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European Cinema FORL 3160 Minutes 1-24-2005
We began class with an introduction from Will Davis, a graduate of UNCC who studied Photography and Film. He will be available for students to help them with their video project. He also noted that there will be a Film Club meeting this Wednesday, the 26th at 5:00 in the Cone Center in the room with the piano.
What is sound? -anything in the background, this could be subliminal or consciously received -this could include music, dialogue, background, voices and noises
Voices -Narration: could be a voice narrating, telling a story -Authorial: person filming could be telling the story -Character: character could be telling the story and there will be a slant towards this character -Commentator: someone reading to us Monologue -when one voice is speaking -example: Shakespeare’s Plays -this doesn’t happen very often in films -does not have to be long -a graveside eulogy could be seen as a monologue Dialogue -when two people are talking Multiple -multiple voices are going back and forth talking -example: the interlacing banter on West Wing Non-Verbal -sighs, grunts etc. Ambient -voices in the background but we do not know the exact conversations; filler sound or to give atmosphere, for example chatter at a cocktail party
Music Continuity Ø the music helps to give the movie continuity: connects one scene to the next Ø a musical piece goes from one segment to another with interruption Ø example: in the movie, Blue a woman had her hand on a musical score and then different scenes occurred but with the music continuing without interruption Characterization Ø the music helps to tell us about a person, situation or where something is taking place Ø Example: In an advertisement for water currently playing in theaters, the music tells us it is in Germany because the woman is singing soprano in a Wagnerian style. The music is typical oompah music found in beerhalls or at Oktober fest. Ø Example: In La Strada when Gelsomina was on the side of the road, we heard a melody that became associated with her. There are basically three leitmotifs in the film that represent the different main characters. Ø Absence Example: In The Eclipse there was a buzzing fan but no music. The lack of music is felt as an estrangement from the scene. In Dracula 1931 version, there is no music. This absence makes the movie even more eerie, much later a soundtrack was added composed by Phillip Glass. Commentary Underscore Ironic and Sincere Ironic: Ø Example: Big Chill, there was a eulogy in a church and the organist plays, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
Diagetic = source music Ø the music does not have to be visible but it must be in the world of the film (capable of being heard by the people in the film.
Nondiegetic = scored music Ø the music is heard only by the viewers Ø Often times diegetic and nondiegetic music run into each other (segue)
Scary Music: Why is it scary to us? Ideas have become attached to certain types of music. Minor keys imply sadness for example. In Lost Honor of Kastharina Blum, in one scene as a woman sits in a chair waiting for a sinister visitor: v The notes get more compact, they act as a string getting wound up too tight, so the intensity of the music is increasing and then all of a sudden the music bursts and this startles us. The high pitched music made us more tense so that the startle effect is increased.
Instrumental music
Music with lyrics
Mickey-Mousing
Music is usually synchronized in postproduction Ø example: dancing and singing may not be filmed at the same time in some cases, the sound will be edited in after it has been recorded in a sound studio
Foreshadowing
Ø example: Jaws, we know when sharks are going to attack because of the leitmotif of the shark Controls Emotion
Ø example: Big Band music will mean the film is taking place during the 1940’s or 1950’s
Noise Could be:
Ø example: when a viewer hears footsteps they may think that someone is walking up the stairs
Specific Roles of Noise of Sound Effects
Music and Vocabulary from the last class Breathless: Editing Shows how Godard created a new style in the late fifties in French New Wave In the clip we watched, the editing is very abrupt as the actor is talking to the woman and then suddenly remembers something. Then all of a sudden the scene jumps to the street with a man. There is no smoothness between scenes. Godard exaggerates the disjointedness.
Trainspotting: Movement Renton, the character says he wants to clean up his act and as he is walking down the street the camera gets closer and closer to Renton. (He is walking toward the camera) Then the view begins to get blurry. This may be the director commenting on what Renton is saying and how much we should believe him.
German Film 1918 – 1933 This was the time when the biggest German studio, UFA came as a way to boost the German film industry. Sweden, Poland, Italy, France and Hollywood all had large film studios as film was international. UFA helped Germany to join this group.
Silent Era: 1918 – 1929 Early Sound Films: 1930 – 1933
Historical Background with exact dates on slide for Silent Films -soldiers returning from war disabled and sick (this was time of the Spanish flu); the situation got worse and worse and ended with hyper-inflation between 1923 and 1924 when money became worthless. Stock market crashed/ Depression: 1929-1933 Unemployment in Germany increased and the main parties during the time were the Nazi’s and socialists or Communists. They literally battled in the streets for allegiance of the workers.
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