13.5 DISCUSSION - FRANK FILM - Sound, Glorious Sound

13.5 DISCUSSION - Sound, Glorious Sound

Purpose

This discussion gives you the chance to apply the knowledge you attained through the reading to your choice of the work screened for this module. 

Directions

Reread your notes and the skeletal outlines, and Chapter 9. The end of chapter 9 analysis of Citizen Kane will be helpful in respect to the presentation. Apply your understanding of sound, the various elements and its use. Use the vocabulary of filmmaking and give examples to bolster your analysis. This week choose from the following topics.

Topic 1: A discussion of the three different scores to Man with a Movie Camera

A discussion of the three different scores to Man with a Movie Camera listed below. Keep in my all three scores were added recently and any adherence to the rhythms of the picture happened after the fact through the sound design. Man with a Movie Camera was a created prior to viable sound-on-film options although Vertoz wrote extensively of the sound that should accompany his work.  Compare and contrast the scores...how are they different? Are there similarities? What instrumentation is evident, at what tempo and pitch? How do these elements affect you perception of the work? Give examples.

The 1st score  you have seen - it is by the Alloy Orchestra.

The 2nd score is by Michael Nyman

The Final score is by the Cinematic Orchestra.

Topic 2:  
Discuss the opening scene of the following Ballast, The Conversation, Hot Fuzz, and/or "Frank Film" in its entirety or choose two to compare and contrast. How does the dialogue, music, efx and foley work to create a tone and contribute to your understand of the universe of the character(s)? Give examples. Warning: due to the nature of the soundtrack, if you rely on subtitles for an understanding of the work "Frank Film" is not the film to analyze. Please choose another.

Topic 3: 
Is there one topic that really resonated  with you this week - one thing you feel you now truly understand in regards to sound? If possible please apply that topic in a discussion of one of the clips noted above.  Give examples.

Topic 4:
You have written yourself into your own screenplay. Using the, vocabulary of filmmaking, cinematic language  and in this case prioritizing the audio, describe “your world” - you and the world around you. Include examples. Feel free to describe an event, a family dinner, or whatever it is that would best represent you and your current world. How does sound represent that world, what types of sounds would you include, why?

My Discussion Post: 11-24-2021

One topic that resonated with me this week was working out in my mind all the different variations of movie sound: diegetic or non-diegetic, on-screen or offscreen, and internal or external. That topic was put to a challenge when I saw Frank Film (Frank and Caroline Mouris, 1973).

Frank Film has two narrations at the same time (both done by Frank) over an ever-changing collage of images. One narration is Frank’s first-person autobiography since 1944 when he was born and it extends to the end date of the film being made of 1972/3.

The second narration is spoken word, word association on images, alliteration of words usually beginning with the letter “f”.

The two narrations are at different pace and it is as if there are two actors are off-screen in an experimental two person play, feeding off each other and staying in scene and in-sync to autobiographical images. It feels alive and present tense. In this theater comparison, I am just referring to the sound, not the brilliant film collage work which I can’t even comprehend how it was accomplished.

Deciphering the narration with the language we learned this week. Narration 1, Is diegetic. "Diegetic sounds come from a source within a film’s world; they are the sounds heard by both the movie audience and characters." (Monahan, p. 327). There is just one character, but he is hearing what he says. It is not an omniscient voice.  Narration 2, is nondiegetic. We can hear this spoken word association, but it is not being acknowledged by Frank.

Narration 1 and 2 are offscreen sounds as Frank the narrator is not present in the film.

Narration 1 is external sound. Defined in the text as: "External sound comes from a place within the world of the story, and we assume that it is heard by the characters in that world. The source of an external sound can be either on-screen or offscreen." (Monahan, p. 329) Frank is not talking to himself but an audience.

Narration 2 is internal sound.  Defined in the text as: "An Internal sound occurs whenever we hear what we assume are the thoughts of a character within a scene. The character might be expressing random thought or a sustained monologue." (Monahan, p. 328).

Comment from Anna: 

Ida,

What a thorough and unique analysis of "Frank Film." Not many students address internal vs external sound and specifically in respect to diegetic vs. non-diegetic sound. Thanks so much.

Score of 10/10 with comment:
Amazing, just amazing! That's probably not a very helpful statement. Let me see, you concisely described numerous salient points to a degree that no one else has ever done having chosen "Frank Film" as your focus. Re: the film collage work - Cut-out stop motion animation...one frame at a time, maybe 2.

My comment on a student post: Hi Nichol, I watched the Hot Fuzz (Edgar Wright, 2007) clip again after reading your great description. It had not occurred to me but action films (even action-comedy) need to really keep the sharp sound attention of the audience. When Simon Pegg is going through physical training it would have been a bore had there not been all those terrific sounds of going through those punching bags or when he was actually working and they had a lot of prepping the gun to shoot. There is a lot of Foley work out there in action films. I like how you pointed out that it was also during some of the quieter onscreen times that they punched up the sound. For example when he is taking a test and you hear him check off the box and then click off his pen. Then the graduation is summarized in one scene - a huge visual camera flash and loud flash sound. That's all they needed.