Sound Essay and Recreation Video

Sound is a fundamental part of filmmaking. Directors use music, sound effects and dialogue to create an effect on the audience. This is either to tell a story, to build the tension and suspense in a scene or to symbolise or foreshadow what is going to happen later on in the film. In this essay I will be analysing how sound is used to create a certain effect in the opening scene to The Batman (dir. Matt Reeves, 2022) and the chase scene in Se7en (dir. David Fincher, 1995). The scenes I have chosen have both influenced my short film, therefore, the sound used in the clips will help influence the sound used in our film.

The ‘Opening Scene’ to The Batman (dir. Matt Reeves, 2022) is a great example of how to set up the story and characters of the film through many film making techniques. The scene starts witha point of view shot from The Riddler as he is spying on the Mayor. The first sound we hear in the film is very calm classical music, which is a great use of contrapuntal sound. The song is a complete contrast to the tone of the opening scene and the rest of the film. Whilst the classical non-diegetic music is playing in the background, a diegetic heavy breathing sound was added in post-production to create a certain effect. With the use of the point of view shot as well as the diegetic heavy breathing, Reeves wanted us, as the audience, to feel like we are there with the character as he breathes down our ears. This creates a sense of unease and discomfort in the scene and suggests to the audience that this character is very unsettling and ominous. Another sound we can hear in this scene is the diegetic sound of police cars in the distance, this is a nice use of ambient sound which establishes that the film is set in a crime-ridden city where no one is safe. This is supported by the fact that the Mayor, one of the biggest people in the city, ends up being murdered. During this scene, the Riddler focuses on a particular room where the Mayor's son is dressed up as a ninja for Halloween. The Mayor walks in, and the son pretends to stab the Mayor. This is a really nice use of foreshadowing as later in the scene, the Riddler ends up killing the Mayor.

In the second half of the scene, we are introduced to the protagonist of the film, Batman. The first thing we hear is the loud diegetic sound of rain as the bat symbol is turned on and starts to brighten. The rain is symbolic of the sadness and dread Batman and the people of Gotham City have been through, it also adds a more darker and gritter tone to the film. We then hear a voice over from Batman as multiple crimes are taking place over Gotham. The use of the non-diegetic voice over introduces the audience to the character of Batman and also when the film is set. Batman describes himself as a ‘nocturnal animal’ suggesting that what he has been doing the past couple of years has turned him into a creature rather than a hero. Reeves uses J-Cuts when transitioning between the crimes taking place to draw out the significance of what is taking place. Later on in the scene, we see Batman putting on his suit. This scene is very dark and it is hard for the audience to see what is going on, but hard lighting with a red gel is used to create an ominous effect. The red-light streaks over the mask, making it the most important thing in this part of the scene. The use of the red light indicates to the audience danger, violence, strength and power, foreshadowing that something bad is going to happen later on. We then cut to the criminals seeing the bat symbol, which has a dim yellow colour, which symbolizes two different things. The first thing it symbolizes is danger and caution which is towards the criminals, and the second thing it symbolizes is hope and freedom which is towards the citizens of Gotham who are victims of all the crimes. Synchronous Sound is used very well to portray Batman at the end of the voice over. Batman says “they think I’m hiding in the shadows...but I am the shadows” while the camera slowly zooms down a dark and gloomy corridor, suggesting Batman could be anywhere. Finally, at the end of the scene, a group of thugs get off a train to beat up an old man. They are all wearing skeleton face paint, except one, who only has half his face covered. This use of costume suggests to the audience that there is still hope in some of the criminals. While the group of thugs are beating up the old man, Reeves uses another shot where the camera slowly zooms down a dark and gloomy corridor, this time though, Batman is there. Reeves would have had a Foley Artist recreate the heavy diegetic footsteps of Batman who slowly walks down the corridor. The sound of the footsteps was added in to make Batman more powerful and mysterious as he confronts the thugs.

The final scene that I will be analyzing is the ‘Chase Scene’ featured in Se7en (dir. David Fincher, 1995) which starts off with Detective David Mills kicking down a door as he is looking for the suspect. The main thing we hear first is the non-diegetic score composed by Howard Shore, which sets the tone for the chase and also builds the tension throughout the scene as Mills pursuits the suspect. Mills then looks out a window looking for the suspect, but to his surprise the suspect is prepared and fires multiple shots at Mills. The sound of the gun shots have been amplified in post-production making them a lotl ouder. Fincher decided to do this as the loud gun shots show the audience that the suspect has power and authority. Throughout the entire scene, the suspect makes very little noise when trying to escape Mills. The character has no dialogue, and his footsteps and movements are very quiet. This suggests to the audience that the suspect is very careful, intelligent and a professional in what he is doing. On the other hand, Mills’ actions are very loud and noticeable. He makes a lot of groaning noises as he tries his best to keep up with the suspect, his footsteps and movements are a lot more heavier suggesting that Mills is very determined and eager to catch the suspect. While the suspect is being chased by Mills through the apartments, we can hear the diegetic sound effect of an alarm going off in the background and later on in the scene the suspect runs across the road to escape from Mills, where you can hear the diegetic sound effects of cars crashing and honking their horns. These two uses of ambient sound empathises the disruption and chaos the characters are causing as the pursuit takes place through the streets and apartments. Near the end of the scene, Mills chases the suspect into an alleyway where the scene calms down as the tense, non-diegetic score fades out. Mills turns round the corner and the suspect appears to have disappeared, but he then towers over Mills while standing on a truck as he hits him over the head with a tool, outsmarting the detective. Mills falls to the ground and the suspect puts a gun to his head as the non-diegetic score comes back. Fincher uses a low angle shot of the suspect, focusing on the gun making the suspect blurry. This makes us, as the audience, feel weak and vulnerable and makes us feel like we are in Mills’ position as we have the gun to our head. The reason for focusing on the gun adds a sense of mystery to the suspect but also makes the gun the most important thing in this shot. Mills’ detective partner, Somerset, arrives to help him which causes the suspect to flee the scene. The only sound we hear when the suspect flees is the ‘swoosh’ as he moves his arm away from Mills’ head. The audience don’t even hear or see the suspect flee, it’s like the character disappears out of thin air which adds an even more sense of mystery to the suspect.

Comparing the two clips, both directors have used diegetic and non-diegetic sound to portray characters in a certain way. For example, both directors have used diegetic sound effects to portray the villains in the story. Reeves uses the sound of heavy breathing to show the Riddler as an unsettling and ominous character, whereas Fincher uses very little sound when the suspect is running away from Mills to show that he is quiet and intelligent. Another example is that the two directors use different methods to tell the audience the story. Reeves uses a voiceover to establish the time and place the story is set and the character of Batman. Whereas Fincher uses the ambient diegetic sound effect of the alarm and car crashes and horns to symbolise the destruction and chaos of the chase taking place. These two examples show that sound is such a fundamental part of filmmaking as it can help tell the story and build the tension and suspense in the film.

For this essay, I have chosen to recreate the opening 30 seconds to The Batman (Reeves, 2022). This clip has multiple sounds and visuals that are not easy to recreate, meaning this was a big challenge. In the clip you can hear sound effects such as a storm, rain, a train coming to a stop and the bat light being turned on. The first sound effect you hear in the clip is a storm in the near distance. My first idea to recreate the storm was to use a small drum with a ball inside, and then bounce the ball around while recording. After reviewing the footage, it sounded awful and I had to come up with a plan B, which was to use a piece of paper instead. To create the rain sound effect, I used a plastic bag in a box while pouring water on top of it through a watering can. To recreate the train coming to a stop, I used a saucepan and a fork. I scraped the fork along the edge of the saucepan to create the screeching noise of the 2 metals grinding together. Finally, I then had to try and recreate the bat light being turned on. This was the biggest struggle for me as it uses a lot of buzzing noises. To create this, I used 2 very obscure noises. The first noise I used was from the back of my fridge which created a buzzing noise. The second noise I used was my toy lightsaber, which when turned on and stationary also creates a buzzing noise. Layering these two noises together, I was able to create the effect of the Bat light being turned on.