The Lift Report - TASK 3

The Lift (2001), directed by Marc Isaacs is an alternative documentary focusing on the lives of people who all live in the same block of flats in London. Each day, Isaac positions himself in the elevator of the block of flats where he spends 10 hours, documenting the life of each person who enters the lift. Each person is asked the same questions; about their personal life, themselves and what they're doing with their day. This documentary gives us an insight into how different people's minds work, as we're given a large variety of different ages and ethnicities of people who enter the lift.

When looking at the The Lift as a whole, I am able to say the audience for this documentary would be alternative. I have come to this conclusion due to the content and structure of the documentary, which is unconventional when comparing to other documentaries. The content of this documentary differs to the usual documentary as we are usually faced with the documenter/director who is interviewing the characters, where as in this documentary we do not see Marc Isaacs at all, which contributes to the idea of it being alternative - as the audience may may as familiar with him as they would if he was present throughout the documentary. The atmosphere of the documentary is awkward, which is another unusual convention which Marc Isaac's has purposely used to add realism to The Lift, as it is based on everyday people and wanted to reflect the atmosphere which he felt himself whilst in elevator. The structure differs as we usually see an array of different locations and people throughout a documentary, with archive footage and evidence backing up statements - but what we have instead is the same people entering the lift, in the same location and talking about whatever Marc Isaac's feels like at that moment in time. This is a completely different structure that we are used to seeing in documentaries, which tells me that an alternative audience would find this documentary due to the quirky and unconventional nature of it.  

To target this particular audience, many different techniques have been used. The emotional theme which runs throughout this documentary is one of the most evident techniques, as I feel the audience will be able to connect to the characters emotionally and be able to find out more information about them by their reactions when asked questions by Marc Isaacs. The aspect of 'Fly on the wall' in The Lift I feel will also contribute towards targeting this audience, as they are able to observe the character's within the documentary from a view where they feel as though they are looking into their lives and are able to gage what is going through their mind at that given time. The idea of The Lift being alternative tells us that our audience enjoys an unconventional structure, meaning that the lack of conventional techniques in the documentary, such as Marc Isaac's not being shown on the screen and also the use of only one stable location, shows us that Isaac's wants the audience to feel immersed into the documentary rather than watching from an outsiders perspective, which I feel the alternative audience will find appealing. 

Within the two documentaries I have studied (Bowling for Columbine and The Lift) which are two different documentaries which target different audiences, they both still have things in common; such as the techniques used to target their audience's. The first technique which I feel is similar in both of the documentaries is the way in which emotional themes have been portrayed and used to target a specific audience. With the interviews, the audience feel as though they can relate to the character's in some cases as they explain them selfs within the interviews, as it gives us information about their personality and audience feel they are able to connect with them more. Another similarity is the use of shots within the documentaries - as we see extreme close ups and mid shots throughout both when the character's are being interviewed, which tells the audience that the information we are receiving is relevant to the current situation, which gives us clues about the audience for this documentary. We are also educated within both documentaries but in different ways - as we learn more about the human mind and how it works in The Lift, where as in Bowling for Columbine it is about American History and the gun crime which exists out there. This technique in the documentary helps target these audiences as any audience member who wants to learn more or observe people can watch The Lift and by watching Bowling for Columbine, we are given facts and Historic information which would appeal to someone wanting to know more about the American Government, politics or history. The things which are different when comparing these two documentaries are techniques such as the use of archive footage, multiple locations and mix of characters (witnesses, family victims and celebrities) in Bowling for Columbine which gives us a variety of information sources, from real life footage to reenactments. This would target the audience in question as they are given more than one opinion and/or source, educating them more about the subject matter. In The Lift, the way in which information is fed to the audience is different from Bowling for Columbine, as there is only one location with people who live in it, no other information sources or any archive footage to give information about the characters, so the audience only have the interviews with Isaac's to go by. This although unconventional, is a technique used so the audience feel more personally involved with the characters, rather than using the conventional documentary structure such as in Bowling for Columbine - we feel as though we are closer to the action and can grasp the realism within the documentary.

Moving Image Soundtrack Report - TWO (THE VAMPIRE DIARIES 5X22)

POINT EVIDENCE TERMINOLOGY ANALYSIS LINK

The scene I am going to talk about is Bonnie and Damon - The Other side from The Vampire Diaries season finale (5x22), released on May 15th 2014. In this scene, Bonnie and Damon have been trapped on the other side when trying to save their friend and Damon's brother Stefan. In consequence, they have been trapped on the other side, as the witch opening it has been stopped by her brother as she was beginning to weaken from casting the spell. As Stefan returned, Bonnie and Damon rushed to join him but were met by a wall of magic which stopped them from passing through into real life. Bonnie, being able to still contact the living via phone, rings her boyfriend which she previously told that she would be able to come back. Emotions then run high when Damon's girlfriend Elena hears of the news and all of the characters (Alaric, Elena, Jeremy and Tyler) run into the woods waiting for Damon and Bonnie to come back. The scene then turns to Bonnie and Damon's POV, showing a huge gust of wind and lights shining on them, which then leads to them disappearing into an orb of light.

In this scene we have a range of different sounds which make it an extremely effective piece of television. Diegetic and non-diegetic sounds being the two elements of audio in visual entertainment, we are given both in this scene to create an anchored mood, which the sound editors have done specifically to evoke the audience's emotions. The first piece of diegetic sound we see is the conversation between Bonnie and her boyfriend, Jeremy. They are conversing about Bonnie being trapped and Jeremy's emotions are running high, as he believed he was going to get his girlfriend back. As dialogue is the largest element of diegetic sounds, throughout the entire scene it is the reoccurring element that we can see and connect with what is happening in the picture.

Moving Image Soundtrack Quiz: TASK 1

Three main types of sound elements and examples: 

There are three important elements of sound in film and television. The first of these three elements is dialect. Dialect is the speech/dialogue the characters are using to put across what is happening to the audience. Without dialect, film and television would be extremely confusing, as the character's would not be able to explain what is going on or contribute to the narrative of the film. Dialect is a diegetic sound - meaning that everything we hear connects to the visuals. The second element of sound is sound effects. These can be anything from atmospheric sounds such as the wind blowing or rain, but can also be sounds which cannot be made in filming. These sounds are then made by Foley artists, who create noises from different objects and in some cases, their own voices. For instance, the sound of a dinosaur could not be made as there no legitimate sound recording, but Foley artists can create this by layering sounds made by objects on top of each other then later edited to sound more realistic. Sound effects can be either diegetic or non-diegetic. As mentioned before, if the sound is atmospheric, it would be classed as a non-diegetic as we may not be able to see the actual weather but we can hear it. The exact same goes for diegetic, as we are able to connect sounds to the visuals whether they are created at the time of filming or made by a Foley artist.

Difference between diegetic non - diegetic, give examples of each:

Diegetic and non-diegetic are the two types of sound we are able to distinguish within film and television. Diegetic sounds are what we are able to link the visuals we see with, creating a better understanding for us. They can also create the mood and evoke the correct emotions within the audience, as diegetic sounds cover a wide range - the largest being dialogue, in which the character can then express themselves in the tone and manner they want to. An example of a diegetic sound is a chair being pulled across a hall floor. This would be easy for us to link the visuals to the sound as we can see what is happening and also hear the noise it is creating. Unlike diegetic, non-diegetic sounds are what we cannot see. Although we cannot see them, they contribute to story line as they are mostly used feedback so the characters can then talk about what they have just heard and prolong the story. Diegetic sounds also create an atmosphere and a sense of space, as when a sound is made which we detect is further away, it contrasts against the diegetic sounds which we hear, helping us distinguish what element is which. An example of non-diegetic sound is an narrator's commentary. This non-diegetic sound is present to explain the story and feed information to the audience without being in the picture. This way, we have two pieces of evidence which we can summarize and conclude what is going on, as we have both the narrator and the visuals to concentrate on.

Synchronous and non-synchronous sounds, give examples of each:

Synchronous and non synchronous are sounds which sum up everything we can hear within a movie. Synchronous sounds can be categorized in two sections - ambient and sound effect. Ambient sound are recordings which have caught during the filming and retained to be used throughout the movie if needed. Sound effects, which are generally created by a Foley artist or by ADR technicians, are sounds which can be created by different objects or dubbing. In other words, what you hear is either dubbed or have been recorded live, depending on the quality and standards the director has set for their movie. An example of a Synchronous sound is footsteps corresponding to feet stepping in front of each other. Non-synchronous sound can also be ambient, but in most cases is left for sound technicians so they can determine what sounds can be used for a particular scene which can determine the audience's feelings at that given time. An example of Non-synchronous sound is a violin being played gently whilst someone has just lost someone important to them, holding them closely whilst their eyes shut and the last string of the violin is played and comes to a sustained end.

Three types of spoken word in film audio, give example of each:

The first type of spoken word which is used within sound is ADR. ADR, otherwise known as Automatic Dialogue Placement, is used when a piece of ambient sound, or sound which cannot be picked up through filming, dubbed over to create a more professional standard. This is usually done by creating sounds digitally or in a studio by a Foley artist and then edited to make it sound more realistic. Director's generally commission for this to be done as sounds are not created to the standard he/she expects. ADR can also be used to cover up atmospheric sounds which can disrupt the scene, such as traffic going by outside - which would not be suitable if the film in question was set in a different period in time. This is usually covered up by dialogue or for example, crowds cheering, so that we can no longer hear the sounds. An example of ADR is dialogue which the director feels was not recording to the standard they expect. The actor/narrator is then asked to come back into the studio and re-record their lines - but to create the feeling that they have actually spoken their lines in the time and place of the filming, atmospheric sound which is recorded for cases like this is layered underneath, so the sound overall matches the entire scene we are being shown and we can't tell any difference from any other dialogue.

The second type of spoken word I am going to talk about is the characters dialect. This being the most occurring form of spoken word, we can clearly see the connection between the character's vocals to the visuals. Everything word we see leaving the character's mouth is reflected in the visuals. This is called Micky mousing, deriving from Walt Disney and their animations, where Micky mouse was seen to mimic every piece of sound, from music to dialogue. An example of character's dialect is True Blood where Godric (who made Eric a vampire) says his goodbyes to Eric, as Eric pleads him not to let himself burn to ashes in the sun. >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9iljuGxEOg

The third and final type of spoken word is narration. This form is an non-diegetic sound as we cannot see it present but can hear it, which differs from dialogue as usually narration is not a communication between characters, but rather giving a narrative or anchoring facts that we are being fed. An example of narration within television series Planet Earth, narrated by Sir David Attenborough. In each episode, he observes the creatures and the way in which our planet thrives, commenting on how and why this happens. This form of spoken word is a spoken observation - which gives us an in-depth description of what is happening, giving us two forms of information; visual and audio. 

Segmentation

Segmentation is the way in which we describe how the audience is split up into different sections, dependent on their interests in particular genre and their lifestyle. In the poster for Rollin' with the nines, we can say segmentation has been used as firstly, in the first poster we see one of the female characters used which in turn would attract women, as they feel as though they can relate to or feel more accepted to watch a gangster film as the general expectation for the target audience would be male, as it is a male associated movie. In the second poster segmentation has been used once again, but this time it has been done through the use of how the male characters are presenting themselves with guns, from a low angle POV, we feel intimidated but intrigued to know what is happening - which I feel when would find appealing more than women as they generally enjoy violence more than women. Segmentation is used to identify all types of audience types and is used so that every type of person can enjoy this movie, hence why I feel they have made more than one poster so that a range of different people can see it and feel as though they can relate and find the poster interesting.

What is a sound envelope? What does ADSR stand for?

A sound envelope is the (ADSR) Attack, Decay, Sustain and release of a sound. This is the way how sound changes volume over time. Attack is the loudest part of ADSR, as from this point the sound decreases, to decay, then sustains the sound for a short time (depending on what has been used to make sound e.g. plucking would create a short sustained sound) and release, where the sound finally comes to an end.

Examples of sounds with long and short attacks with a long and short sustain - 

• Violin being bowed - Long attack, long sustained. Short attack sound can be created by the violin being plucking which is a short sustained
• Piano key held down until release - long attack, long sustain lingering on the key. Depending on force (faster tap on key will be a shorter, sharper sound) which is a short attack sound with a short sustain
• Revving of a sports car - Long attack, short sustain - release after attack
• Dry leaf being stepped on (crunch) one solid sound with short attack, short sustain
• Symbol - Short attack, long sustain 

Examples of where these sounds could be used - 

• Violin with long attack and long sustain could be used in an emotional scene of a film, creating a mood in which we can detect what is happening within the scene. Plucked violin sound (short attack, show sustain) quick, sharp plucks which could be used in Psycho shower scene
• Piano key with long attack and long sustain (lingering key) could be used in a horror film (lower key), as it is a slow sound which can build up creating a overwhelming climax in a killing scene for instance Scream. A higher pitch key or key used with less force could be used in a thriller film as it sounds similar to a slasher sound, sharp and straight to the point
• Revving of the sports car which is a long attack with a short sustain could be used within a racing  film such as Need For Speed or another car based action film
• Dry leaf being stepped on with short attack, short sustain; could be used as an atmospheric noise in any type of film - mood, autumn, nature etc. 
• Symbol with short attack and long sustain, karate films

Moving Image Soundtrack Report - ONE (STAR WARS)

This particular scene (Trash Compactor) from Star Wars 4: A New Hope which was directed by George Lucas, released May, 1997 is a Sci-fi film set in the future in space. This scene consists of the main characters Luke, Han Solo, Chewbacca and Princess Leia in combat with the Storm Troopers, fighting them off in a futuristic like ship. To hide away from the Storm Troopers, Luke jumps into the Trash Compactor hatch where the others then follow. Once inside, our characters think they are safe — but they begin to hear echoes of a creature. They start to panic as an unusual worm like creature pulls Luke under the water below. As he resurfaces the trash compactor begins to close in on them and they struggle as they try to climb the trash to safety. Han solo then puts a bar across to stop the compactor closing on them whilst Luke signals R2-D2 and 3CP0 for help and they decode the computer system, stopping the trash compactor from closing and crushing them all.

Throughout this scene, many different elements of sound can be heard. The two types that we can hear are diegetic and non-diegetic. Diegetic is where the sound is present within the current situation and can be seen, heard and applied to the visuals in which we are presented with. Diegetic sounds enhance the experience for the audience as everything they can see is matched to the audio. This helps the audience process what is going on throughout the scene correctly. This is referred to as mickey mousing, as in animation; the sound is closely matched to the visuals, which have been created separately. There are many examples of diegetic sound within the Trash Compactor scene, but the main and most obvious is the voice of the characters. Dialogue is one of the largest elements of diegetic sound within film, as it is something we automatically connect the sound to the picture when watching, helping the audience understand comprehensively what is going on. In this scene, the characters are communicating with each other as to how they can get out of the Trash Compactor. This is evident by the closure of the Compactor and the characters panicking. Another example is the sound of the metal scraping and chaffing against each other, as when the characters climb the heaps of trash to safety pieces of trash begin to fall and drop into the water below and crush under the weight of the characters. The effect this has on the audience is that they understand their surroundings a lot more – and it creates a distinction for the audience as to where they are.

Non-diegetic is the opposite — which means that the sounds we hear are not indicated by anything shown on screen or implied by anything happening in the scene. Non-diegetic sound enhances the scene as the audience can only watch one picture at a time, yet many elements of sound can be heard within the film e.g. the alien, echoing around the ship which we can hear from the trash compactor. Although this cannot be seen, this makes expands the possibility of what can happen within the film as we realize that this is not the only location, the only characters going about the ship or things going on as we can hear these non-diegetic sounds. When it comes to non-diegetic, an example from this the Trash Compactor scene is the sound of the alien — which at this point in the film is not visible on screen.

A lot of the sound within this scene e.g. the laser gun being fired and the footsteps both have short attacks where the sound is at its loudest, and both last for a short period of time, so we can say they are short sustained sound. An example of a long attack and long sustained noise within this scene is the groan of Chewbacca, which is at it's loudest all the way through — sustaining the volume from the attack. 

At this point the mood of the scene is set by this noise in particular and we begin to feel the panic of the characters, as they like the audience don’t know where the alien is and are waiting for it to resurface at any point. In Star Wars, many synthetic/computerized sounds have been created to reflect the futuristic and spacey atmosphere that Star Wars in captures. Some of the incredibly important sounds within this film are synthetic, such as R2 - D2's voice, which is electronically generated and with the use of bending water pipes, whistles and other vocalizations. Another example of a synthetic sound is Chewbacca's voice. His groan is constructed from a range of different animal noises, the main being walruses. Other than the vocals of the fictional characters, the sound effects made are also synthesized. Using a television transmission sound along with a humming/buzzing noise from a projector for example created the Light saber. 

PETAL

P - POINT
E - EVIDENCE/EXAMPLE
T- TERMINOLOGY
A - ANALYSIS - MOOD
L - LINK EVIDENCE