Wednesday, 5 June 2013

Soundtrack analysis



UNIT 38: Soundtrack analysis


Sherlock Holmes (2009) ‘Boxing Match’

Sound effects: Crowd cheers, Physical contact (Punches/Kicking), Boxer being hit into doors, Sherlock ‘dodging’ (Wind resistances?) Clapping, Slapping, Boxer spitting, ‘Whooshing sound as Sherlock goes into thinking/narration mode, Slow motion fight, Footsteps, Heavy breathing, Paper rustling, cork being pulled out of bottle
Audio background: Folk music ( Rocky road to Dublin- The Dubliners)
Dialog: Crowd Cheers, Sherlock Holmes narration, Boxer taunting

In this short 3 minuet sequence of Sherlock Holmes (2009) known as the ‘Fight Scene’ on youtube I, personally, heard many different diagetic and non-diagetic sounds.
The main focus in the audio area is, to me, the folk music that makes up the non diagetic background sound- It’s the clearest thing I heard throughout the entirety of the scene and was a strong focus point to me it works well with the idea that Sherlock Holmes is fighting in a working class boxing/bar area where it is quite common to find folk music.
            The second most noticeable sound element to me was the physical contact sound effects that emphasize the original sound so it sounds louder than it would to the characters in the film itself so it stood out more to me and gave the scene a dramatic effect that would’ve not worked if they made it quieter.
            I also heard quite clearly at the end of the fight itself between the boxer and Sherlock Holmes the sounds of Sherlock walking barefoot in the dirt, him opening a bottle and taking a piece of paper from one of the workers. But I believe that to me that the narration that Sherlock Holmes has while thinking is the most important and easily heard audio part of the sequence- you can hear it over the crowd cheering (which is subdued) and his own attacks against the boxer.

Fight Club () ‘Where is my mind?’- Ending

Sound effects: Buildings falling, Explosions, people walking on tiled flooring
Audio background: Where is my mind- Pixies
Dialog: Marla Singer and ‘Tyler Durden’ are talking to each other in hushed, calm tones

This sequence starts quite subdued and calm as the characters are talking in rather quite tones although it is rather hard to hear one of them as he’s been shot in the cheek (Admittedly he did do that to himself) so you can hear the blood gurgling very quietly as he speaks. Then the audio background music begins to build up which sets a nice backdrop for the collapsing buildings that happen next which contrasts very nicely together as they contrast they show how detached the two characters are to the buildings.
            One part of the audio that always stuck out to me is how the audio background increases suddenly in volume when the first explosion goes off and stays quite loud for the rest of the title sequence which creates the mood that the two characters seem to be having.
The other characters who are not shown in the sequence can be heard with their footprints on the floor which is louder than what is natural so the audience  can understand that they are leaving the room altogether which really stood out to me.

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