Jaws

In this essay I am going to be analyzing how the sound and images in Jaws work together.
The scene is Hooper inside the shark cage in the middle of the ocean and they are trying to lure Jaws in so Hooper can stab the shark.

In this scene it starts off in silence which helps build suspense but as soon as Hooper is ready in the cage you hear the Leitmotif of Jaws - this non-diegetic sound lets the audience know that Jaws is about to enter the scene. They allow you to think nothing s going to happen as Jaws swims away and his Leitmotif fades away leaving the scene silent; Silence in a movie like Jaws is very key to building up tension because even though the audience knows what's coming they don't know when it is going to happen (It entices your imagination). As Hooper is looking around for Jaws we see him come from behind breaking through the cage, as this is happening we hear a clash of high and low pitch string instruments this is known as dissonance which is a common convention in horror movies because it helps with the dramatic effect and let's everyone know that what is happening on screen is bad.

During the cage attack you hear a thick texture of sound that is involved in the scene both diegetic and non-diegetic, you hear the dissonance the sound of the Jaws ramming the cage, Hooper trying to scream and of course the sound of the water. The amount of texture in the sound of the scene might seem unnecessary but it adds to the realism of it all in a way because in a situation like that you would hear all the diegetic sounds (the water, cage breaking etc.)

The purpose of the whole scene is to assert Jaws as the antagonist and show that he is not going to be easy to kill making the story a lot more interesting for the audience because you have ideas of your own running through your head on how they can kill Jaws but you never know if it could work because of how hard it is to keep track of Jaws and how destructive he is. I think the soundtrack really helps with the purpose of the scene because it makes Jaws seem even scarier than it really is, it puts you in the shoes of Hooper who is in the cage because just like you he doesn't know where the shark is or when it is going to strike until we as the viewer get to hear dissonance or Jaws Leitmotif.

List of stuff for soundtrack

Amplitude - Volume of sound
Melody -A tune
Information of a character (Leit Motif) - Character theme song
Score - Music composed specifically for the movie
Instrumentation - Instruments used
Parallel sound - Sound mirrors whats on the screen
Dissonance - Sounds that dob't fit together (High and Low pitch notes)
Diagetic -  When the character hears the sound/music
Non Diagetic - When only the audience hears the sound
Establish a place - Setting a scene with music

Treatment

Treatment

Name of Production: Shaun of the Dead

-What feel or mood are you hoping to achieve with the sound for this clip (i.e. how do you want the audience to feel and at which points in the scene?  Describe the music/soundscape are you going to add to the clip  (pace, tone, style, pitch - you can use the musical terms we have discussed in class) and what response you hope to elicit in a listener.    

I am hoping to build tension with the sound i have chosen for this clip, so the pitch tone and pace will be very jumpy and erratic so that it can build up to the part in which you see the zombies and they throw objects at them.

Where will you get your music from? (pre-recorded music; public domain, licensed, own) and what considerations do you need to be aware of when using music/sounds?

I will get the music from a 0 royalties public domain because songs with copyright that give royalties to artists are very hard to use without getting permission and if i used a song that was copyright i could end up being sued.

-What foley sounds are you going to record in the studio and add to this clip and what will they add to the scene:

I am going to add:
Flesh ripping
Bodies being hit
Cutlery russling
Records smashing





This will add a feeling of realism to the clip

-Do you need to record any sounds out on location, if so which?

No

- Who will be in your recording crew to help you get your sounds and what are their individual roles and responsibilities?

I will have Rory Harris helping me with the sound effects he will be the one trying to make the sound effects in sync with the video while i set everything up to make sure the sound is recorded properly.

Foley recording plan

Foley Recording Plan

1) Draw at least 3 individual technical diagrams on the attached sheet of how you will set up each of your Foley sounds on the Foley floor.

2)  Whilst making your recordings, please take some photographs to show how you set up your Foley floor.

Objects used for foley

Sound recorder used for some objects

Flesh ripping sound effect

Dead Cat

Computer with Audition set up

 




3) Thinking back to what we covered in lesson (and looking back at the PowerPoint my Blog)  when recording your sound effects how will you ensure that you get a good, clear recording? (positioning microphones / recording location / monitoring and controlling of recording levels via UV meters) fundamentals of decibels (dBs) / background noise

i will position the mic above the items making sure they are not close enough to give off any reverb/background noise. I will record the Foley in a soundproof studio to reduce background noise. I will have to keep check of the levels each object produces so that it does not distort any of their sounds.

4)What type of microphone will you use and why is this an appropriate microphone to use / how will it help you to get the best recording?

For the foley production i will use a shotgun microphone, this is the most appropriate microphone because it lowers the chance of recording background noises/reverb which will make the quality of my sound effects much better.

Online lesson

	Terms: Non Diegetic, Diegetic, Bridge, Contrapuntal, Parallel Sound.
Sound that goes hand in hand with the image on screen	parallel sound
Sounds that the characters in a film cannot hear (outside of story space)	non diegetic
Sound that contrasts / juxtaposes the image on screen	contrapuntal
Sounds that the characters in a film can hear or sounds whose sound source is visible on screen or implied (inside the story space)	diegetic
When music or sounds continue into the next scene. It creates smooth transitions from scene to scene.	bridge

Jaws
What Parallel sounds are present in this scene?
Jaws theme is present in the scene as he circles and attacks the cage
What are the Parallel sounds telling us about the scene?
It let's the audience know something bad is about to happen
Mood/narrative/nature of character (Jaws) / what is going to happen?
The mood is quite eery and the nature of the character is dark and the parallel sound indicates there is about to be a shark attack

Elements of a Soundtrack

1. A film score is a song created specifically for a film and it is used to tell the audience what emotion to feel.

2. Foley sound effects is the reproduction of everyday sounds they are used so people can here what is going on in the scenes environment.

3. ADR is Automated Dialogue Replacement and is used to replace lost dialogue in a film.

4. Sound design is acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements, it involves the composition or manipulating of audio to create a desired effect or mood.