AA1 Week 3

This task has ruined Movies for me!!!!

I have chosen the second scene from the movie Dawn of the Dead (2003).
This takes place between 4:19 and 8:19



The video goes for longer than i have analysed, but begins at the same time.

The scene begins with a couple sleeping in bed presumably just before waking up to go to work. The atmosphere is tense, the music playing is suspended and dissonant, however quiet waiting for something to happen. The picture moves to a clock where the numbers flip over, the time changes and the sound of the flipping number is exaggerated (hyper real) and the music is used to exaggerate this, a large drum is hit at the same time. When the camera changes a smash or something in the music is used to highlight this. All together building the suspense.

When their daughter shows that her face has been deformed the music become much more intense. When the father approaches her, she makes an unnatural scream (probably sampled from animals). She then rips into her fathers throat with again sampled ripping and blood spurting noises. When he falls to the floor the noise is exaggerated, most probably Foley. Another example of Foley in this scene would definitely be the daughter banging on the closed door.

When the woman makes it outside her house, there are sounds of ambulances (although not seen until later), in addition to this are sounds of helicopters and forms of Walla (screams instead).

There are numerous examples of Foley used to exaggerate the sounds, keys chinking, footsteps, crashes and smashing.

A very valuable study of film and is a fantastic learning tool. Learn from the best.

References:
Christian Haines 'Audio Arts 1.2' Lecture presented at the Electronic Music Unit, University of Adelaide, South Australia, 06/08/2007

Knowles Marshall, Jane . 1988, An Introduction to Film Sound 2006,
http://www.filmsound.org/marshall/index.htm. (Online)

pp xv - 12. Sonnenschein, David. 2001, Sound design : the expressive power of music,
voice, and sound effects in cinema, Michael Wiese Productions, Seattle, Wash.