Sound and Music in Films - Research Paper Example

Sound and Music in Films Filmmaking has transcended a challenging and colorful artistic journey. The fast pace of technological advancement profoundly influenced the growth of filmmaking from its crude origins of silent and black and white films to the intricately three dimensional movies of contemporary times. Kay, Ghent, Chumney & Lutkins presented the history of sound in films and traced its origins before the 1920s when Thomas Edison was quoted to say in 1925 that “"My plan was to synchronize the camera and the phonograph so as to record sounds when the pictures were made, and reproduce the two in harmony. . . We had the first of the so-called "talking pictures" in our laboratory thirty years ago" (Kay, et.al., n.d., par. 1). Edison’s persistent intent to invent the kinetoscope, granted patent in 1897, paved the way for the introduction of sound in films. In this regard, this essay aims to proffer relevant issues and perspectives of sound and music in movies and films. The discourse would initially present significant events from the origins of sounds and music, together with the people who were instrumental in making the discoveries. Likewise, the role of sound and music in films would also be discussed before presenting the characteristics of these elements in contemporary filmmaking. Brief History of Sound on Film The invention of the Kinetograph, with joint efforts of Thomas Edison and William Kennedy Laurie Dickinson, enabled recorded images to have phonographic sounds. The famous surviving experimental film from the Kinetograph is Fred Ott’s “Sneeze” (Mitchell, n.d., 1). Eugene Lauste, a French inventor, was noted to have recorded “sound onto a piece of photographic film” (ibid.) in 1904. During the 1920s, the most famous inventions were the Tri Ergon Process (“development of a glow lamp light modulator for variable density recording of sound” (Kay, et.al., n.d.)), attributed to three German inventors. The other sound technology of the time was the Vitaphone, “a sound-on-disc system using multiple 33 1/3 rpm discs developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories and Western Electric” (ibid.). Noted during the period was the first film with dialogue, The Jazz Singer and the first all-dialogue film entitled Lights of New York in 1928 (ibid.). The 1930’s showed slowed progress in film sound history and technological development due to the Great Depression. The instrumental films note mentioning during the period were King Kong for the following rationale, to wit: “Murray Spivak, who did the sound design for the movie, was the first person to manipulate sound in a creative way.  Spivak used the sound of a lions roar slowed down one octave mixed with the sound at unity pitch” (Kay, et.al., n.d.). The emergence fantasy and comic films in the 1940s starting with Walt Disney’s Fantasia marked vast technological advancement in sounds in films. The innovations on sound during the period were noted as follows: “the click track, dispersion-aligned loudspeaker system with skewed-horn, the pan-pot, control-track level-expansion, overdubbing of orchestral parts, simultaneous multitrack recording, and the development of a multichannel surround system” (Kay, et.al., n.d.). Accordingly, the sound technology used in this film provided the impetus for the discovery of magnetic techniques which eventually led to Dolby Stereo and digital film techniques of contemporary times. The Role of Sound, Music in the Film Industry According to Jeffrey, sound and music in films have significant roles and impact which cannot be ignored. Jeffrey averred that “it is used to enhance drama and to help illustrate the emotional content in the story. It is also used to manipulate the feelings and sentiments of viewers” (Jeffrey, 2010, 1). She also emphasized the critical importance of music in films, to wit: “music in film is also about the imagery. Intimate drawing rooms, beer parties, a coronation, sweeping landscape vistas, a foggy road - all of these scenes will require the music to adapt and fit what the audience sees on screen and to help tell the story in these scenes” (Jeffrey, 2010, 1). Helen Abbott discussed three critical elements of sound in films: music, dialogue and noise. Jane Knowles Marshall, likewise, reiterated these elements as essential ingredients to a good soundtrack in films. Accordingly, Marshall emphasized that “these three tracks must be mixed and balanced so as to produce the necessary emphases which in turn create desired effects. The three tracks include dialogue, synchronous and asynchronous sound, and music” (Marshall, n.d., par. 2). Dialogue is a relevant element which aims to reveal the plot, to express emotions, and depict various motivations of different characters in the film. Marshall indicated that “when voice texture fits the performers physiognomy and gestures, a whole and very realistic persona emerges. The viewer sees not an actor working at his craft, but another human being struggling with life. It is interesting to note that how dialogue is used and the very amount of dialogue used varies widely among films” (Marshall, n.d., par. 4). As indicated, music is a significant element of sound. She noted that only in 1967 that popular music was included on a soundtrack, particularly for the film The Graduate. Eventually, famous songs or contemporary songs are composed for specific films to add recall and enhancing relevant scenes in terms of emotions that needed to be emphasized or conveyed. The use of music functions as building emotions, tensions and suspense. On the other hand, Abbott indicated that “dialogue allowed actors/actresses to express their performances vocally as well as physically” (Abbott, 2010, 4). In discussing the element of sound effects, she emphasized that “in some genres such as sci-fi most of the sound effects are accepted as real because they are consistent throughout the genre, they have become convention” (Abbott, 2010, 3). Sound effects are usually manifested in films such as Star Wars, Star Trek, among others. Abbott concluded her discourse by indicating that “sound is an important element in film because it works with the other aspects of a film, such as mise-en-scene, narrative and editing, to enhance the overall text. Music also provides a further facet in a film which people can relate to and experience on a personal level. Finally sound is an important element for the industry in terms of synergy and commercial gain” (Abbott, 2010, 7). Finally, Looking at Movies revealed that “film music (like film sound generally) can be diegetic or nondiegetic. Diegetic music comes from the story world: a character turns on a radio, for example, or performs, as when the classic rock and roller Buddy Holly (Gary Busey) plays his songs during concerts in Steve Rashs The Buddy Holly Story (1978). Nondiegetic music comes from beyond the story world, enhancing the viewers appreciation and even understanding of the story but not representing a literal part of the characters lives” (Looking at Movies, n.d. par.1). Sound and Music in Contemporary Films With the onset of developments in computers and the internet, Howell averred that “special effects have reached a whole new level. In many ways computers have replaced people. Programmers have replaced cameramen” (Howell, 2010, par. 12). The effect of these developments on sound and music are likewise profound in terms of adapting and adjusting to the demands of the generation. Marshall observed and indicated in her discourse that “film sound is comprised of conventions and innovations. We have come to expect an acceleration of music during car chases and creaky doors in horror films. Yet, it is important to note as well that sound is often brilliantly conceived. The effects of sound are often largely subtle and often are noted by only our subconscious minds. Yet, it behooves us to foster an awareness of film sound as well as film space so as to truly appreciate a twentieth century art form, the modern film” (Marshall, n.d., par. 11). The breakthroughs in sound design starting in the 1970s created the foundations for contemporary technological advancement on sound technology in films. The capacity to edit and mix sounds changed the whole spectrum of sound design. With it, the future of sound design is optimistic. According to Looking at Movies (2006), “to capture and combine the various kinds of sound within a film, including dialogue, music, and sound effects, filmmakers employ multitrack recording. This system enables them to record each sound on a separate track, which can then be manipulated on its own and mixed together with other sounds, of the same type or different types, for coherence and dramatic effect” (Looking at Movies, 2006, par. 1). Due to this ability, filmmakers and sound editors can control, design, edit, mix, and emphasize various sound qualities and genres in contemporary films. The possibilities are enormous and the output as seen on films such as Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Star Trek, Transformers, among others. In this regard, several award giving bodies, The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, is one, which gives due recognition for best in sound editing, sound mixing, and music (original song and score) to acknowledge the best in this field. Conclusion Art has been known to be an expression of a skill, a talent, or ability. The world has gained enormously in terms of developments in various art forms through the creativity of talented people throughout life. One such form is filmmaking. Film, which is an art of making motion pictures, encompasses different criteria or qualities by which its aesthetic quality can be evaluated depending on the person viewing it. Contemporary films do not necessarily comply with the standards of aesthetic quality despite the developments and utilization of technology to apply special effects. In fact, according to Osider (2009), “lately, the blockbuster has fallen into the habit of replacing beautiful form with thrills. These films contain mainly shallow themes and impressive special effects. The audience might like the film, but again that does not make it a good one.” An aesthetically crafted film should show a good quality that not only entertains but inspires. The content and form combine beautifully to create film art. Osider (2009) appropriately avers that “for while Hollywood is aesthetically strong, its content is morally weak. Some of the most beautiful films can have very little real morality in them. This of course supports the fact that to make a good piece of art, the creator needs a balance of form and content.” Form, of course, should skillfully include the critical elements of sound in films and content must balance it in terms of message and quality. Works Cited Abbott, Helen. The role of sound, music and sound effect in the film industry. 2010. Web. 10 September 2010. < http://www.helium.com/items/468498-the-role-of-sound-music-and- sound-effect-in-the-film-industry?page=4> Howell, Matt. 21st Century Movies. 2010. Web. 10 September 2010. < http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june01/movies_tech.html> Jeffrey, Victoria. The role of sound, music and sound effect in the film industry. 2010. Web. 10 September 2010. < http://www.helium.com/items/783888-the-role-of-sound-music-and- sound-effect-in-the-film-industry> Kay, Jonathan, Ghent, Kimber, Chumney, Brian, & Eric Lutkins. Film Sound History. N.d. Web. 10 September 2010. < http://frank.mtsu.edu/~smpte/timeline.html> Looking at Movies. Chapter 7: Sound. N.d. Web. 10 September 2010. Marshall, Jane Knowles. An Introduction to Film Sound. N.d. Web. 10 September 2010. < http://filmsound.org/marshall/index.htm> Mitchell, Doug. Timeline – Development of Film and Sound on Film. N.d. Web. 20 September 2010. Osider, J. The Beauty of Art and Christian Filmmaking - The Qualities and Flaws of Hollywood (chapter 3). 2009. Web. 10 September 2010. Read More