Little Mermaids Background Information - Essay Example

Little Mermaid’s Background information The little mermaid soundtrack The little mermaid is anoriginal soundtrack produced by Walt Disney for the film. The film contains songs written by Alan Menken and his counterpart Howard Ashman. Alan Menken composed the film score that was used effectively in the movie. Thomas Pasatieri was the man behind orchestrating the score. The produced album won the Academy Award for the Best Original Score and the Best Original song in 1990. The soundtrack was released for the first time on October 13th 1989 by Walt Disney. The soundtrack was on CD and tapes in various stores in the country. The lyrics of the sound were by Howard Ashman and with additional lyrics by Glenn Slater. The setting of the movie is underwater and the characters are aquatic so it needs a specific technical design to incorporate the character’s movement. The play writer Doug Wright focused on the storyline of Ariel. Glenn Slater was brought by Menken and they composed songs that were used in the film production. There are several pieces of the music used in the movie that remain unreleased. The pieces have not been released to the public in any kind of format. Poor Unfortunate soul which was Ursula’s song that appears before the wedding of Eric and Ariel has never been recognized by Walt Disney. Original score is music composed by an individual so that it can accompany a film (Fishman p.13). It is usually electronic or classical in nature. It is designed to be woven directly into the atmospheric backdrop of a movie. A soundtrack is a collection of music by several artists to be used in the movie and support the spirit of the movie. Normally it is uncommon for soundtracks to make previously released music its compilations. The little mermaid used original soundtracks in their production. The right music can make a movie appear great and in real sense it is not. The little mermaid producers used soundtracks by the Alan Menken to emphasize the underwater theme that is portrayed by the movie. The soundtracks blend well with the buildup of the movie and that is why there are used. Scenes that music was used effectively The little mermaid has very many scenes were soundtracks was incorporated with the actions characters and it ended up well. The scene was Ariel is hurt by what his father tells her concerning the desire to visit the world was a good scene. The soundtrack Part of Your World which was sang by Ariel quickly changed the mood of the film. This shows how important the use of the scores in these scene. The song is relatively slow and indicates high sense of romance. There is minimal use of instrumentals in this scene, but there is a gently instrumental played in the background that gives a soothing and romantic feeling. Ariel rescued Prince Eric in the shores and this scene an original score is sang by Ariel again. Part of Your world Reprise is heard and it blends properly with the scene because Eric gets a glimpse of her and hears her beautiful voice. The use of the original score in the scene is important because it helped greatly to the development of the movie. Sebastian tries to convince Ariel that living in the sea is important than living in the land. The soundtrack that Sebastian sings in order to convince Ariel changes the mood of the movie. Under the sea, sang by Sebastian is charming and it keeps the viewer curious of what the movie entails. The song was themed for the movie and it was an album compiled for the purpose of this movie. It was weaved to portray the characters in the movie. The music Under the Sea, begins with slow instrumentals playing at the background as Ariel engages into a conversation with Sebastian; however, the pace of the instrumentals goes up and faster as Sebastian begins singing this song. This is an interesting song and Sebastian’s voice makes it perfect for viewers. There is use of drums, probably guitars and piano instruments. There is also an inclusion of trumpets and what seems to be a flute as the song goes on. Chef Louis in an attempt to murder Sebastian sings the soundtrack Les Poisson. The conflict continues in the kitchen and Ariel is given a Tour by Prince Eric. Sebastian finds an opportunity were Prince Eric and Ariel are alone in their tour and he sings, ‘kiss the girl’. This is an attempt to try and excite the two into a romantic mood. The song is interrupted by Flotsam and Jetsam capsizing the boat. It was effectively used to heighten the romantic gesture of the movie. The song begins slowly by playing of instruments, specifically drums. There is also gentle piano and flute playing at the background as Sebastian sings in a base and other animals i.e. frogs, pelicans et cetera brings in tenor and other voices giving the soundtrack a perfect blend. Use of Diegetic Sound and Non Diegetic sound in the Little Mermaid Diegetic sound is sound that is visible on the screen and whose source is present due to the action of the movie at hand. The voices of the actors, the sound made by the object in the movie are some of the examples of diegetic sound. It is the sound that is presented in the movie and whose source is within the movie. Diegetic sound can be on screen and off screen. This depends on whether the source that it is coming from is within the frame of the frame or outside the frame of the film. Most producers refer to diegetic sound as actual sound. Non Diegetic sound is the opposite of the diegetic sound in simple terms. It is the sound that is not visible in the screen and whose source is not visible in the screen too. It is not implied by in the screen either. The mood music in the film, the effects that are added to make the movie dramatic is some of the sound that is referred to as non-diegetic sound. It is believed to have come from outside the story and most producers refer to it as commentary sound. For instance; in scene where Ariel engages her grandmother in a conversation to discuss life among human beings and life among sea creatures, there is slow and gentle instrumentals that are played to create a sad mood to blend the story. Diegetic sound is widely used in the film the little mermaid. The sounds of the objects in the film and the voices of the characters show the vast use of diegetic sound in the little mermaid. Diegetic use of sound in the little mermaid is the backbone of audio in the movie. Most of the audio in the film is due to diegetic sound. The music that comes from the different scenes in the film also depicts the role of diegetic sound. The actual sound that comes from the confrontation between Louis and Sebastian also shows the use of diegetic sound in the film the little mermaid. The use of sound effects in the film the little mermaid is important because it has very many purposes. The sound effects used are used to simulate reality in the film. It is an animated film but the use of various sound effects to create a feeling of reality is amazing. The use of sound effects to create an illusion to the viewer of the little mermaid: It creates the mood of the film and it one great addition to the film. The sound effect that is used when the Ursula approaches Ariel gives the viewer a thrilling feeling. It makes the viewer feel as if they are part of the screen. The producer uses the feeling that if you see and hear it then automatically believes it. The anticipation that it creates really thrills the viewer. The sound effect is a major part in production of the Little Mermaid. The sound functions in the little mermaid have been used for many different roles. The sound functions have direct impacts on the storytelling of the Little Mermaid. The dialog between King Triton and his daughter Ariel tell the story of the film and the sound effects that also play this role. The sounds functions were used here to draw the attention of the characters. The sound effects have a role in the narrative role in the film Little Mermaids. The sound effects works subconsciously on the narrative role of the movie the facilitating the ability of the listeners to separate sound creates the feeling of the suspense. The use of sound plays a vital role in the grammar of the film. It enables the producer to easily incorporate correct grammar in the making of the little mermaid. The sonic meaning of the sound we hear in the little mermaid reflects its physical properties. Psychoacoustic is how our brain processes information that is carried by sound. This is important it shows the quality of a movie. A good movie is has music integrated in it so that it can be interesting and emotional. The addition of sound effects provides the extra information that the viewer cannot see. Use of Literal Sounds There is use of literal sounds in various scenes in the movie; this is evident in various conversations taking place within the movie. An example of linear sound used in the movie occurs in a scene where the Little Mermaid engages her grandmother in a conversation regarding human beings. She inquires from her grandmother whether humans can survive under water like any other aquatic animals. Her grandmother goes ahead and tells her that humans have shorter life spans as compared to Merfolks. She also goes further and explains what happens after humans and mermaids die. This among other conversations and scenes of indicates the use of literal sounds in the movie. Non-Literal Sounds The use of non-literal sounds is also evident in the movie; non-literal sounds entail the use of background music, sounds of explosion et cetera. The first incidence of the use of non-literal sounds occurs in an explosion when the Ship that was transporting a Prince sinks in the sea. Another incidence of non-literal sound occurs when Aerial meets the Prince for the first time; during this period fireworks were displayed causing explosive sounds. Vertelney Balance Utilization of various soundtracks in the movie creates a sense of vertelney balance. This form of sound balance entails three imperative sound components that are Visibility, Usability and functionality. In relation to functionality, explosives sounds are used to give the audience a feel of the real events in various parts of the movie for example during the fireworks and when ship sinks. In addition, there is proper use of various sounds in their respective scenes i.e. appropriate background music as Aerial imagines her life with the Prince and she engages in a conversation with her grandmother to discuss humans. Consequently, visibility created by use of appropriate sounds i.e. proper application of literal sounds during dialogues et cetera. It is obvious that the various sound tracks in the movie exhibit the facets of linear media; the director applied various modes of soundtracks that engage viewers’ minds. To begin with, the use of explosive sounds in appropriate scenes and the application of appropriate soundtracks during conversations i.e. between the Little Mermaid and her grandmother et cetera. This indicates a great sense of creativity and innovation. Conclusion Cultural association of the music allows the movie little mermaid to convey the emotion, period and geographic location. The incorporation of sound in the production of the Little Mermaid is difficult and it was done perfectly to convey different messages throughout the movie. The integration of different sound effects made the movie worth watching. Work Cited Bartkowiak, Mathew J.. Sounds of the future: essays on music in science fiction film. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co., 2010. Print. Fishman, Stephen. The public domain: how to find & use copyright-free writings, music, art & more. 3rd ed. Berkeley, CA: Nolo, 2006. Print. Harper, Graeme. Sound and music in film and visual media: an overview. New York: Continuum, 2009. Print. Rothbart, Peter. The synergy of film and music: sight and sound in five Hollywood films. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2013. Print. Read More