To write about sound you have to bare quite a few things in mind whilst writing. The first issue you're going to have to tackle is the vocabulary that you're going to be using to not only bring across your point accurately but to seem like you know what you're actually talking about.
Step 1: Vocabulary
Diegetic Sound – This is sound that the characters in the scene can hear. This can range from being some speech to some music played over the speakers to the clanking of plates as they are being placed onto a table.
Non-diegetic Sound – This is sound that the characters cannot hear. Typically music that is used to create atmosphere and tension.
Step 2: The writing
You're going to want to mention whether the sound is diegetic or non diegetic as much as possible because that's where you will be picking up the most marks. This is mainly due to the fact that it is media terminology which in previous exams has been worth up to 10 out of your 50 marks.
Step 3: Noticing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06WO8PzMOOY
This is an Eastenders clip where Phil Mitchell is running away from the police. In this clip there is more than enough Diagetic sound to talk about.
For example:
At 0:06 when the policemen start to run after phil we hear an abundance of footsteps. Normally these footsteps would not make a difference to the average viewer, but, as media students we are expected to go far beyond the obvious and dive into the sub-meanings behind the footsteps. Obviously these footsteps signify that the men are running but as a first time viewer it forces me to assume that Phil Mitchell has done something terribly wrong and that he has been evading the law for quite some time.
At 0:11 you hear the squeal of a German Shepard dog, these dogs are the metropolitan police services number one choice for assault dogs. Assault dogs are used to apprehend suspects. That squeal allows us to start to imagine the scale of Phil's crime. We start asking ourselves questions like:
- What has Phil done?
- Why do they require dogs?
Hotel Babylon Editing Paragraph
The clips start off very long and this is used to cause concern and nervousness. As the pace starts to quicken the cuts become quicker for example when Jon enters the hotel there are about 3 cuts before he reaches the front desk. When the hotel staff realise that immigration is here the cuts become very rapid and short this causes more tension which is ultimately cut at the end when they are all in the room when one very long clip is used and this allows the audience to realise that they are safe. When the man in the red jumpsuit is vacuuming the floor the clip is long and this long clip allows us to visualise the whole scene and take in all of the information. For example, the fact that he is wearing head phones and could probably not realise that immigration has arrived. This fact wasn't told to us the audience figure it out by themselves because of the length of the clip. When the man in the red jumpsuit is apprehended we see the cuts between the clips become slightly more rapid as it flickers back and forth between Jon (The immigration officer) and Jackie (The member of staff). This causes unease with the audience and allows the scene to grip the audience more and to draw them in. When the members of staff are in the lunch room eating their dinner in their segregated groups the camera pans round in one long shot which is turning quite slowly. This is used to allow the audience to really take the information in and notice all of the different groups and how the lunch room is divided up.
What's Wrong With The British Film Industry
Mise-En-Scene
How to write about Mise-En-Scene…
To write about Mise-En-Scene you must take notice of every little detail in the shot. The idea behind Mise-En-Scene is that everything is put in the shot for a reason. You must write about people’s body language, clothes, also the props in the background, the flooring, the set, and every single thing in the scene.
As the main antagonist enters the hotel we can clearly see that he is being followed by three men. This is reminiscent of a villain being followed by his henchmen in a fairy tale or a children’s film. This is also tells the audience that he is the leader or the one who calls the shots. The immigration officer walks and stands with a very dominant stance instantly allowing the audience to identify him as the threat.
The woman behind the desk is wearing white to signify purity and innocence. She also has a very calm and comforting stance and facial expression. This allows us to see her as the mother figure or the heart of the hotel.
The workers of the hotel are all wearing very plain and cheap looking clothes. This connotates poverty and informs the audience that they are lower class citizens. The workers are nervously rubbing their hands together causing a sense of nervousness with the audience and making us share their feelings.
The red carpet and the red jumpsuit connotate danger and this is also foreshadowing the trouble that this man is going to be in later on in the clip.
The concierge has a wedding ring. This lets the audience understand that he is the same as us and that these immigrants aren’t as alien as the immigration force makes them out to be.
The guests of the hotel are all dressed in suits and fancy dresses. This suggests that this hotel is expensive and everyone that stays there is upper class.
As the immigration officer leaves with the immigrant in custody you see a man in a suit pull a face of disgust at the immigrant. This is a clear representation of how society feels about immigrants.
It starts with a high angle pan from left to right. After it moves into a mid level pan between the two people, It then cuts between the two girls to maybe increase a thought of nervousness or anxiety so that we can empathise with the character of Lauren. The blonde girl then interupts and focus is drawn to her. We see her from the perspective of Lauren because then we can understand how Lauren is seeing her and we will be able to replicate Lauren's feelings. After they leave the stall it rapidly cuts between the girls and this is doen because it creates tension and the thought of betrayal.
Drug Deal Video (With Ashley and Phil)
Hollyoaks Analysis
The opening shot is a high angle shot that establishes the scene and shows the girl sunbathing. It then cuts to a scene of the boy looking through the window at her. This is a medium shot and also a eye level angle shot, this tells the audience that this guy is fairly average and also creates empathy for him. The boy attempts to back out and the man (presumed that the man is the boys father) places a hand on his shoulder installing confidence in the boy. The long shot as the boy clings onto the door demonstrates his nerves and the fact that his dad had to push him through the door tells us that he is reconsidering his earlier plan. The over the shoulder shot as the boy tells his father to go away allows us to side with the kid. The low angle shot shows the boy approaching the girl. This puts the audience on edge because he is nervously rubbing his hands together and she is calm and relaxed. The low angle shot looking up at the boy from behind the girls back further demonstrates his nerves and her calmness. The tracking shot as the grumpy friend leaves makes us focus on her face and allows us to realise that she is very angry at the fact that she is being dismissed by the blonde girl for this boy. This also establishes a hierarchy as the grumpy girl does what the blonde girl does without question. She does throw a few mean remarks at the blonde girl but her reasoning for dismissing her remains unquestioned. The high angle close up on the blonde girls face is shot as if it is the boys point of view. This allows the viewer to see through his eyes and causes us more empathy. the over the shoulder shot signifies panic and the quick cuts further back up that panic. We are made to feel anxious. Also the blonde girl is wearing a bikini which demonstrates that she is attractive and the boy is wearing a brown shirt. The colour brown isn't the most attractive or pleasant colour so this instantly tells us that he isn't really a "popular" kid. The peaceful and romantic music starts to play as the girl smiles symbolising he happiness after the question is asked. The father then makes a comedic-esque noise and the music grinds to a halt. This is done purely and simply for comedic relief. The awkwardness created by the fathers action make the audience laugh.
Different Types of Camera Shots
Monarch Of The Glenn Exam
In Monarch of The Glenn, the character of Amy is represented as a rebellious girl who thinks she is older than she actually is.
In the opening scene you see Amy coming out of the house. She is wearing a bright yellow jumper. This connotates that she is a kid and she is playful. We see the young male (Cameron) sweeping up signifying work. The fact that Cameron is working as soon as we meet him tells us that he is very focused and although we are never told his age we can assume that he is in his late teens to early twenties.
Next the adult male (Paul) enters the scene. He is closely followed by the adult female (Molly). Paul proceeds to place what appears to be a toolbox down on the truck. The macho stance adopted by Paul suggests that he is dominant and powerful. Molly chooses a timid stance and she is seen as fragile.
The fact that Paul is the one with the with the keys and this further backs up the dominance that we see in him. He barks out instructions to everyone and they all obey without question. The diagetic clanking of tools informs us that there is work to be done by the people.
After the car is crashed we are introduced to the school principle. He is wearing tweed and he has grey hair, both connotate that he is elderly and wise. The men enter what appears to be an office, this segregates the men away from the lesser cast and it allows us to focus on a mature conversation. The office/ study is typically a place where we go to work and be intellectual, this connotates wisdom and intellect.
During the scene where Amy is being told off by Paul the editing speeds up to create tension also there is a shot from Paul's hip where you view Amy's face and nothing else. This close-up allows us to establish a connection with Amy. Amy looks over to Molly, This means that Amy is looking for some support or guidance from Molly.
The non-diagetic sad music implies the sadness in Amy's heart as she has to leave. This reminds us that she is a child because children never want to leave to go to new places or to return home.
Cutting back to the men hard at work they are wearing work clothes, this connotates labour and shows maturity in the boy who is also helping them work.
The clips start off very long and this is used to cause concern and nervousness. As the pace starts to quicken the cuts become quicker for example when Jon enters the hotel there are about 3 cuts before he reaches the front desk. When the hotel staff realise that immigration is here the cuts become very rapid and short this causes more tension which is ultimately cut at the end when they are all in the room when one very long clip is used and this allows the audience to realise that they are safe. When the man in the red jumpsuit is vacuuming the floor the clip is long and this long clip allows us to visualise the whole scene and take in all of the information. For example, the fact that he is wearing head phones and could probably not realise that immigration has arrived. This fact wasn't told to us the audience figure it out by themselves because of the length of the clip. When the man in the red jumpsuit is apprehended we see the cuts between the clips become slightly more rapid as it flickers back and forth between Jon (The immigration officer) and Jackie (The member of staff). This causes unease with the audience and allows the scene to grip the audience more and to draw them in. When the members of staff are in the lunch room eating their dinner in their segregated groups the camera pans round in one long shot which is turning quite slowly. This is used to allow the audience to really take the information in and notice all of the different groups and how the lunch room is divided up.
What's Wrong With The British Film Industry
Mise-En-Scene
How to write about Mise-En-Scene…
To write about Mise-En-Scene you must take notice of every little detail in the shot. The idea behind Mise-En-Scene is that everything is put in the shot for a reason. You must write about people’s body language, clothes, also the props in the background, the flooring, the set, and every single thing in the scene.
As the main antagonist enters the hotel we can clearly see that he is being followed by three men. This is reminiscent of a villain being followed by his henchmen in a fairy tale or a children’s film. This is also tells the audience that he is the leader or the one who calls the shots. The immigration officer walks and stands with a very dominant stance instantly allowing the audience to identify him as the threat.
The woman behind the desk is wearing white to signify purity and innocence. She also has a very calm and comforting stance and facial expression. This allows us to see her as the mother figure or the heart of the hotel.
The workers of the hotel are all wearing very plain and cheap looking clothes. This connotates poverty and informs the audience that they are lower class citizens. The workers are nervously rubbing their hands together causing a sense of nervousness with the audience and making us share their feelings.
The red carpet and the red jumpsuit connotate danger and this is also foreshadowing the trouble that this man is going to be in later on in the clip.
The concierge has a wedding ring. This lets the audience understand that he is the same as us and that these immigrants aren’t as alien as the immigration force makes them out to be.
The guests of the hotel are all dressed in suits and fancy dresses. This suggests that this hotel is expensive and everyone that stays there is upper class.
As the immigration officer leaves with the immigrant in custody you see a man in a suit pull a face of disgust at the immigrant. This is a clear representation of how society feels about immigrants.
It starts with a high angle pan from left to right. After it moves into a mid level pan between the two people, It then cuts between the two girls to maybe increase a thought of nervousness or anxiety so that we can empathise with the character of Lauren. The blonde girl then interupts and focus is drawn to her. We see her from the perspective of Lauren because then we can understand how Lauren is seeing her and we will be able to replicate Lauren's feelings. After they leave the stall it rapidly cuts between the girls and this is doen because it creates tension and the thought of betrayal.
Drug Deal Video (With Ashley and Phil)
Hollyoaks Analysis
The opening shot is a high angle shot that establishes the scene and shows the girl sunbathing. It then cuts to a scene of the boy looking through the window at her. This is a medium shot and also a eye level angle shot, this tells the audience that this guy is fairly average and also creates empathy for him. The boy attempts to back out and the man (presumed that the man is the boys father) places a hand on his shoulder installing confidence in the boy. The long shot as the boy clings onto the door demonstrates his nerves and the fact that his dad had to push him through the door tells us that he is reconsidering his earlier plan. The over the shoulder shot as the boy tells his father to go away allows us to side with the kid. The low angle shot shows the boy approaching the girl. This puts the audience on edge because he is nervously rubbing his hands together and she is calm and relaxed. The low angle shot looking up at the boy from behind the girls back further demonstrates his nerves and her calmness. The tracking shot as the grumpy friend leaves makes us focus on her face and allows us to realise that she is very angry at the fact that she is being dismissed by the blonde girl for this boy. This also establishes a hierarchy as the grumpy girl does what the blonde girl does without question. She does throw a few mean remarks at the blonde girl but her reasoning for dismissing her remains unquestioned. The high angle close up on the blonde girls face is shot as if it is the boys point of view. This allows the viewer to see through his eyes and causes us more empathy. the over the shoulder shot signifies panic and the quick cuts further back up that panic. We are made to feel anxious. Also the blonde girl is wearing a bikini which demonstrates that she is attractive and the boy is wearing a brown shirt. The colour brown isn't the most attractive or pleasant colour so this instantly tells us that he isn't really a "popular" kid. The peaceful and romantic music starts to play as the girl smiles symbolising he happiness after the question is asked. The father then makes a comedic-esque noise and the music grinds to a halt. This is done purely and simply for comedic relief. The awkwardness created by the fathers action make the audience laugh.
Different Types of Camera Shots
Monarch Of The Glenn Exam
In Monarch of The Glenn, the character of Amy is represented as a rebellious girl who thinks she is older than she actually is.
In the opening scene you see Amy coming out of the house. She is wearing a bright yellow jumper. This connotates that she is a kid and she is playful. We see the young male (Cameron) sweeping up signifying work. The fact that Cameron is working as soon as we meet him tells us that he is very focused and although we are never told his age we can assume that he is in his late teens to early twenties.
Next the adult male (Paul) enters the scene. He is closely followed by the adult female (Molly). Paul proceeds to place what appears to be a toolbox down on the truck. The macho stance adopted by Paul suggests that he is dominant and powerful. Molly chooses a timid stance and she is seen as fragile.
The fact that Paul is the one with the with the keys and this further backs up the dominance that we see in him. He barks out instructions to everyone and they all obey without question. The diagetic clanking of tools informs us that there is work to be done by the people.
After the car is crashed we are introduced to the school principle. He is wearing tweed and he has grey hair, both connotate that he is elderly and wise. The men enter what appears to be an office, this segregates the men away from the lesser cast and it allows us to focus on a mature conversation. The office/ study is typically a place where we go to work and be intellectual, this connotates wisdom and intellect.
During the scene where Amy is being told off by Paul the editing speeds up to create tension also there is a shot from Paul's hip where you view Amy's face and nothing else. This close-up allows us to establish a connection with Amy. Amy looks over to Molly, This means that Amy is looking for some support or guidance from Molly.
The non-diagetic sad music implies the sadness in Amy's heart as she has to leave. This reminds us that she is a child because children never want to leave to go to new places or to return home.
Cutting back to the men hard at work they are wearing work clothes, this connotates labour and shows maturity in the boy who is also helping them work.
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