For this week we are to consider different types of sound in the film and look at how they contribute overall to the sense of meaning in the film. Talking about the types of sound in a film, one the diegetic, and the others are non-diegetic. I will be talking about both for this film.
There are three different basic categories of sound:
- Dialogue – is when the characters are talking to each other in a film.
- Sound Effects – used to enhance the action in a film, or to give you a sense of suspense in a horror film. They used to have what they call a Foley Artists and they would make every day noises for the films.
- Music – is used to Promote the film as in soundtracks, or what they would call a score. A score is used to be a back round noise for an action scene in the film.
In the movie the Polar Express they used these categories of sound. I felt they did very well with both the soundtrack and the score of the movie. The theme song for the movie BELIEVE was also written for the film, and I believe that is why it had such a big impact on the movie. The trailer that they made for the film followed the scenes. The meaning for the words came from the film it self and when you hear the song your mind would refer to the film. Unlike some Theme songs that you have already heard the song before and then they add it to a film. you would already have a placement for the song say in your own life experiences.
The use of sound to inform the mood of a scene, or the over all mood of the film would be a holiday theme of music. There was a big part of the film that surrounded the sound of a Christmas bell. If you believe in the spirit of Christmas then you would be able to hear the bell ringing. Most children could hear the bell and most Adults could not. At first the boy can’t hear the bell and the little girl can. He is very upset by that and keeps saying that he does believe. Santa Clause hears him and then gives him the first gift of the year and its a large bell. At that point he hears the bell, puts it in his pocket.
The one sound that would come to mind for me and this film would be the bells. You hear them all through the movie at different points and then at the end of the film you know why. If you believe in the spirit of Christmas then you hear the bell.
I would have to say that these effects went with the movie theme and also gave it the feel of Christmas. I think that is was very realistic and expected sound for the holiday film. They also played a lot of instrumental music in the film giving it a holiday feel.
If we removed the sound of the bells in the film I don’t think that the effects or the feeling of the movie would have been the same. That was the whole point of the film, I think that it would have left the audience wondering why the bell? What was the message or the plot of the film.
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
YouTube. (2014). Movieclips [Video channel]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3gNmTGu-TTbFPpfSs5kNkg
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