Key Concepts of Sound in Films - Essay Example

Key Concepts of Sound in Films Introduction Sound can be considered as an essential component of the present day films. But it is important to consider the notion that the evolution of films initiated in the absence of sound and even music. It can be then considered interesting to be able to determine the key concepts of sound that made it an inevitable component of the particular field of visual arts. The study of the evolution of the films through the course of history in terms of sounds can present important lessons in film making. This can be considered as one of the reasons filmmakers, actors, directors and other people in the film industry gave great importance to the leaders of the silent film era due to the fact that they were able to convey the messages of the films in the absence of music and sound. Through the challenge of the lack of sound films in the 1920s were able to present an artistic form of visual arts while successfully conveying the message. Comparative analysis of the present and past audience can reveal that the audience during the period of silent movies have more open mind in terms of communication. It can even be perceived that understanding was achieved by the audience through a sense of empathy and emotional acceptance. But through the said issue, it can provoke the analysis that sound is an important element. Although this is the case, the absence of sound in the silent films created made these films worth of admiration on the basis of the fact that other elements are exponentially compensated. On the other hand, in the present era sound can be considered an indispensable component of film making. To be able to present an analysis on the key concepts of sound in films, it is important to concentrate on a particular film. Due to the fact that the evolution of sound and its role in film making is the main issue under study, the film that is under study is one of the milestone in the history of films that can be considered to hold a role in the development of sound technology in film. The Film Sunrise The film Sunrise can be considered as an important movie that serves as the boundary between the developments of the films with sound emerging from the silent movie era. This can be attributed to the fact that the movie Sunrise belongs to the batch of films that pioneered the use of soundtrack of music and even sound effects that had been recorded. The role of the said film can be considered essential to the perfection and development of the synchronized sound in films (McCaffrey and Jacobs 8). It can be observed that the silent era presented an important capacity to create an atmosphere that can make the audience understand the message. This was done through visual instruments. Through the course of the film history, the shift on the capability to relay messages to the public is through the sound. The sound became one of the most important tools in the film that were produced from the 1920s up to the present. It terms of the production of films, it can be considered as a continuous challenge to the present batch of film makers to be able to achieve the level of classic triumph that was achieved in the early films. In Sunrise, the objective of the film was achieved through the capture of the visual sense of the viewers. In addition, it had introduced the era wherein even the sense of hearing is satisfied. Due to the said fact, the film was able to create more success in capturing the attention of the audience. Basically, the sound in the said film was only used to be able to create an atmosphere of feeling the film. This can be attributed to the fact that the said movie can still be classified as a silent film. The only difference is the background music or musical scoring. For that matter, Sunrise can be considered as a hybrid or a transitional type of film, a form that is intermediate of the silent and modern films. Analysis of the Key Components of Sound Sound as we presently conceive can be considered as one of the major component in the production of film. It is composed of the lines, the music and the sound effects. Due to the fact that the development of the sound can be considered as gradual process, every phase in the history of sound use in the film can be considered to be faced with different forms of challenges. Silent movies can be considered as devoid of the sound technology. But appreciation and recognition can only be given to the performers and the production staffs and personnel that were able to produce output that can be understood by the audience. Although the characteristics of the audience cannot be considered as constant too since, it can be considered also as a matter of adaptation. Thus, what is presented can make the audience open up and create effort to be able to understand the presented media. It can be considered an important analysis that upon the onset of the sound technology, different components of the visual media and effects had been given up. This can be attributed to the fact that the sound compensated for the other forms of visual aspects. The main notion with film makers is that the era in development often dictates the use of technology such as the sound (McCaffrey and Jacobs 305). This can be exemplified by the observation that after the discovery and development of the application of the sound technology in the production of films, the silent films which can be considered to possess visual effects prowess was completely taken as a form that is needed to be changed. It can then be considered that when majority of filmmakers decide on doing one form and using new technologies, the whole industry and movie sector would follow and consider it the main tool for success in the business. The expectation regarding the application of sound of films can be considered to be successful since efforts were done to be able to achieve the said era in film. Although there are critics that view the shortcomings of the films with sound compare to the classic silent films, once the application of sound technology was applied, the film makers were not able to go back to the old style, the silent movie. This can be considered as the main reason for the evolution of the film industry towards a sector largely monopolized by the sound technology. Although this is the case, upon the application of the sound technology gradually through the application of sound components in 2 forms, success was achieved on the basis of the utilization and applicability of the different components of sound. The two major types of films that started the utilization of the sound technology in films include the technology used for the talking film and that for the music used for silent films (McCaffrey and Jacobs 305). Another reason for the success of the sound technology in films is the fact that it is composed of the different components that make the film able to capture the real world, the real life. One component is the sound wherein the lines, conversations and talks were delivered by the performers. The uttered words make the audience understand the conveyed message. Another is the music that can create the proper and appropriate emotional atmosphere. Lastly, the sound effects which can be exemplified by the environmental and background noise. The talking and the sound effects can be considered as the important components that capture the sound of the real world and surroundings. On the other hand, the music can be considered as an important component that elucidates the emotional and aural aspect. Summary and Conclusion In the study of the roles and the key components of the sound technology, different notions had been achieved. One is the fact that technology in the film industry can make unprecedented success if it has found its own niche of application. This is the case for the sound wherein, upon its development and discovery, the film industry realized it can be considered as a necessity to be able to capture reality into the films. Thus, looking back, although the silent movies were able to be successful in the early period of film industry, a different era calls for different form of film due to the fact that it has a different audience. In the film Sunrise, success can be considered on the basis of the fact that it can be classified as a pioneer film. Also it was able to offer different form of artistic prowess. One is visual effects that can be considered unconventional. Another is the application of soundtrack music. Lastly is the introduction of the new sound technology in the film industry. This is an important example of the integration of key components of film and specifically the key components of sound. Also it presents the importance of being a pioneer in the particular field and finding a unique niche. Reference: Dixon Smith, R. A Song of Two Humans. 2004. 1 Nov 2007 Egbert, Roger. Sunrise (1928). 2004. 1 November 2007 McCaffrey, Donald W. and Christopher P. Jacobs. Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999. Read More