Lighting and sound

·        Mise-en-scene (in the picture, setting)- creates mood and atmosphere

o   Props

o   Lighting

o   Costume

·        Lighting helps convey mood

·        Audience can be directed with bright lighting

Consider when analysing:

·        What’s illuminated/in the shadows

·        Hard (bold shadows) or soft (diffused illumination) lighting?

·        Direction of light

·        High contrast lighting or symbolic

3 point lighting:

·         Key light- brightest main light

·         Back light- balances the light

·         Filler light- softens shadows

·         Under lighting- main source of light comes from blow the subject. Tends to distort and is often used in horror films.

·         Top lighting- main source of light comes from above, highlights the features of a character. Often used to create a glamorous look.

·         Back lighting- light source behind the subject. If used with no other lighting then silhouettes are created.

Sound

·         Most sound is added in post-production

·         Creates atmosphere

·         Adds realism

·         Emphasise a characters actions

·         Draws attention to a particular event, place or object

·         Diegetic sound- sounds and music which come from within the world of film (conversations, typing etc)

·         Non-diegetic- sound that is put in during post production and does not originate from the world of the film.

·         Selective sound- to emphasise key sound elements within a sequence

·         Ambient sound- to create a particular atmosphere or a sense of place

·         Film sound can either be:

o   Synchronous- caused by some event on screen so that sound matched the action.

o   Asynchronous- separate from the visuals, such as voiceover or dialogue from another scene.

o   Parallel sound- the sound you hear complements the image you see

o   Contrapuntal sound- the sound does not fit what we see. Sometimes done to create a more dramatic effect.

·         Sound bridges- the use of sounds to help transitions between sequences pass more fluidly.

·         Sound effects- these are used to create a sense of realism or to create some psychological impact or effect.

·         Music- creates atmosphere to link shots or sequences

·         Silence- used to provoke a reaction from the audience