"Black Mirror" and "Pretty Woman" Audio Relations
Audio is arguably the most important aspect of film and TV. This is because it can alter the way you view things, change the emotion and can build tension in a way that visuals cannot. I have looked at a TV show and a film in order to evaluate the use of audio and why it is a key aspect of both television and film.
Black Mirror episode = Series 4 ep 3 'Crocodile'
Clip used = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjkhiM1sAhI
There is music within the clip to heighten the severity of the atmosphere. The play that the parents are attending has music in it and the music is diegetic so the characters in the scene can hear it. The music is loud and repetitive. It also seems as if the music has been edited using audio post-processing to make it sound as if it is a large space like the hall in the scene.To do this the people in charge of sound would have altered the reverb to increase it. This is to build the suspense as we know by this point of the episode, that the female protagonist is most probably going to be caught for her multiple homicides. The children characters in the scene then start singing along to the song. The song is upbeat which creates a contrast as you can see that the female protagonist is becoming detached. Nearer to the end of the scene there is a clear crescendo in the diegetic music. This is because we know that she will be caught by the police, so it is shaping the emotional tenor. The sound effects used in this scene seem to be made to sound very natural in order to create a realistic atmosphere. Things like footsteps and people clearing their throats have been added for this reason. Later in the clip, there is also clapping sounds and sirens. These sounds although still sounding very natural are added to create a sense of tension. The repetitiveness of the quickening clapping makes you almost uncomfortable as you see shots of the female protagonist fidgeting in her chair. The sound effects sound as if they could have been created using foley rather than digital as all of them are very natural and could easily be made in this format. The characters have Scottish/Irish heavy accents to develop characterization. The couple speak to each other with raised voices to show their anger. This also shows a contrast from the way that they communicate at the start of the episode; thus showing that their relationship is getting tested because of the situation. The police later on in the clip speak softly and respectfully in English accents. This again creates a contrast between them and the couple. Overall, I think that the soundtrack for this episode of Black Mirror was somewhat unconventional. This is because the eerie feel is very extreme.
Pretty Woman
Clip used = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu3x5SZrMHo
The clip I have chosen for this film is one that compiles both of the shopping scenes in the film together. The music at the start of the film is non-diegetic as Vivian is walking through the streets. It is also very overt and upbeat, this correlates with her character as she feels happy and excited at this given point in the film. The music fades out as she enters the shop and the mood changes. This is key as Vivian no longer feels confident as the shop staff act rude and judgemental towards her. In the next scene in the clip from later on in the film, there is the iconic 'Pretty Woman' song playing in the background. This again is to highlight the fact that she is feeling good and confident. The song remains playing as Vivian goes into the same store again and confronts the staff. This is because her mood does not get squashed this time by the staff. The only sound effects in the clip are very subtle and are only there to get across a sense of reality. The dialogue in the first scene shown portrays a contrast of the dialect between Vivian and the shop assistant in the shop. The shop assistant speaks with a more posh voice, whereas Vivian speaks in a less sophisticated manner. This is to show how out of depth Vivian is with this new lifestyle. The sales assistant raises her voice in order to sound very serious which makes her come across as judgemental. In the second scene of the clip, Vivian enters the shop again and talks with a fast and confident tone of voice. This shows that her character has developed as she is now able to know how she deserves to be treated. The use of soundtrack in this clip is very convenient as it is not anything out of the ordinary compared to similar films.
Black Mirror episode = Series 4 ep 3 'Crocodile'
Clip used = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjkhiM1sAhI
There is music within the clip to heighten the severity of the atmosphere. The play that the parents are attending has music in it and the music is diegetic so the characters in the scene can hear it. The music is loud and repetitive. It also seems as if the music has been edited using audio post-processing to make it sound as if it is a large space like the hall in the scene.To do this the people in charge of sound would have altered the reverb to increase it. This is to build the suspense as we know by this point of the episode, that the female protagonist is most probably going to be caught for her multiple homicides. The children characters in the scene then start singing along to the song. The song is upbeat which creates a contrast as you can see that the female protagonist is becoming detached. Nearer to the end of the scene there is a clear crescendo in the diegetic music. This is because we know that she will be caught by the police, so it is shaping the emotional tenor. The sound effects used in this scene seem to be made to sound very natural in order to create a realistic atmosphere. Things like footsteps and people clearing their throats have been added for this reason. Later in the clip, there is also clapping sounds and sirens. These sounds although still sounding very natural are added to create a sense of tension. The repetitiveness of the quickening clapping makes you almost uncomfortable as you see shots of the female protagonist fidgeting in her chair. The sound effects sound as if they could have been created using foley rather than digital as all of them are very natural and could easily be made in this format. The characters have Scottish/Irish heavy accents to develop characterization. The couple speak to each other with raised voices to show their anger. This also shows a contrast from the way that they communicate at the start of the episode; thus showing that their relationship is getting tested because of the situation. The police later on in the clip speak softly and respectfully in English accents. This again creates a contrast between them and the couple. Overall, I think that the soundtrack for this episode of Black Mirror was somewhat unconventional. This is because the eerie feel is very extreme.
Pretty Woman
Clip used = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu3x5SZrMHo
The clip I have chosen for this film is one that compiles both of the shopping scenes in the film together. The music at the start of the film is non-diegetic as Vivian is walking through the streets. It is also very overt and upbeat, this correlates with her character as she feels happy and excited at this given point in the film. The music fades out as she enters the shop and the mood changes. This is key as Vivian no longer feels confident as the shop staff act rude and judgemental towards her. In the next scene in the clip from later on in the film, there is the iconic 'Pretty Woman' song playing in the background. This again is to highlight the fact that she is feeling good and confident. The song remains playing as Vivian goes into the same store again and confronts the staff. This is because her mood does not get squashed this time by the staff. The only sound effects in the clip are very subtle and are only there to get across a sense of reality. The dialogue in the first scene shown portrays a contrast of the dialect between Vivian and the shop assistant in the shop. The shop assistant speaks with a more posh voice, whereas Vivian speaks in a less sophisticated manner. This is to show how out of depth Vivian is with this new lifestyle. The sales assistant raises her voice in order to sound very serious which makes her come across as judgemental. In the second scene of the clip, Vivian enters the shop again and talks with a fast and confident tone of voice. This shows that her character has developed as she is now able to know how she deserves to be treated. The use of soundtrack in this clip is very convenient as it is not anything out of the ordinary compared to similar films.
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