Why do his films from the early 1960s still look modern to contemporary audiences?
A director. He directed Breathless (1960). He was a New Wave director, and they were known for excelling at demonstrating that cinematic form is more important than content; their films were self-reflective, focusing attention on them as movies and diverting our attention away from their narratives. In this, they manipulate our perceptions and keep an aesthetic and psychological distance between us and their movies. His work offers a comprehensive catalog of the movement's stylistic traits (rapid action, use of handhelds, unusual camera angles, elliptical editing, direct address to the camera, acting that borders on the improvisational, anarchic politics, and emphasis on the importance of sound, especially words). Most importantly, Godard's editing. He consciously and deliberately manupulates the images with such editing techniques as jump cuts and nondiegetic inserts. Thus, he deliberately avoids such dives as crosscutting. The restless rhythm of the editing is perfectly suited to the restless mood of the story and the indecisiveness of the movie's two major characters.
What Foley sounds were used in Raging Bull to create the illusion of a boxer's glove hitting another boxer?
A fist hitting a side of beef, a knife cutting into the beef, water (to simulate the sound of blood spurting), animal noises, and the whooshes of jet airplanes and arrows.
Sound Designer
A sound designer treats the sound track of a film the way a painter treats a canvas. For each shot, the designer first identifies all the sounds necessary to the story and plot. The next step is laying in all the background tones (different tones equal different colors) to create the support necessary for adding the specific sounds that help the scene to function.
Why is The Jazz Singer (1927) historically significant?
Al Jolson starred in it who in his prime was known as the "world's greatest entertainer". Alan Crosland was the one who made the film. With its synchronized music score and a few sequences of synchronized sound, people wanted more. Its appeal was probably due less to the few moments of sound than to Jolson's exciting screen persona and his unexpected vocal ad-libbing.
Who was the first female director and what is the film Making an American Citizen known for?
Alice Guy Blance Making an American Citizen (1912, 16 min) is unremarkable in its theatrical staging and acting but is well photographed and edited. What's most important is its outspoken feminist message. Guy Blanche was not only ahead of her time as a film director but also highly optimistic in her views about American male-female relationships.
What was innovative about The Great Train Robbery? Who made the film?
An early pioneer, Edwin S. Porter, was a director working with Edison and by 1903 had established a relatively sophisticated approach to narrative filmmaking in such pioneering films such as The Great Train Robbery (1903; 12 min), which used multiple camera positions, interior and exterior settings, and crosscutting (intercutting) that made it possible to depict parallel actions occurring simultaneously. He also established the concept that the shot was the basic structural unit of a movie and pioneered the idea of continuity editing. The Great Train Robbery was the first major milestone in the development of the American narrative film as well as the first "Western".
What are internal and external sounds?
An internal sound occurs whenever we hear what we assume are the thoughts of a character within a scene. A character might be expressing random thoughts or a sustained monologue. External sound comes from a place within the world of the story, and we assume that it is head by the characters in that world. The source of an external sound can be either on-screen or offscreen.
What is ADR and why is it used?
Automatic Dialogue Replacement. Also known as looping. A postproduction process that is used to replace dialogue compromised by intrusive sounds or other on-set recording problems. Actors perform new dialogue in a recording studio while watching looped (repeating) footage of the moment in question.
How did neorealist filmmakers strive to maintain an air of realism?
Neorealist filmmakers placed the highest value on the lives of ordinary people; decried such postwar conditions as widespread unemployment, poverty, child labor, government corruption, and inadequate housing (the results of Fascist rule); and focused on the struggle for a decent life in the popular world. Politically, neorealism is antiauthoritarian, skeptical of the Catholic Church, anti-bureaucratic, and socialist. But overall, because it has no inherent political purpose, it is traditionally regarded more as a style than an ideology.
What are the four phases of sound production?
Design, recording, editing, and mixing
What is the difference between diegetic and nondiegetic sound?
Diegetic sounds come from a source within a film's world; they are the sounds heard by both the movie's audience and characters. Nondiegetic sounds, which come from a source outside the world, are heard only by the audience.
What is ambient sound?
Emanates from the ambience (or background) of the setting or environment being filmed. Either recorded during production or added during postproduction. Should not include any unintentionally recorded noise made during production, such as the sounds of cameras, static from sound-recording equipment, car horns, sirens, footsteps, or voices from outside the production.
Which film genres were most influenced by German expressionism, in addition to horror?
Hollywood's psychological dramas, horror movies, and the film noir.
What is Italian Neorealism noted for?
Italian Neorealism stands out as one of the most vital movements in the history of world cinema. Developed during World War II, neorealism rose to prominence after the war and then flourished for a relatively short period before ending abruptly. (??????????)
What are the responsibilities of the sound designer?
Recording, rerecording, editing, mixing, and sound-effects. Sound designers oversee the creation and control of the sounds (and silences) we hear in movies. They are advocates for sound. During preproduction, sound designers encourage directors and other collaborators to understand that what characters hear is potentially as significant as what they see. This is especially true for point-of-view shots, which focus characters' (and audiences') attention on specific sights or sounds. Sound designers encourage screenwriters to consider all kinds of sound; working with directors; they indicate in shooting scripts what voices, sounds, or music may be appropriate at particular points. They also encourage their collaborators to plan the settings, lightings, cinematography, and acting (particularly the movement of actors within the settings) with an awareness of how their decisions might affect sound. During production, sound designers supervise the implementation of the sound design. During postproduction, after the production sound track has been cut along with the images, they aid the editing team. But although their results may far exceed the audience's expectations of clarity and fidelity, sound designers keep their eyes and ears on the story being told. They want audiences not only to regard sound tracks as seriously as they do visual images but also to interpret sounds as integral to understanding these images.
Which Soviet filmmaker is considered as important and innovative as D.W. Griffith and which of his films is considered the most influential and important?
Sergei Eisenstein. Battleship Potemkin (1925) is one of the fundamental landmarks of cinema. It depicts two events—the 1905 workers' mutiny on the Potemkin and the subsequent slaughter of ordinary citizens on the Odessa Steps. Through its dramatic reenactment of those events, the movie presents a successful example of revolution against oppression. Overall, the film's classic five-part structure emphasizes the need for unity in such struggles. But most people remember the "Odessa Steps" sequence, even though its impact may lessen when seen out of context, as it so often is. The sequence, set in Odessa on the wide steps leading from the town to the harbor, depicts czarist troops brutally killing ordinary citizens who are celebrating the successful mutiny on the Potemkin. Indeed, although the mass is the protagonist, it is the individual faces that we remember. The movie's brutal form (jump cuts and montage editing) perfectly matches the brutality of the massacre. Many directors have been influenced by Eisenstein's theory of montage; some pay homage to the "Odessa Steps" sequence, and others spoof it. Battleship Potemkin is a great film not only because of its individual elements—the depth of Eisenstein's humanity, the historical and social significance of its story, page376the formal perfection of its rhythm and editing, and its worldwide influence—but also because of the synergy by which each of these elements is enhanced by the others.
Why is sound overlapped?
Sound can link one shot to the next, indicating that the scene has not changed in either time or space.
What are the definitions of sound effects and Foley sounds?
Sound effects include all sounds artificially created for the sound track that have a definite function in telling the story. All sound effects, except those made on electronic equipment to deliberately create electronic sounds, come from "wild" recordings of real things, and it is the responsibility of the sound designer and the sound crew to pick and combine these sounds to create the hyperreality of the film's sound track. Foley sounds are sounds belonging to a special category of sound effects, invented in the 1930s by Jack Foley, a sound technician at Universal Studios. Technicians known as Foley artists create these sounds in specially equipped studios, where they use a variety of props and other equipment to simulate sounds such as footsteps in the mud, jingling car keys, or cutlery hitting a plate.
What is the principle that the 'classical Hollywood style' is built on?
The classical Hollywood style is built on the principle of "invisibility" that we discussed in Chapter 1. This principle generally includes two parts. The first is that the movie's form (narrative, cinematography, editing, sound, acting, and so forth) should not call attention to itself. That is, the narrative should be as economical and seamless as possible, and the presentation of the narrative should occur in a cinematic language with which the audience is familiar. The second part is the studio system itself, a mode of production that standardized the way movies were produced. Management was vertically organized, meaning that a strong executive office controlled production, distribution, and exhibition; hired all employees, including directors and actors; and assigned work to them according to the terms of their contracts, thus ensuring a certain uniform style for each studio. While we know that such principles were sometimes ignored in practice, they nonetheless serve a purpose in helping us chart the course of stylistic history. Thus, for example, we can understand and appreciate just how radical Orson Welles's approach was in Citizen Kane (1941) when he deliberately called attention to technique and, in so doing, challenged the perceived limitations of the classical Hollywood style and the studio system itself.
What happens during the process of sound mixing?
The number of sound tracks used in a movie depends on the kind and amount of sound needed to tell each part of the story; thus, filmmakers have an unlimited resource at their disposal. No matter how many tracks are used, they are usually combined and compressed during the final mixing. Working with their crew, sound mixers adjust the relative loudness and various aspects of sound quality; filter out unwanted sounds; and create, according to the needs of the screenplay, the right balance of dialogue, music, and sound effects. The result is a sort of "audio mise-en-scene" that emphasizes significant sound elements in the mix, just as a visual composition uses placement and size in frame to feature significant subject matter in a shot. Sound elements that are mixed with lower loudness may not be emphasized, but they may still contribute to a scene's mood or meaning, much like background or other less prevalent visual elements affect the way we interpret composed images.
Mixing
The process of combining all of the different individual edited tracks of dialogue, sound effects, music, and so forth, into one composite sound track to play in synchronization with the edited picture.
Recording
The process of recording sound is very similar to the process of hearing. Just as the human ear converts sounds into nerve impulses that the brain identifies, so the microphone converts sound waves into electrical signals that are then recorded and stored. The history of recording movie sound has evolved from optical and magnetic systems to the digital systems used in tpday's professional productions. Of the various types of film sound, dialogue is the only type typically recorded during production. Everything else in the editing and mixing stages of postproduction.
Who made the Bicycle Thieves (1948) and what is it known for?
Vittorio De Sica. In this film, the stylistic characteristics of neorealism-- the long takes, the actual locations, the spare dialogue, and so on-- allow De Sica to show reality without necessarily interpreting it. Nonetheless, he look complete control over the setting, cinematography, lighting, acting, and sound. Even though it is a sound film, much of its power comes from its relative silence, particularly its lack of voices. Like many films made before the coming of the sound, The Bicycle Thieves demonstrates the intensity of silent acting. This is a classic and powerful film because of the director's spare style, humanist treatment of the story, and willingness to trust his viewers to make up their own mind about what it means.
Which category tends to dominate most films?
Vocal sounds because they carry much of the narrative's weight.
Citizen Kane is known for its radical handling of the prevailing cinematic language of the time. What aspects of the cinematography stand out?
We see this in the astonishing complexity and speed of the narrative. It may not seem so radical today, but that is only because it influenced the structure and pace of nearly every significant movie that came after it. In the other elements of cinematic form, Welles was equally innovative. The movie's stark design is heavily influenced by German Expressionism, as seen in the size, height, and depth of the rooms and other spaces at Xanadu. Through deep-space composition, lighting, deep-focus cinematography, and long takes, cinematographer Gregg Toland achieved the highest degree of cinematic realism yet seen. In contrast to the prevailing soft look of 1930s movies, Citizen Kane has a hard finish. The omniscient, probing, and usually moving camera, emphasizing its voyeuristic role, goes directly to the heart of each scene. The editing is mainly conventional, most often taking place within the long takes (and thus within the camera). Welles avoids such avant-garde techniques as Soviet Montage, for example, unless he wants to call attention to the editing, as he does in the "News on the March" sequence and the pans and swipes that create the passing of time during the famous breakfast-table sequence. Before going to Hollywood, Welles revolutionized American radio broadcasting, and his sound design for Kane creates an aural realism equivalent to the movie's visual realism. He frequently uses overlapping sound, which, like the deep-space composition, bombards us with a lightning mix of information that challenges us to choose what to listen to ( just as in real life). The film is also much louder than the typical movie of the time, which is another innovation, and the bravado of its dialogue, sound effects, and music puts it in your ears as well as in your face. Bernard Herrmann's musical score was spare, modernist, and completely ahead of its time. In the film's acting, Welles called on his stage and radio experiences to break another Hollywood convention. Actors did not normally rehearse their lines except in private or for a few minutes with the director before shooting began, so his ensemble of actors could handle long passages of dialogue in the movie's distinctive long takes. And the performances, including Welles as Kane, are unforgettable.
What is The Birth of a Nation (1915) known for and why was it controversial?
While its racist content is repugnant, its form is technically brilliant. Griffith, who borrowed freely from other early filmmakers, was an intuitive and innovative artist. In this legendary movie we see him perfecting and regularizing (if not inventing) a style that included a dazzling set of technical achievements: the 180-degree system; cutting between familiar types of shots (close-up, medium shot, long shot, extreme long shot, and soft-focus shot); multiple camera setups, accelerated montage, and panning and tilting; and the exploitation of camera angles, in-camera dissolves and fades, the flashback, the iris shot, the mask, and the split screen. He also highly valued using a full symphonic score, and more importantly, developing screen acting by training actors for the special demands of the silent cinema. At that time the longest (3 hours) and most expensive ($2.7 million) American movie yet made, The Birth of a Nation attracted enormous audiences, garnered the critics' praise, and earned, within 5 years of its opening, approximately $178 million. However, the social and political stance of this film's story had another impact.
