“Points” for your essay SOUNDTRACK IN FILM/TV is used for:
Expressing MEANING 1. Narrative meaning
STORYLINE Created by the ‘drama dialogue’ Telling audience what is happening.
1a. Express character personality
Music ( including Lyrics to the song) can express personality Dialogue (what they actually say)expresses personality Tone of voice expresses personality.
Expressing MEANING 2. To position the audience (in the ‘space’ of the scene of the film/TV show) To place you (the spectator) in the ‘space’ of the film as if you are the protagonist (for example - run up to the death of Zhora in Bladerunner –in the traffic/crowd scene where you feel as if you are there yourself )
DIEGETIC sound (actual sound) - as this is the ‘realistic’ sound you would hear if you were in the space of the film it literally places (or positions) you in the scene (hence ‘actual’ sound)
Expressing MOOD 3. To position the audience
i.e. to empathize with the character or feel how they feel
(in the ‘mood’ of the scene of the film/TV show) To position how the spectator/ audience FEEL (e.g. when Zhora, in Bladerunner, flies through the window) Non-Diegetic (commentary sound) music can be used to create a ‘comment’ on the film/TV scene – i.e. to tell you how to feel about characters – it is not the ‘actual’ (diegetic)sound you would hear, it is added by the filmmakers to create a mood
3a. To Create Mood (through Silence,
Wildtrack/ Atmospheric sound; as well as music) e.g. episode of Eastenders we watched where Joey is sorry/ depressed/forlorn and the lack of sound/ quiet nature of the background sound suggests this mood.
Creating ILLUSION 4. To create Illusion
“Verisimilitude” this means – “the appearance of being true or real” – the idea of a film/ TV show making you believe it’s real – at face value.
Soundtrack is integral to this illusion e.g. the amplified punches in a fight, the gun shots in a gangster film or lazer beams in a sci-fi… The illusion of ‘amplified’ diegetic sound – e.g. in the boat scene in “Thunderbolt & Lightfoot” – we would not be able to hear them, but do not question this or crticise how unrealistic this is. This is known as the “suspension of disbelief” – audiences go into films willing to go along with the unrealistic depictions, so that we are drawn into the film’s “world”