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Sound in the television or film is for the purpose of supporting the story of the documentary, television program, narrative, or a film. However, sound can be so effective that it may explain the entire story directly, and it can also be used indirectly in order to enhance effects of movie’s story. It has been argued that television sound is different to film sound. This is because of the fact that there are different perceptual methods and mechanisms for the picture and sound in the television and film; the sound may, however, be integrated by the spectators or the audience with the picture without any differentiation. The sound for film, however, integrates various elements together, which is not for the purpose of drawing the attention (Rothbart, 2013). However, the relative roles of the sound and the picture can change pertaining to the storytelling from moment to moment and from the scene to scene.
Nowadays, in most of the cases the sound of television and film is constructed in the post production by using several pieces of the sound that are mixed together impeccably in order to form a complete and perfect whole. This process is called sound design. If the television sound is considered, then it become obvious that the television is most characterized more by the soundtracks instead of the images. The television uses sound in order to ensure a particular attention level, to drag the attention of the viewers again to the television set. An example of this fact is television show ‘Saturday Night Live’, which is attracting the viewers not with the images but with different sounds. However, in the program, musical guests are invited in every addition of the Saturday Night Live, so that they can perform their most recent songs, which will further help in attracting the audience, such as Miley Cyrus has performed Wrecking Ball (NBC Studios, 2013). The television sound is significant because it helps in the anchoring the meaning of the televisual texts (Gadassik, 2010). Similarly, the sound of the television helps in drawing the attention from the nearby objects of the attention, and the tactics or techniques that are utilized for drawing the attention are derived from the sound practices that were developed earlier for the television. This fact can be analyzed from another example of the TV show named ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’, which is comedy TV serial (Rosman, 2010). It uses such sound tracks that are used in order to attract the attention of the surroundings (Anonymous, 2011). The sound tracks used are powerful enough to capture the attention of the nearby area.
The television sound is different to that of film also because of the fact that in the film cinema, each and everything, however passes via an image, but, in the case of television the sound of speech is essential. An example of this fact is movie ‘The Artist’, which is a silent movie (Collin, 2012). In this movie most of the scenes are without any sound, there are just a few scenes in the film where sound is actually used (Wilson, 2012). Furthermore, the film and the television are considered as different because television does a good job in privileging the ear over an eye. Furthermore, since the television is not considered as the visual medium so the events associated with the television occurs within the particular environment of sound i.e., the sound track that pave the way to the authenticity of the pictures.
Moreover, in the recent years the many spectacular changes took place in the television with the development of the novel digital technologies that have paved the way to re-examination of the television sound and the functions associated with the sound (Evans, 2011). The 3D technology, home theatres, and the high definition televisions have, however, helped in bringing the experience of cinema at into the home, which has challenged the previous belief that television is meant for the audio and not for visuals (Mendiburu, 2011). But, still the streaming and the flowing transmission of the television needs supra-textual sound, a sound helpful in relating the less to the particular text of a program being viewed as compared to the super-text that is understood as the experience of watching the television, the voice of the announcer, the narrator of the commercials, and the interruptions in the news bulletin, etc. the use of the sound or the voice overs, the intros, the theme songs and the laugh tracks are borrowed from the practices of the radio.
However, the relationship between the tele-visuals sounds and the images is moving towards complexity because new information is being layered up over the images of television. For example the news tickers use, twitter feeds, and information of weather tracking, which are the addition information layers and are entirely different from the primary images and sounds associated with regular television programs and films. Furthermore, the advertisements and the pop-up windows, however, are also the additional information layers that are serving as a distraction, because they are multiplying the number of the streams of the available information presented on the screen of the television. Additionally, density of the information that is provided by the textual characteristics is, then, improved by expansion of the borders of new media whose coordinating menus give meta-data on programs, search functions and the schedules.
The film and photography is a representation of the strengthening and the continuation of the Renaissance viewpoint or perspective. However, the interruptions in history occurred with the invention of the television. There was no interval from the increasing graphic and pictographic stress before the advent of the television. The film is a representation of the three-dimensional graphical or the pictorial art, television is the representation of the acoustic space, which resembles two-dimensional and flat illustrative images. Television sound is different from the film sound also because of the fact that television is considered as the mosaic mesh of two dimensions, a field of the glowing vibrations that finish the orthodox dichotomy associated with the sound and sight (Dant, 2012). This fact can be analyzed from the example of a TV show ‘Scrubs’ such sounds are used by the characters that they are sufficient enough to draw the attention of audience towards television (Bellairs, 2011). Several songs are also used for the purpose of grabbing the attention of audience, the songs are sung in such a voice that they automatically attract the customers towards the television (Soundboard, n.d)
Furthermore, with the technological advancements the emergence of the internet television has also led to improvement in the television sound. The internet television has enabled people to interact with each other via television screen and chat in more clear voice. The Web TV has further, made enabled clear sound. Moreover, due to the increasing trend of the home cinema including set up of the woofers, the television has also catch up with a sonic experience and the technical standards that are set by the industry. For the production of the television music, several practices are used such as mirror long-standing practices, which are also used in the music of the film, for conveying emotional states and enhancing the tension relating to the story of film or a drama.
Contrary to the use of the film sound in the cinema, the television sound, however, always remain there in the place and there is no need for the identification of the image (Holman, 2012). The difference between the television sound and the film sound can also be explained on the basis of the fact that the sound of the television has now reached at new levels and it will further grow at an exponential rate, because high definition television and the surrounding sound is now becoming the norm. The surround sound, however, provide unmatchable creativity whenever there is a move from the reproduction of sound to the design of sound. The sound reproduction indicates the expectation of the sound mix, for example, the expectation of the bat crack’s sound (Zettl, 2013). The sound design represents restraints and the unexpected, for example, one novel tool of the sound design is the spatial placement. The sound design is considered as the quest for the excellence of sound, and it requires a drive or passion along with an understanding of science and art of sound.
Further, the characteristics of sound in the movie help in understanding the difference between the film sound and the television sound. The two major characteristics of the film’s sound are the hyper reality and the correlation with the picture. The sound recordings in the film are usually an exaggeration of the reality, the soundtracks are, however, over-hyped, heard in the context, and they often assume natural equilibrium. This is because, single sound in the film is usually melted in the auditory stream, and in order to be better distinguished, they should be emphasized. Secondly, in the correlation with picture, the sound exerts its impact on the picture; scenes differ widely depending on the effects of sound that is played with the scenes. The sound, however, also exert its influence on the storytelling and on the rhythm of the film. The scenes that are played without sound seem longer as compared to those with the background sound. The television sound and the film sound are different, as the main role of sound in the film is to tell the entire story and to support the story. Considering the sound era, storytelling is the major feature of the film, and it is made possible in the films via monologues, characters and the dialogues etc. For example, in the film ‘Harry Porter’, such characters are used that grab the audience attention with the visuals, and their voice and dialogues are sufficient enough in attracting the attention and telling the entire story (Youtube, 2012)
Moreover, the story supporting plays its role by relating the sound effects with tension in the film, and suggests the audience about their feelings. In this case, music and special sound effects are also used. However, the sources of sound, which are used in the film, can be the customized recordings, recordings that are made during the photography on the sets, and the music either composed from the previously existing sources or from the film.
Further, the functions of sound in the film are fulfilled by using various kinds of sound in the film, which include, speech, music, sound effects, hard or the cut effects, Foley sound effect, the ambience, and design sound effects . Speech is a significant tool for understanding the film’s story, so the editors of the dialog depend on various sources for the tracks, such as on the set dialogues that are recorded during the shooting of film, on the wild lines dialogues, which are the lines recorded by an actor under the guidance of director, in a similar set’s atmosphere, and at the end of the day of production etc. these dialogues are however, then used during the editing of sound, for covering the cuts, and for synchronizing the dialogues. With the advancement in the cinema, and with commercialization of cinema, the music is becoming more elaborated and is playing a significant role in the shows. Music can, however, be composed especially for the films, also already composed music can be used. Furthermore, the hard and cut effect in the film represent the expectations of the audience that each and everything they observe on the screen, makes noise in the real life, it should be heard, so covered by the hard effect of sound. Hard, in this case is the representation of the fact that sound is not obtained from the production source rather it is obtained from any other source. Such sounds are, however, grouped by the events, for example the closing of the car’s door, and start of the car etc. However, in the films, different sounds are combined together in order to create a new one and this is the principle that is mostly used. Manipulative and mixed effects are used in such modifications, such as production of the corresponding pitch, change of speed, shifting of the pitch, by using fake Doppler effects or shifts.
Furthermore, the Foley effects are also used in the creation of film sound. Foley sounds are those that are made in the recording studio. An example of the Foley effect is the footsteps that are always synchronized with the sound effects. The Foley effect is, however, responsible for the creation of the realistic impression in the movies, but, as a matter of fact they exaggerate the sounds of the real life for making them audible. Moreover, ambience indicates the recording of the background sounds on the set or location. It is meant for the creation of artificial presence of space. Ambience comprises of low frequency sound that is associated with the background sound of the spaces. If the ambience remains constant then the audience gets the impression that the action will remain there in the same space. With the change of ambience, the audience gets the impression that the entire scene will change. Further, there is a difference between the ambience on screen and the ambience that comprise of the surround sound, the difference is related to the audience’s degree of involvement. The utilization of the surround sound, helps in the creation of listener’s involvement, and brings the audience in action.
The composition of the film music, can, however, can be considered as that type of problem solving that depends on the exploitation of the knowledge of the musical rules, which create and express the emotion through particular relations with the music. However, there are several goals that should be satisfied by the film sound composer, including directing the attention, provision of continuation, communication of meaning, creation of sense of reality, and contribution to the aesthetic sense and experience. Additionally, the ultimate goal of the composition is to produce the patterns of sound that indicates the emotion, which are consistent with the storyline, the emotion is experienced and recognized by the audience, and they play an effectual role in binding the audience to the screen.
The composition of the sound or the music in the film for pre-recorded images, and for enhancing the interaction between the image and music, the action is intensified, the dramatic tension is intensified, location or period is established, mood as well as the atmosphere is set, the screen emotions are stimulated, and the dead air is filled (Musburger, and Kindem, 2009). The background sound is used in order to fill the void, and not for the creation of particular effects, so careful selection and the design of the music will help in effective filling of the void space.
References
Musburger, Robert B., and Kindem, Gorham Anders., 2009. Introduction to Media Production: The Path to Digital Media Production, Taylor & Francis: United Kingdom
Zettl, Herbert., 2013. Sight, Sound, Motion: Applied Media Aesthetics, Nelson Education Limited: Canada
Holman, Tomlinson., 2012. Sound for Film and Television, Taylor & Francis: United Kingdom
Evans, Elizabeth., 2011. Transmedia Television: Audiences, New Media, and Daily Life. Routledge: New York
Meniburu, Bernard., 2011. 3D TV and 3D Cinema: Tools and Processes for Creative Stereoscopy, Taylor & Francis: United Kingdom
Gadassik, Alla., 2010. At a Loss for Words: Televisual Liveness and Corporeal Interruption, Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, pp. 117-134
Rothbart, Peter., 2013. The Synergy of Film and Music: Sight and Sound in Five Hollywood Films, The Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.: Maryland
Dant, Tim., 2012. Television and the Moral Imaginary: Society through the Small Screen, Palgrave Macmillan: Hampshire
Collin, Robbie., 2012. Oscars 2012: The Artist, review. The Telegraph. Available from:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/8982558/Oscars-2012-The-Artist-review.html (Accessed: 6th June 2014)
Rosman, Katherine., 2010. All in the Modern Family. The Wall Street Journal. Available from:
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704240004575085590627459182 (Accessed: 6th June 2014)
NBC Studios, LLC., 2013. Miley Cyrus performing Wrecking Ball. Available from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk7p2kPqm_c (Accessed: 6th June 2014)
Wilson, Connie., 2012. The Artist ''Sound'' Clip Scene. Available from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qvNfSwTAfE (Accessed: 6th June 2014).
Anonymous., 2011. Curb Your Enthusiasm Soundtrack - Spinning Waltz. Available from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttF1vMyeAXw (Accessed: 6th June 2014)
Bellairs, Sah. (2011). Scrubs: Batman sound effect salute. Available from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jsa_LDSJu64&hd=1 (Accessed 7th June 2014)
Soundboard. n.d. Scrubs TV Show Songs. Available from:
http://www.soundboard.com/sb/Scrubs_tv_show_songs (Accessed 7th June 2014)
Youtube. (2012). 7207 Harry Porter 7 Harry and Hermione kiss lens exposure. Available from:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqM1qEutUyE&hd=1 (Accessed 7th June 2014)
