How we perceive film: Hear/See

A friend asked me to comment on a proposed curriculum for film school students regarding Post-Production audio. This made me refer to some old Walter Murch articles which still astonish me as to how accurately he describes the film sound experience. (Murch is the original holder of the title sound designer and has won several Academy Awards for sound editing, film editing and sound design.)

"This reassociation of image and sound is the fundamental pillar upon which the creative use of sound rests, and without which it would collapse...

film seems to be "all there" (it isn't, but it seems to be), and thus the responsibility of filmmakers is to find ways within that completeness to refrain from achieving it. To that end, the metaphoric use of sound is one of the most fruitful, flexible and inexpensive means: by choosing carefully what to eliminate, and then adding back sounds that seem at first hearing to be somewhat at odds with the accompanying image, the filmmaker can open up a perceptual vacuum into which the mind of the audience must inevitably rush...



The rumbling and piercing metallic scream just before Michael Corleone kills Solozzo and McCluskey in a restaurant in "The Godfather" is not linked directly to anything seen on screen, and so the audience is made to wonder at least momentarily, if perhaps only subconsciously, "What is this?" The screech is from an elevated train rounding a sharp turn, so it is presumably coming from somewhere in the neighborhood (the scene takes place in the Bronx).

But precisely because it is so detached from the image, the metallic scream works as a clue to the state of Michael's mind at the moment — the critical moment before he commits his first murder and his life turns an irrevocable corner. It is all the more effective because Michael's face appears so calm and the sound is played so abnormally loud. This broadening tension between what we see and what we hear is brought to an abrupt end with the pistol shots that kill Solozzo and McCluskey: the distance between what we see and what we hear is suddenly collapsed at the moment that Michael's destiny is fixed."

This "sound-stretching" is the same thing composers do when working on a film. By stretching the distance between what is portrayed on screen and what is heard... the mind of the viewer perceives a vacuum into which they pour their own associations and emotion. The music is the sub-text to the screen action.

Being There

A wonderful painting is the result of the feeling in your fingers. If you have the feeling of the thickness of the ink in your brush, the painting is already there before you paint. When you dip your brush into the ink you already know the result of your drawing, or else you cannot paint. So before you do something, "being" is there, the result is there. Even though you look as if you were sitting quietly, all your activity, past and present, is included, and the result of your sitting is also already there. - D.T. Suzuki

These words are as true for music as any art.

Who Needs A Composer Anymore - I'll Just Cinescore it.

Filmmakers today have unprecedented control over what goes into the their films. With HD cameras now costing less than $1000 (Sanyo's HD1) and MacBooks with FinalCutPro or even iMovie - you can create films with a total kit costing less than $3000!!

With the hands-on, DIY ethic that has emerged, everything that used to be complicated and difficult about filmmaking is now enormously easier. This has also happened with music with Apple's GarageBand, Sony's ACID and a ton of music making software that enables the slightly talented to sound genius, or almost.

So what about scoring your film? As an indie filmmaker, you probably were your own Rebel without a Crew staffing the DP, Art Director, Gaffer, Director, Casting and Editor positions of your film. Maybe even Caterer and Location Scout and Morale Support. Why not just write your own music too using these easy to use cheap tools?

And, with the emergence of new software like Sony's Cinescore, who needs a Composer nowadays anyway? Aren't they just like last century's Coopers? Who needs a barrel-maker anymore?

Well, yes, you as a filmmaker can do everything yourself.
Robert Rodriguez actually tries to do it all himself even with big budget Hollywood and the unions...for which I think his films suffer. The beauty of film is a team effort and the exponential magic that happens when great minds contribute to a whole. But that's for another post.

Now of course, you're thinking, cut the crap, I've got $5 to make this picture - who needs a Composer?

And here's my argument. Music is a direct line to the heart. It is the "feel" of the movie. People slink down in their seats when the horrific music signals to them that they should. If you have the abilities to create that in addition to creating your film, then go ahead. It is doable. But to do it well is another thing. Try Cinescoring a soundtrack as indelible, evocative and as proprietarily mnemonic as John WIlliams' Jaws.

And why suffer when for 5 to 10% of your production budget, you can have a dedicated, raving, film-loving music-making pro actually doing this with you?

Now the only hard part is communicating exactly what it is you want/need/desire. We'll tackle this in a later post. And if you don't know what you want (not unusual), no one in the world does. (please never say "I'll know it when I hear it.")

Here's an interesting perspective on Sony Cinescore from Mark Northam, founder of Film Music Institute.