Soundtracks, including digetic and non-digetic audio, are extremely important within any film. Combined with the shots on the screen, a soundtrack can help to build tension and contribute towards the tone and connotations within the film. In particular, for our thriller 'Crowe', we want a soundtrack that will compliment and contribute further to the dark and gritty tone of the opening.
In terms of all audio needed within the thriller, there were many aspects. These include:
- A dark and gritty, (dominant) soundtrack
- A 'dreamy' and soft soundtrack for the 'Iga' flashback
- A lustrous and uncomfortable audio throughout the 'Miss River' flashback
- Several digetics including street audio, a gun shot, laughing and a mobile phone ring tone.
With influence from soundtracks on the site of YouTube, we have collected all possible soundtracks for our thriller from the site Free sound. (www.freesound.org)
Dark and gritty (dominant) soundtrack:
With this particular soundtrack, which will accompany almost all of the thriller (except for the 'flashback' scenes), we want to achieve an unsettling tone, particularly suiting the disjointed, fragmented establishing shots and the fearful aspect of being followed, which is present within the narrative.
Modulaat Sector:
http://freesound.org/people/the_odds/sounds/176579/
The first possible soundtrack is called 'Modulaat Sector'. Immediately from the first listen, I instantly picked up on the continuous, low bass hum throughout the audio.This links nicely to the theme of crime within our opening, as the low, constant base could connote the low and underlying, but constant fear of crime within society, therefore tapping into the audiences fears. The repeated beat and tones can also help to achieve a sense of build up and climatic aspect towards the 'murder' scene. There is something quite uncomfortable about the pitch and repetitiveness (pulsing) of this piece, almost reflecting the monotonous 'stalking' of 'Crowe' and 'Iga'. Finally, there is the appeal that this soundtrack can be played quite faintly in the background, complimenting the digetic 'street' audio, as well as adding to the unsettling tone because the audio can only 'just' be heard.
Modulaat Sector (Hollow Restructure):
http://freesound.org/people/the_odds/sounds/177259/
The second sound, named 'Modulaat Sector (Hollow Restructure)'seems to have a stronger sense of a beat within it, an advantage to building up pace and tension within the narrative and therefore upon the audience. Again, like the previous soundtrack, the low 'hum', supported by the repeated echoes after each beat, is particularly eery; a sound that lingers and imprints itself upon the audience. However, I feel that this soundtrack is slightly too synthesized, almost enhancing the genre of sci-fi, rather than a thriller. Therefore, if we were to choose this piece of audio, I fear that it could deter from the dark and gritty tone of the opening.
Influences:
With reference to the opening title sequence of 'Se7en', the soundtrack perfectly suits the extremely uncomfortable and graphic shots. There is a low base present, as if to portray the build up, or foreshadowing of something very dark and evil. This is also supported by the snare and lower drum beats, almost replicating a heart beat; a very dark and 'twisted' interpretation much like the film itself being dark, twisted and gritty. The synthesized noises, for example at 0.11-0.15 influenced our own soundtrack choices as it is terribly uncomfortable, contrasting the dull hum clearly heard at the very start.
The opening to Casino Royale is a perfect example of digetic audio combined with a constant, background soundtrack. This is particularly effective at 0.16 for example, when the man slams the car door, we, as an audience, are able to distinguish the car door, portraying the state and emotion of the character, as well as the enigmatic, deep soundtrack subtly building tension. I particularly like the double meaning behind the increasing pitch of the soundtrack, along with the upwards movement of the elevator. Not only does it, almost obviously, reflect an increase in hight ( therefore reflected by the pitch) but also, rising into a more climatic scene, with higher pitched sounds stereotypically indicating a warning or awareness.
A 'dreamy' and soft soundtrack:
For the 'flash back' scene of 'Iga' lovingly and happily running into the distance, we aim to have a soft, delicate and dreamy soundtrack in order to achieve that pleasant and fond memory 'Crowe' is having.
A particular influence from a real thriller text is the opening soundtrack to 'Layer Cake'; 'Hayling' by FC Kahuna. The soundtrack is very idyllic and relaxed, in which it perfectly portrays the theme of drugs (the 'dreamy' state of mind that you are in) through its slow and relaxed beat, as well as establishing the slick and 'cool' main character through its slightly techno and synthesized tone. We also aim to achieve something very relaxed and almost unnatural, as this particular soundtrack is part of 'Crowe' fragmented thoughts; a figure of his imagination. When deciding upon our own soundtrack, we will take into consideration the ways in which the soundtrack is used in context to the film, helping support the themes that arise within the narrative; whether this be drugs within 'Layer Cake', or crime and murder within 'Crowe'.
A lustrous soundtrack for 'Miss River':
For this climatic, flashback scene, we want to attain a soundtrack which reflects the feminine character of 'Miss River' as well as being quite uncomfortable for the audience.
'Femmes_whispers' was our first and immediate choice. This is because we experimented with the idea of whispers; a whisper is very gentle and effeminate, but can portray extreme power and unnerving intimacy ( having to get very close in order to hear it). This therefore connotes the sneaky and devious characteristics of 'Miss River'. Also, the fact that you have to get very close to another person in order to distinguish a whisper, portrays a sense of intimacy and secrecy with the audience. I particularly like the short quick breaths placed in-between the whispers within 'Femmes_whispers', connoting the fragmentation of the seen nicely by physically breaking up the audio. Again, this soundtrack creates a clear distinction in tone from the 'dream like', happier flash back of 'Iga' to this more seductive and suggestive one, building tension as well, due to the up and tones and style of the whisper.
Digetic sounds:
http://freesound.org/people/Corsica_S/sounds/147618/
The echo and continuation of 'Jihpolpo' is quite entrancing, linking nicely to the mood and theme of the distant and fragmented memories that 'Crowe' is experiencing. The loud high pitched notes create effective impact, and could support the narrative in terms of that these flashbacks are to arise question and awareness within the audience, which could be triggered through the high notes. However, I feel that there are too many low notes, which in contrast, creates quite a loud and overwhelming soundtrack in general, contradicting the context to which it would be put in.
http://freesound.org/people/thatjeffcarter/sounds/141865/
This piece called 'We listen' starts with several separate notes/chimes which is particularly appealing because it could connote entering 'Crowe' thoughts. By starting immediately with higher tones, clearly signifies to the audience a change in tone from the lower, gritter soundtrack. The notes seems to linger, blend and overlap into one another, just like 'Crowe's' thoughts, linking nicely to context as well as further establishing the protagonist (can't seem to let go of the past). Finally, there is particular appeal because there are no low notes present; just the separate 'chimes' which create one constant and soft audio.
http://freesound.org/people/imaginaryband/sounds/79422/
From listening to 'Relaxation and atmosphere', this piece has clear similarities to our influence of 'Layer Cake'; a very relaxed and dream like feel as there is no beat. Again, the notes seem to linger and echo, creating more of an unnatural tone. However, the pace could be slightly too slow for our scene, in terms of shot length; as part of 'Crowe' mind, the flashback is particularly fragmented, and therefore reasonably quick. This then might leave no time for the soundtrack to develop. We aim for the soundtrack to establish a tone straight away, which I believe 'Relaxation and atmosphere' does not.
The echo and continuation of 'Jihpolpo' is quite entrancing, linking nicely to the mood and theme of the distant and fragmented memories that 'Crowe' is experiencing. The loud high pitched notes create effective impact, and could support the narrative in terms of that these flashbacks are to arise question and awareness within the audience, which could be triggered through the high notes. However, I feel that there are too many low notes, which in contrast, creates quite a loud and overwhelming soundtrack in general, contradicting the context to which it would be put in.
http://freesound.org/people/thatjeffcarter/sounds/141865/
This piece called 'We listen' starts with several separate notes/chimes which is particularly appealing because it could connote entering 'Crowe' thoughts. By starting immediately with higher tones, clearly signifies to the audience a change in tone from the lower, gritter soundtrack. The notes seems to linger, blend and overlap into one another, just like 'Crowe's' thoughts, linking nicely to context as well as further establishing the protagonist (can't seem to let go of the past). Finally, there is particular appeal because there are no low notes present; just the separate 'chimes' which create one constant and soft audio.
http://freesound.org/people/imaginaryband/sounds/79422/
From listening to 'Relaxation and atmosphere', this piece has clear similarities to our influence of 'Layer Cake'; a very relaxed and dream like feel as there is no beat. Again, the notes seem to linger and echo, creating more of an unnatural tone. However, the pace could be slightly too slow for our scene, in terms of shot length; as part of 'Crowe' mind, the flashback is particularly fragmented, and therefore reasonably quick. This then might leave no time for the soundtrack to develop. We aim for the soundtrack to establish a tone straight away, which I believe 'Relaxation and atmosphere' does not.
Influences:
A particular influence from a real thriller text is the opening soundtrack to 'Layer Cake'; 'Hayling' by FC Kahuna. The soundtrack is very idyllic and relaxed, in which it perfectly portrays the theme of drugs (the 'dreamy' state of mind that you are in) through its slow and relaxed beat, as well as establishing the slick and 'cool' main character through its slightly techno and synthesized tone. We also aim to achieve something very relaxed and almost unnatural, as this particular soundtrack is part of 'Crowe' fragmented thoughts; a figure of his imagination. When deciding upon our own soundtrack, we will take into consideration the ways in which the soundtrack is used in context to the film, helping support the themes that arise within the narrative; whether this be drugs within 'Layer Cake', or crime and murder within 'Crowe'.
A lustrous soundtrack for 'Miss River':
For this climatic, flashback scene, we want to attain a soundtrack which reflects the feminine character of 'Miss River' as well as being quite uncomfortable for the audience.
'Femmes_whispers' was our first and immediate choice. This is because we experimented with the idea of whispers; a whisper is very gentle and effeminate, but can portray extreme power and unnerving intimacy ( having to get very close in order to hear it). This therefore connotes the sneaky and devious characteristics of 'Miss River'. Also, the fact that you have to get very close to another person in order to distinguish a whisper, portrays a sense of intimacy and secrecy with the audience. I particularly like the short quick breaths placed in-between the whispers within 'Femmes_whispers', connoting the fragmentation of the seen nicely by physically breaking up the audio. Again, this soundtrack creates a clear distinction in tone from the 'dream like', happier flash back of 'Iga' to this more seductive and suggestive one, building tension as well, due to the up and tones and style of the whisper.
Digetic sounds:
Digetic sounds can be referred to within any films, as they add to the realism of the narrative. With the aid of digetic sounds, we can tap into the audience's fears, as the sounds used are often very recognisable and sometimes, day-to-day (cars, laughing etc). Therefore, if these effects are heard within a dark thriller, the audience may feel that these situations could also happen to them, due to the normal, day to day digetics.
Gasp:
http://freesound.org/people/lauriesafari/sounds/169901/
This digetic sound is necessary to express 'Iga's' shock, when turning around to face 'Crowe'. We decided to go for a sound effect rather than the actress gasping because it need to be clearly heard by the audience, almost to the extent that it is quite 'over the top'. However, with the over exaggerated gasp, we are certain that the emotion of fear and terror will be clearly understood by the audience. This piece is also the perfect length in proportion to our shot of 'Iga'.
Laugh:
http://freesound.org/people/sagetyrtle/sounds/72695/
A laugh is vital to express 'Iga's' happiness within the 'happy flashback'. Again, we decided to go for an inserted audio rather than the actress actually laughing, purely for the same reasons as the 'gasp'; to be clearly heard and interpreted by the audience. As well as this, the actress' own laugh may have been lost against the background noises of the field. The appeal towards this particular 'laugh' was that the tone and pitch reflected 'Iga's' own laugh very accurately, therefore being able to portray the right expression, without sounding to fake and 'cheesy'. The laugh chosen is a relatively long soundtrack, however, we shall edit down the soundtrack to fit the scene.
Gun shot:
http://freesound.org/people/GregsMedia/sounds/150137/
Although a very brief sound effect, the 'gun shot' is possibly the most important piece of audio within the whole thriller opening. This is because with the mere sound of a gun the audience are instantly informed that 'Iga' has been killed. If there was no audio at this climatic point, the narrative would be very much vague and ambiguous. The sound is a standard gun shot; quick, loud and immediately recognisable. This is appealing as the gun shot will be the only action on the screen at the time (the audio will support a black screen), therefore the audio alone needs to explain and sustain the narrative.
Birds:
http://freesound.org/people/Zbyhek/sounds/167487/
To compliment the happy flash back, dreamy soundtrack and female laughter. We want to include the soft 'tweeting' of birds. We decided not to research into considerable depth with this audio, as it isn't necessarily a vital aspect, but moreover a complimentary sound to support the mood and location. As well as adding realism and relevance to the location within the scene, tweeting birds often connote happiness and grace, which is much like what we want to portray within the scene.
Final decisions:
Due to the opinions expressed above within each particular analysis of the soundtracks, we have decided to use the following within 'Crowe':
Gasp:
http://freesound.org/people/lauriesafari/sounds/169901/
This digetic sound is necessary to express 'Iga's' shock, when turning around to face 'Crowe'. We decided to go for a sound effect rather than the actress gasping because it need to be clearly heard by the audience, almost to the extent that it is quite 'over the top'. However, with the over exaggerated gasp, we are certain that the emotion of fear and terror will be clearly understood by the audience. This piece is also the perfect length in proportion to our shot of 'Iga'.
Laugh:
http://freesound.org/people/sagetyrtle/sounds/72695/
A laugh is vital to express 'Iga's' happiness within the 'happy flashback'. Again, we decided to go for an inserted audio rather than the actress actually laughing, purely for the same reasons as the 'gasp'; to be clearly heard and interpreted by the audience. As well as this, the actress' own laugh may have been lost against the background noises of the field. The appeal towards this particular 'laugh' was that the tone and pitch reflected 'Iga's' own laugh very accurately, therefore being able to portray the right expression, without sounding to fake and 'cheesy'. The laugh chosen is a relatively long soundtrack, however, we shall edit down the soundtrack to fit the scene.
Gun shot:
http://freesound.org/people/GregsMedia/sounds/150137/
Although a very brief sound effect, the 'gun shot' is possibly the most important piece of audio within the whole thriller opening. This is because with the mere sound of a gun the audience are instantly informed that 'Iga' has been killed. If there was no audio at this climatic point, the narrative would be very much vague and ambiguous. The sound is a standard gun shot; quick, loud and immediately recognisable. This is appealing as the gun shot will be the only action on the screen at the time (the audio will support a black screen), therefore the audio alone needs to explain and sustain the narrative.
Birds:
http://freesound.org/people/Zbyhek/sounds/167487/
To compliment the happy flash back, dreamy soundtrack and female laughter. We want to include the soft 'tweeting' of birds. We decided not to research into considerable depth with this audio, as it isn't necessarily a vital aspect, but moreover a complimentary sound to support the mood and location. As well as adding realism and relevance to the location within the scene, tweeting birds often connote happiness and grace, which is much like what we want to portray within the scene.
Final decisions:
Due to the opinions expressed above within each particular analysis of the soundtracks, we have decided to use the following within 'Crowe':
- Modulaat Sector.
- 'We listen'
- 'Femme_Whispers'
- All of the above digetic audio.
I fell very confident with our choices of soundtrack and believe that they will achieve our aims of supporting and developing the tone and themes within 'Crowe'.
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