Storytelling With Sound

Sign up for a month's free trial at The Great Courses Plus: ow.ly/TBV430beO1W
The Great Courses Plus is currently available to watch through a web browser to almost anyone in the world and optimized for the US market. The Great Courses Plus is currently working to both optimize the product globally and accept credit card payments globally.
Cinematic sound isn't limited to explosions, musical cues, or the Wilhelm scream. Let's take a few minutes and explore a more theoretical and storytelling-oriented approach to on-screen sound.
You can support this channel at Patreon- bit.ly/2TnEs66
Press the CC button for film titles.
Interview w/Ben Burtt- see the Criterion edition of 'Modern Times'
Sources/Further Reading-
Composing in Sound and Image by Jonathan Rosenbaum - bit.ly/2h70G7h
Nightmare Alley: Do We Hear What He Hears? by David Bordwell - bit.ly/1MT5g0b
You can follow me through:
Twitter- andymsaladino
Vimeo- vimeo.com/theroyaloceanfilmsociety
Music by Chillhop: / chillhopdotcom
Nothing But Luv by aso: soundcloud.com/aricogle/nothing-but-luv
Listen on Spotify: bit.ly/ChillhopSpotify

[@keenanmccarty9925]

This kinda stuff is my favorite way a filmmaker can communicate. We're often told in film school "show, don't tell" but I think that's misleading. Just because my eyes are experiencing the story doesn't make it better. However, using non-Dio lounge sound the tell a story requires both image and sound, it's truest unique to film and video games as a form of storytelling. "Show, don't tell" is bullshit. It should be "present, don't explain"

[@TheStoenk]

"show" can be defined as "to allow something to be perceived" it's not just limited to vision

[@keenanmccarty9925]

+Bob Tipping I mean, I get that. I just find it annoying how (especially) film students are obsessed with telling a story visually, when there's nothing that makes storytelling of that form superior in any way.

[@thefebo8987]

but you can show something with sound

[@mariananda5733]

"Bullshit" Please, use your words carefully.

[@cheetahluv210]

@@keenanmccarty9925 I suppose but it can make the story more effective in certain situations

[@Chimera-man-man]

Highly recommend There Will Be Blood for its sound design and its excellent use of music to foreshadow events in the film. Basically everything you talked about in the video.

[@cinemusing]

a fav of mine for its insight and awareness of the power of sound, brian de palma's BLOW OUT, where a sound engineer on a b-movie literally pieces together a murder conspiracy via audio recording/mixing

[@demetriahamandishe9133]

love how the sound 'theme' is consistent throughout even with the film's 'payoff'.

[@user-qb3jg8ep9t]

You knew that it's a reimagining of Antonioni's Blow Up? That's a fine film

[@demetriahamandishe9133]

Nope, didn't know. Will try to find it thanks.

[@sebaba001]

I really liked the use of sound in Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, the first of the revenge trilogy by Chan Wook Park (Oldboy). The main character is deaf, and they do a couple of really cool things!

[@user-qb3jg8ep9t]

Sympathy for Mr Vengeance is the best in the trilogy imo

[@dani__crocs]

Reminded me of Moonlight and how the sound of the ocean plays an important part on a few moments of the film

[@Nic33rd]

I feel so educated, enlightened, and entertained! This was a really fantastic essay, ROFS.

[@geraldmerkowitz4360]

During the whole video I only had in mind that freaking teaspoon in Get Out.

[@WenBilson]

"In the same way that painting, or looking at paintings, makes you see the world in a different way, listening to interestingly arranged sounds makes you hear differently" Walter Murch Keep up the great work. xx

[@aadityabhattacharya]

12 years a slave is one of the best film of this decade and I don't have guts to rewatch it.

[@Gladzet]

Aaditya Bhattacharya have you seen Hunger? It's also directed by Steve McQueen and it's a bloody masterpiece. Bloody in the literal sense. But somehow even though it is violent in more ways than one, it's still goddamn beautiful.

[@aadityabhattacharya]

Gladzet Yes it a close 2nd to 12 years Mcqueen is one of the most talented filmmaker, who understand visual storytelling.

[@hamman91]

Same

[@wellesradio]

I love your channel, LOVE your channel. Do you think you possibly do that thing they do in many film documentaries where they show the movie title and year, e.g. "Citizen Kane (1941)" in a lower corner of the screen? It would be of great service toward enjoying these films and satisfying curiosities. Thank you for your wonderful video essays!

[@user-qb3jg8ep9t]

I've literally just watched The Conversation yesterday. A five-star-film, it blew my mind. Went far beyond the genre expectations

[@Krwler]

This was. Brilliant video essay. Absolutely fantastic.

[@conorjm11]

Probably my favourite bit of sound design was one you could of used for the effect you used the James Stewart clip for. It actually involves him too, as it's from Rope. It's the bit where he confronts one of the two murderers and begins questioning him while the guy plays the piano. Stewart's character pulls out a metronome and over the scene the speed of the ticking speeds up, as does the tension and the distance to the truth Stewart's character gets. It really is a masterful bit of directing

[@tylerroot2382]

One of the most brilliant uses of sound design I can think of is in Nelson Pereira dos Santos' BARREN LIVES (1963). The film opens with a grinding, shrieking, awful noise that lasts for several minutes. On the screen, we are showed the impoverished village in which the story takes place. Not much is happening. Just buildings, and some people working (if I remember correctly). Eventually, it's revealed that the sound is coming from a loose wagon wheel being driven by a poor worker under the intense heat of the sun. It introduces the brutal and overwhelming setting so perfectly; I think about it all the time.

[@oludascribe]

Another great video Andrew.

[@pheonixrises11]

WOAH. THERE ARE FILM TITLE CAPTIONS. SO COOL.

[@Lorkin32]

What you're doing is good. Never stop. Even if funding does.

[@claudioantonelli2725]

I love "the conversation" such a great idea for a movie.

[@polychromicportal]

Very interesting. This has been useful info.

[@MrStupidarmy]

Thank you for this. Speaking about sound editing. I like the new anime Movie "Koe no Katachi" (Shape of voice). Timing and symbolism when using silent scene is good. Kinda ironic because it's story about boy meets deaf girl.

[@dani__crocs]

Great video!

[@janecadman3701]

excellent

[@manfredpseudowengorz]

thumbed up before watching because good stuff

[@garyhosty]

Righteous username you got there pal. Nice.

[@victorferger2877]

I was hoping to hear more about Interstellar's excellent use of sound, but it was still amazing and I learned so much again, thank you for that :)

[@italation3718]

8:38 c:

[@victorferger2877]

That's why I said "more" and not "something" ^^

[@timothymetcalf6666]

Thoroughbreds does a great job at this. There's one repetitive sound effect that anyone who's seen the movie will certainly remember which is a particularly good example.

[@seanramsdell4172]

I love sound in films

[@nedkuczmynda3782]

ben burtt is the freakin best

[@RodTejada502]

I really thought that you would use The Looney Tunes short "Duck Amuck" directed by Chuck Jones. It's a superb exploration on sound and film itself!

[@abecallard442]

No Country for Old Men has amazing sound....or lack thereof.

[@sebaba001]

I wouldn't say it lacks in sound, it's just kind of minimalistic, but the foley is well-heard through-out the entire movie, and ambiences are appropriate. The shot-gun-air-pressure-thingy sound when it shoots is fucking amazing.

[@abecallard442]

You're right, what I'm saying is the decision to exclude music from certain scenes makes the atmosphere fucking awesome.

[@holyflutterofgod]

A few years ago, I saw just one scene from that movie, never went back and watched the rest. But I remember it was a man getting strangled, and _specifically_ the sound of his boots squeaking against the floor as he struggled still haunts me.

[@skateordie002]

Skip Lievsay is a genius.

[@h2oman678]

Both you and the nerd writer released video about sound design at about the same time, do you time this stuff?

[@victorgaiva8247]

Since this video is about sound, I tried to listen to the sounds in the 1:46 Chaplin scene. But it was hard to see what I was supposed to pay attention to. The sound on the scene or Ben Burtt.

[@Mhadyourfriend]

This one is better than Nerdwritter's one

[@Captain_Mercury]

Video essay?

[@Sonoftutuchoppy]

3:55 This is *kind* of a spoiler, but (reveals a major character's death)

[@thiccboss4780]

Do You Know Anyone that would ever make/or ever did videos about the works of Gérard Oury's films? Like La Grande Vadroiulle?

[@HughDingwall]

Nice use of Tati as some of your example shots - he was famously obsessive about sound.

[@abuferasabdullah]

Thx. But it sounds like a repeated episode?!

[@herr_fuchsnews5630]

What was the movie at 4:40? And what's the movie at 8:23?

[@legoC97]

THX 1138 and The Artist.

[@WhoAteEarth]

what is that space scene at 3:12?

[@KyleKenworthy]

Star Trek (2009)

[@Advent3546]

1:29 Wow. Ben Burtt looks way too much like Bob Odenkirk or it not to be.

[@pascalhein5662]

whats the name of the movie at 4:20?

[@ottolaakso1944]

THX-1138

[@norescresa4349]

If my character falls off of something and survives, could I cut out all sounds but a faint heartbeat that gradually gets louder and faster?

[@norescresa4349]

And when he/she hits the ground could I cut to black when they do or right before? Is that gonna help with drama?

[@tomasonisciukas4166]

Movie at 4:20?

[@italation3718]

Tomas Oniščiukas THX 1138

[@Ben-zq6dl]

movie at 2:38?

[@KyleKenworthy]

Apocalypse Now

[@scottpatonlevin2686]

I watched all nine minutes in thirty seconds and I disagree. Just kidding, great channel :D

[@JeremyJarful]

Shadow of the US Capital Building not the White House.

[@JakeHGuy]

Film is a 50/50 split from pre to post, between sight and sound. Dialogue is not sound. Thank you for highlighting the overlooked part of filmmaking.

[@AridNexus]

"kind of a spoiler"

[@ObeySilence]

How is a church service and a racist song contradictory?

[@nathanielcharles821]

first

[@spencer_lk]

I feel like I should say first. But I won't.