How important is sound in creating meaning, establishing relationships and setting tone?
This week, both the readings and the lectorial were centred on sound; what meanings it created, as well as more interestingly how it correlated both to shot selection as well as societal understandings of relationship. For example, a close up shot would be reserved for someone a person knew intimately and was comfortable sharing their personal space with. If one was in this vicinity it’s likely their voice would be just a whisper and be communicating something for only that person to hear. If an audience was to encounter this in a media text they would understand that the relationship between the two characters conversing this way, or even the relationship the audience is supposed to have with a character is a close, trusting one. If someone appears in a long shot, or speaks loudly and in a higher, tenser manner, it could be suggested that they are more of an acquaintance or formal relation, or perhaps even a stranger. It was something I’d never considered, and I’d have to agree that sound is perhaps the most overlooked production element. The sheer amount of meaning it lends to any form of media is astounding. Listen to any film, show or clip without sound and it can be both hard to interpret the message but also difficult to pick up on a tone. Visuals cannot exist without audio, and vice versa.
While sound is important, what is just as important is how the audience understands, hears and relates to the sound. If a sound is louder and clearer, its perhaps more important than a whisper muted amongst a cacophony of noise or a car going by in the background. By having the figure, ground and field, sound can be layered in terms of what is more important, immediate and pertinent to the meaning behind the soundscape. Take the featured image of a protester during the Occupy Wall Street events, which we were asked to imagine what sounds would accompany it and where they would appear in the figure, ground and field. While the crackling of the flames and the smashing of the car’s windows would be in the figure, as they are closest to our perspective and the main element of the ‘story’, the shouting of protesters would possibly feature in the ground, to establish the context and setting. From there, police sirens and perhaps a helicopter, maybe other glass breaking would feature in the field to finalise the soundscape.
Another thing we were asked was what sounds we loved and hated and why. It’s interesting to hear different people’s answers and whether their love or hate stems from a memory or just dislike. Some sound editors will use sounds that make others uncomfortable, especially in experimental films, to create an uncomfortable feeling for the audience overall (much like how public spaces may play “mosquito” high frequency sounds that only teenagers can hear to disperse them from loitering at night, while adults continue on unbothered.). For me, I absolutely hate the sound of material of most kinds being touched, rubbed or stretched. I’ve hated the noise since I was a child, with the sounds of sheets and linen in general, as well as velvet and suede being the main culprits. Perhaps its the texture paired with the sound, but its just so dry and horrible on my ears, and even now I’m cringing just thinking about it. It takes about ten minutes after I’ve heard such a sound to ‘recover’ from it. It’s a pretty extreme dislike. Meanwhile, I adore the sound of a crackling flame, cooking, or rain. They’re calming, homely and simple, and make me feel relaxed, like I’m sitting in my mum or granny’s kitchen as a child waiting for a hot meal as the fireplace burns warm and the rain hits the tin roof outside. I’ve created my own soundscape of such a scene to lull myself to sleep before.
Sound is vital to just about everything, but its also interesting to think about worlds and people that don’t rely or cannot rely upon hearing sound in some or any way. Deaf people have their own dance music events based solely on the feeling of the music pulsing through the ground and the visuals. There’s a documentary on these types of events that I’m planning to watch over the easter break to gain a better understanding of how sound can still be used even when it isn’t heard. I’ll be sure to report back my thoughts on it when I’ve watched it.
