Conceptual Statement
Our project at its core, is intended as a vicarious experience; listeners are invited to place themselves within each of our works, and experience its allocated mood not simply as a bystander, but as intrinsically there in the moment. A key factor in achieving this effect was the use of non-diegetic sound; diegetic sound uses sounds that are implied to have a tangible source within in the film, thus giving the audience information about the on-screen environment, but non-diegetic sound can be completely disconnected from the narrative universe, and can be extremely effective to create or emphasise mood. While our project is not entirely comprised of non-diegetic sound, we decided to depict all scenes in which diegetic sound is present in a first-person perspective, and only apply it to sounds that could be heard by our character, thus keeping with our intended intrapersonal experience. Specifically, we wanted to focus on a very intrinsic application of non-diegetic sound, that which is implied to be occurring within a character’s mind, thus the reasoning behind its aforementioned vicarious nature. As Dykhoff (2012) states, non-diegetic sounds, or the film sounds that are implied to be outside of the laws and norms of an established filmic universe, are “messages from the filmmaker directly to his/her audience” (pp.169). Our Multiplying Moods project, being one that intends to convey themes, ideas and emotions without a conventional narrative, uses this intrinsic non-diegetic sound as the predominant vehicle for transmitting these themes to the viewer, and letting them experience them in a highly intrapersonal way.
Unlike a conventional narrative, which can directly influence and invoke specific feelings in the viewer through character actions, as well as a dialogue’s tone, content and intent, film sound or music has much more of a suggestive effect, allowing the listener to give rise to their own emotional responses, without being explicitly told which emotions they should be experiencing. Wingstedt (2008) divides the narrative functions of music into six categories; the Emotive, the Informative, the Descriptive, the Guiding, the Temporal and the Rhetorical (pp.2), and states the application of these in filmic story communication. While we did not necessarily want to make or communicate a conventional narrative in Multiplying Moods, each of these functions still serves its own purpose in allowing our project to effectively convey the emotions that our project is based upon. For example, a minimal, non-overlapping approach to sound in Anxiety allows the audience to focus attention on specific aspects of the work (Guiding), the tank drum motif is used to invoke thematic emotion in Tranquillity, and is then subverted in Hopelessness (Emotive), and the diegetic sound present in Fear gives the audience information about the environment being experienced by the first-person character (Informative).
The four moods we decided to centre our project around are tranquillity, anxiety, fear and hopelessness. As discussed, our works are intended to be highly intrapersonal experiences, therefore the reasoning behind these four themes is that they are not only widely experienced, but also have distinct sonic qualities that are near ubiquitous amongst people, and when heard, can be extremely reminiscent of these feelings. Claudia Gorbman states that music “guides the spectator’s vision both literally and figuratively” (pp.11) and in reference to this idea, the audio dictates the more supplementary visual component. Each of these sonic qualities became recurring motifs in our individual works.
Tranquillity combines peaceful musical elements of the tank drum, kalimba and piano with long sustains and slight reverb to create a distinctly hypnotic, dream-like effect. This was then complimented with footage of nature with slight overexposure and vignetting reminiscent of dream visuals.
Anxiety uses uncomfortable or jarring sounds such as a high-pitched tone representing tinnitus, and the echoey coin roll which slowly accelerates to symbolise a person’s growing tension. Through implementation of compression, the work becomes quite dynamic, and the listener is able to focus on each sound presented.
Fear features a constant, buzzing drone throughout most of the work, in order to create tension and unease, which crescendos to a climactic end. It is filmed entirely in first-person, which compliments the stuttered breathing and heavy footfalls of the implied character.
Hopelessness combines motifs recognisable from the other three pieces and alters or distorts them, representing the often negatively skewed self-reflection invoked by feelings of hopelessness and depression. Reverb and delay were used prominently in this work in tandem with the melody’s repetition and unchanging dynamics, to create a solemn and inexorable quality fitting of its visuals and reminiscent of its theme.
Dykhoff K. (2012) Non-diegetic sound effects. The New Soundtrack, Vol 2 Issue 2, pp.169-179.
Gorbman, C. (1987). Unheard Melodies: Narrative Film Music. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, pp.11.
Wingstedt, J. (2008) Making music mean: Narrative Music, Visuals and Meaning in Film. Luleå University of Technology, pp.1-64.
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1yVZUAEkWxNOOiab7RmlTv3vGM650w9RZ