Audio and Visual Elements in Film

Diegetic sounds, or any sound whose source can be seen on the movie screen or is implied to be coming from the within the film itself rather than added post-production, are often used by filmmakers to create a certain tone or mood within the film. For example, the music that plays within a shot can have a great effect on how the characters are viewed. I think this is most apparent in the connection between music playing within scenes and the acts of villains (the characters do not necessarily have to be villains but any person carrying out villainous acts such as murder). This use of diegetic sounds to alter the perception of movie villains is utilized in two iconic scenes-the first from Reservoir Dogs (1992) and the second from American Psycho (2000).

The first clip that I attached from Quentin Tarantino’s film Reservoir Dogs is one of my favorite movie scenes. As a result of the music Mr. Blonde plays in the scene, he takes on a persona different than a typical villain or criminal in a movie. “Stuck in the Middle with You” is a very upbeat, feel-good song which contrasts greatly with the actions Mr. White is carrying out. This contrast draws the viewer’s attention to the fact that the scene is unlike most movie scenes of one character torturing another, and the torturer become even more menacing despite the lack of typical horror music or sound effects.

Likewise, the clip from American Psycho shares several similarities with the first clip in that it utilizes an upbeat, popular song playing within the clip to contrast with the actions of the character. Although Christian Bale’s character, Patrick Bateman, murdering another man is already terrifying, the music playing in the background draws attention to how wrong it is that he is committing this act, making it even more disturbing. Ultimately, the music playing within this scene makes the villain seem more villainous because he is committing a horrible act and enjoying it to a song that would not normally be associated with murder.

Similar to diegetic sounds, non-diegetic, or sounds that are not meant to exist within the fictional story, greatly affect an audience’s movie viewing experience.

For example, the first video I included is a clip from the 1967 movie, The Graduate. The two Simon and Garfunkel songs, “The Sound of Silence” and “April Come She Will”, that are playing in the background of the scene add to the overall isolated and somber tone of the scene. While the acting and other elements of the miss en scène still conveys this feeling, the use of specific non-diegetic music heightens it. Additionally, the change of songs without changing the shot (3:12) signifies how Ben, the main character, feels like he is stuck in the same place even though a lot is happening and changing in his life.

Moreover, the famous scene from the movie Donnie Darko uses Gary Jules’ song “Mad World” in a similar way. In this scene, it is clear from the emotions on the actors’ faces that they have all gone through a traumatic experience that left them feeling depressed. However, by utilizing a song that is especially sad sounding with dark lyrics, the scene better conveys this feeling of desperation.

By the time Charlie Chaplin’s, Modern Times, was made in 1936, sound technology had advanced greatly, giving him the opportunity to make the film a sound film, rather than completely silent like his earlier movies. However, he intentionally chose not to, and to instead kept the film a silent film, including sound only in specific scenes. One of these scenes is iconic moment towards the end of the film when Chaplin is about to sing in front of all the diners in a restaurant. He panics over forgetting the lyrics to the song and writes the lyrics on his sleeve cuff but then loses this cuff in the beginning of the performance and is left with his only option being to improvise the lyrics.

There have been a few other instances in the movie already when sound is included, but this is the first time that the voice of Chaplin himself is heard. This moment in the film mirrors the moment in Chaplin’s own life and him coming out as a speaking performer after numerous years as a silent film star. Chaplin intentionally chooses to sing in gibberish rather than any language. Foremost, he is mocking the increase in modernization during the 1930s, for sound is representative of advancements in cinema, and in turn representative of the changes in society as a whole. He is also commenting on aspects of his own art form, showing that the words he words he makes up in gibberish have no more and no less meaning than the words people are saying in the new sound cinema.

Ultimately, this iconic scene was a way for Chaplin to provide commentary against the changes in society in a less direct and more artistic way. Furthermore, it was a way for him to come out as a speaking performer without losing his roots as a silent film star, proving that sound in films can have many deeper meanings and is one of the most important aspects that filmmakers utilize in order to convey certain messages.

One of the first things I notice when I watch a movie is the use of colors. Aside from some of the obvious, such as characters or plot line, I think colors are one of the most important tools that help filmmakers convey a certain story or moral and create a certain viewing experience. Wes Anderson is a film maker well known for his very particular and calculated use of colors in his films. I chose to discuss how the colors used in three different Wes Anderson films affected my viewing and response to the movies. I specifically chose to only use pictures from these three films, rather than any trailers or clips from the films, in order to focus on on the sole effect of colors, regardless of other elements in the films such as sound, script, or editing.

The first set of pictures is from Anderson’s most recent film, The Grand Budapest Hotel. The pinkish and purplish hues that are present in these three pictures are very apparent throughout film’s entirety. I think that Anderson had greater intentions when choosing a color palette for this film than just choosing colors that are pleasing to the viewer’s eye. The first thing I think about when I see these colors is a fairy tale, and by giving the film this fairytale feeling, he is able to manipulate his audience and bring them into the world of his creation in which his story takes place. In this movie, Anderson combines several different stories and time periods into one crazy and twisted story with some of his quirkiest characters, yet it is all cohesive. In a sense, Anderson’s uses the colors in this movie to transport his audience into a completely different world where only his stories and characters could exist. Outside of this movie, in the real world, the characters and stories would seem absolutely absurd and the story unbelievable, but in this world that Anderson creates through his use of color, it all exists without seeming completely unreasonable.

The next set of pictures is from Wes Anderson’s film, The Darjeeling Limited, a story of three brothers coming together after the death of their father to take a trip together across India in hopes of bettering their lives individually and together. Once again, Anderson uses colors to manipulate the audience, however, he does so in a different manner. Instead of using colors to create a world that is the only world in which characters can live in, he uses colors to present a serious topic in a more lighthearted way. The subject matter and characters are very dark and serious in comparison to the bright and fun colors that dominate the movie. This movie is one of my favorites of Anderson’s because even without the script filled with sarcastic and lighthearted comments or the upbeat and catchy music, the colors alone set a mood to the movie that completely contradicts much of the actual content.

The final set of pictures I chose is from another one of Wes Anderson’s films, The Royal Tenenbaums. Like the two previous films, Anderson uses colors to create his own fictional world for his characters to exist in and to present a serious subject matter in a more light-hearted way, but what stood out to me in this film his use of contrast of the colors in one specific scene in comparison to the other colors used throughout the rest of the film. The majority of the film is filled with a specific color palette containing yellows and subdued oranges, and as I watched the film, I got accustomed to seeing these colors on the screen. The scene where one of the characters attempts to commit suicide came so suddenly and as such a surprise, not because of how out of character this act of taking his own life was, but because of the dramatic shift in colors. Unlike the majority of the film prior to this scene that contained the yellow and orange hues, this scene is overwhelmingly filled with blues. This change in color had such an impact on my experience viewing the film, and drew my attention back to the fact that like most of Anderson’s films, underneath the exterior there is a deeper, more solemn meaning.

Costuming, makeup, and special effects are other visual elements that are used more commonly in newer films to enhance the audience’s viewing experiences. The effect that special effects, makeup, and costumes have on a film’s audience can be seen most notably in movies that transport the viewer into a place that they could not normally be-for instance, outer space in Gravity or the land of Pandora in Avatar. However, I find that their effect can be even more powerful when it is used more subtly, as it is in the clip from Sam Mendes’ 2012 James Bond movie, Skyfall.

Although the excellence in both the script and Javier Bardem’s ability to act out the role of the villain has a major impact on this scene, I find that the costuming and special effects used to show the effects that the cyanide capsule had on his body adds much more to the scene. I feel squeamish every time I watch this scene because of how lifelike the special effects and makeup look. Additionally, it is because of these visual elements that I am so intrigued and willing to continue watching despite my squeamishness. Furthermore, the costuming of Bardem’s character adds to the viewer’s experience. From the clothes he is wearing, to his skin, to his hair, everything is very pale and washed out, which greatly contrasts from the mostly black colors that his opposites are wearing. This contrast in colors creates a heightened sense of tension between the two.

Ultimately, as seen in more recent films, such as Skyfall, special effects, costuming, and makeup are used to effectively enhance the audience’s experience.

Another important visual element of cinematography is the depth of the shot, or in other words, how much of the shot is in focus. In the 1941 film, Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles, cinematographer, Gregg Toland, utilized deep focus. Deep focus is a technique in which all images in the frame are in focus, rather than just the foreground or just the background being in focus. This technique can be seen clearly in the clip from 0:30-1:30 when the images in the foreground (the three characters talking inside the home) and the images in the background (a child playing outside) are both in focus. By making all of the images in the frame in focus, deep focus can make the space being shown seem larger than it would if only a specific area was in focus. Moreover, the use of deep focus gives more control to the viewer by allowing them to choose which aspects of the scene to pay more attention. Additionally, it gives them the opportunity to engage with the entire image as a whole rather than just focusing on one aspect, which they would not have the option to do if only the foreground or background was in focus.

Audio and Visual Elements in Film

and their effect on an audience

By: Kyra Josephson

Audio

Visual

Colors in Film

Diegetic Sounds and Movie Villains

Costuming, Makeup, and Special Effects

Importance of Audio and Visual Elements in Film

Non-Diegetic Sound

Cinematography constitutes all of the visual elements and techniques involved in creating motion pictures. Audio elements, or any sounds or music included in a film, can be incorporated during the production of a film or post-production. Though they may individually seem simple, the combination of these two audio and visual aspects has the ability to completely shape an audience's viewing experience, making them one of the most influential aspects of film making.

Throughout this presentation, I will focus on different audio and visual elements, for example, color or music, that are commonly used throughout films and how these elements effect the way in which an audience views a film. Finally, I will curate my own example of the effects of cinematography by altering different audio and visual aspects of a movie clip. In doing so, I will illustrate how great of an effect audio and visual aspects of cinematography have on the overall effect of the clip and therefore, how an audience perceives the images being shown.

Deep Focus

Significance of Sound Film

Original Clip

Audio and Visual Change

Audio Change

Visual Change

This clip is from Wes Anderson's 2007 film, The Darjeeling Limited. As I mentioned in an earlier slide, what makes this movie, and many of Anderson's other films, unique is that it deals with very serious topics in a lighthearted, and at times comical, manner. This clip from the opening seen of the film shows how Anderson utlizes audio and visual elements to create a more lighthearted feel. For example, the use of bright colors makes the overall image seem more enjoyable than the actual image shown-a stressed man (played by Bill Murray) rushing to catch a train that he barely misses. In addition, the song that is playing in the background ("This Time Tomrrow" by The Kinks) is very upbeat which also makes the images being shown seem less unfortunate. These two more lighthearted elements juxtaposed with the man missing his train sets the stage for the rest of the movie to continue to deal with serious issues such as bringing a broken family back together in a less serious manner.

For this final clip, I combined the previous audio and visual changes, making the clip black and white and changing the music to "Away We Go" by the Silver Firs. I think it is most clear in this clip how great of an effect audio and visual elements have on a film and how an audience perceives it. With a slower, more serious song and the lack of color, the clip, in my opinion, loses the lighthearted feel which was so unique to it originally. Also, because there is no upbeat music or vibrant colors to create a lighthearted viewing experience for the viewer, the comedic way in which further events in the plot and and script are portrayed may seem more out of place or less effective.

In this clip, I left all of the audio elements the same as in the original clip, but altered the visual elements by making the clip black and white rather than in color. Taking the color away from the clip draws more intention to the actions of the characters. Whereas in the original clip, I was more intrigued by the aesthetic appeal of the unique and vibrant colors, in this clip I am focusing more on the actions of the characters. Moreover, the upbeat, lighthearted music seems almost out of place without the corresponding colors.

In this clip I left all of the visual elements the same as the original clip and only altered the audio elements by changing the song playing in the background to "Away We Go" by the Silver Firs. I tried to choose a song that was still fitting to the clip, but at the same time would alter a viewer's interpretation of the film. Although the song is still slightly upbeat, I think it has a more serious tone especially because it is a little slower and has no words. Furthermore, because this song is very repetitive and has no words, it almost makes me feel as if the events are happening slower-putting emphasis on how unfortunate the events that are taking place are.