Contents:

• Question 1
• Question 2
• Question 4

Question 1

In the film Clown Train how does sound contribute to the atmosphere of this film? Describe what you heard? Can you make reference to another genre film and how they utilise sound to create tension and a unique filmic space?

The opening of Clown Train has an absence of image, instead relying on discordant, unsettling sound which is fairly similar to the noise of a squealing train, as well as the train sound, to immediately set the tone of the piece.

In the course of the film, any real music is noticeably absent, which adds to the unsettling feeling of the short film: by not giving the viewer the comfort of composed music, diegetic sound and dialogue becomes more important, and the piece gains a still, eerie feeling.

Another genre film in which sound is utilised to create tension and a unique filmic space is Hitchcock’s Rear Window. Rather than using music and non-diegetic sound to create atmosphere, the lack of sound is what the characters hear. Rather than having a soundtrack, the audience hears what the characters hear. Hitchcock’s use of diegetic sound illustrates the idea that what we see as the audience is real. 

Question 2

Select from one of the readings, up to but not including Week 5, and briefly describe two points that you have taken from it. Points that excite you, something that was completely new to you.

The reading I chose is: Notes On The Cinematographer, from Bresson, R. Two points I took from it: sound and image shouldn’t be exactly the same. Rather, they should complement each other, and not try to match or overpower each other.

Another particularly interesting point I enjoyed was that “the eye solicited alone makes the ear impatient, the ear solicited alone makes the eye impatient.” Filmmakers should use these impatiences and appeal to both senses by setting them against each other.

Question 4

In the tute we screened a short film called Rolling – a film made in Film-TV1 a few years ago.

In 300 words or less describe what you thought worked or didn’t. At this stage we don’t expect you to have a great deal of film knowledge or language. Don’t be afraid to use your own words. Things you could talk about – script, casting, timing, camera movement, location. You may not remember much detail, if so, it could be helpful to talk about your first impressions, after all this is what most of us are left with after one viewing.

My first impression of Rolling was a good one: I thought the locations were well picked out, and the dialogue and acting was spot on. While I thought there were some odd camera angles in there, overall it was a strong film, with a simple but effective plot. They did well to shoot such a nice looking film in the harsh fluoro light, and I’d be interested to see what kind of extra lighting they brought on set, or whether they just used the fluoro lights in the store.

I thought the timing was impeccable. The script was quite short and simple and the acting was fairly good, but the best part was the timing. By only having two characters and also keeping dialogue quite simple, the film didn’t get too bogged down and cluttered in its own pretensions.

Unfortunately, I can’t remember much else about Rolling. I actually didn’t care much for the ending: I thought it was a bit trite.