Reflection on Filmart Chapter Seven and Eight
In the book Filmart chapter seven, we discussed the sound in the cinema. Sound is one of the powerful tools that engage a distinct sense mode. A combination of images and music creates appealing to the audience and seeks their attention and consciousness. I learned that sound actively shapes viewers’ perception of images in the scenes and may help them predict the next occurrences. For example, in the film The Matrix, the music director Don Davis shows the power of sound by altering viewers’ understanding of what is shown on the screen. Similar images are shown on the screen many times through the film but with different sounds. The difference in sounds every time the images are shown producers different meaning of the image.
Further, Don uses various film sound techniques, such as speech, music, and noise. Every sound chosen is to help pass a particular message to the viewers. In Chapter seven, I also realized that movie producer decide on which type and density of sound and other properties of music they use in their films based on the kind of narrative and the audience(Bordwell, Kristin, and Jeff, 273). Features of sound such as loudness and pitch have to be considered intensively. The choice and a mixture of sound materials in a film develop patterns that run permeates the movie as a whole. For example, Don uses a musical score whereby some musical phrases and melody can be linked to a specific character. The score in The Matrix is a complex piece designed carefully and thematically to ensure scenes relate to one another.
In Chapter eight, the focus was on film styles and film form. I learned about how styles and forms add value to film, what functions and patterns they create in a movie. This chapter mainly discusses the decisions a filmmaker makes when deciding the style and form of the film. Most filmmakers set up narratives and contracts through several forms and styles. In the film The Matrix, every stylistic element cooperates to differentiate storylines. In the movie, some characters display aspects of a distinct fantasy world. The audience can keep track of every shot, and this is possible due to the integration of techniques such as costumes, lighting, mise-en-scene, color schemes, and weather. The use of these techniques helps the viewers to understand the primary themes and the massage the producer intended to pass to society. Styles and forms in a film form the basis of the narrative and give the direction of the narration. Filmmakers incorporate various techniques, forms, and styles to make the film attractive and exciting. Some styles may be repeated and overcome some to provide specific emphasis on storylines. In The Matrix, the producer blends various forms and techniques to create the intended and desired expectation in every scene (YouTube n.d). This makes the film more transparent and attractive to the audience. The attention of the audience is kept o track by musical and sound involved.
In short, I have learned a lot about film styles, forms, and sound in both chapter seven and eight. Through analysis of these techniques in the film, The Matrix provided a better and clear understanding of how they are applied in real-life film production. Review of the film and the two chapters imparted a wealth of knowledge applicable in movie production.
Work Cited
Bordwell, David, Kristin Thompson, and Jeff Smith. Film art: An introduction. Vol. 7. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997: 273-345
YouTube, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKQi3bBA1y8.