straight down the line

Watts the problem and where does it hertz?

By levitasdementia | February 9, 2015 | 0

hahahaha audio puns

okay let’s break this down into several parts:

PART 1: PART 1

PART 2: THE SECOND CLIPPING

PART 3: CELEBRITY ENDORSED 

PART 1

Audio definitely is an important art of storytelling. In some of the noir movies we watched last week, audio was important in setting the scene or making the audience empathize with a character.

For example, in Killer’s Kiss, the fight scene used many punching and squishing sound effects. This makes the viewer feel like they’re close to the hits, and some may physically recoil at hearing the bursting of blood vessels, which adds to the grittiness of the shot and the film as a whole.

This is a personal favorite of mine. It’s a cutscene from an indie dating sim called Katawa Shoujo, and this Cinematic is shown when the character you’re playing as forms a deep relationship with Hanako (the girl). The audio in the beginning is in a minor key and distorted, alluding to her PTSD, fear, and loneliness. As the music gets faster and faster, it is paired perfectly to show the world spinning around her- totally confused and isolated. It becomes lighter, changes tonality, as she finds support in you. The visuals and audio really complement each other wonderfully in this case. This really brings the atmosphere to a new level.

Chills every time.

Okay here is a great juxtaposition of HOH SNAP and comedic timing. You know bad things are happening, but the audio is just so silly that it breaks up the tension. You know that things are serious and dangerous, but dang if that sudden extreme zoom and music doesn’t break the tension.

PART 2

Comparing the Touch of Evil opening shot and restored version, there are some clear differences. The original has fun music all the way though, and it all ties together. While I was watching, I paid attention to what was going on in the scene (sidenote, that one long shot was awesome). I noticed the traffic cop, the goats (why goats?) and the route of the car. In the restored version, the music had a heavy percussion tempo that echoed the ticking of the bomb. (kitchen timer? Scary for the folks at home). This had me listening to the music, hearing the ticking that the woman in the car mentioned. I didn’t care too much about the couple, it was all about the bomb because the audio wouldn’t let me forget it. I actually preferred the restored version, because it was more high-tension. I was sitting in my seat, waiting to see what would happen, fully engrossed in the shot.

PART 3

I tried to tune in to the radio show on 2/2, but people in my room were extremely loud and I had tuned in late, so I left that one early. I was able to listen to all of Double Indemnity on 2/4

straight down the line

The audio in this story was very actor-drive, without a whole lot of effects. I did notice one really cool moment where there was a conversation going on while the narrator was talking, and both were layered in such a way that you could listen to both at the same time. That was awesome.

Posted in audioreflection, ds106, noir106, noir106groom, Syndicated, Weekly Work

Leave a Comment