Describe each of the three basic categories of sound.
Sound dialogue- is characters talking to one another in a film. Sound effects- are used to draw the audience in and make objects sound real, and Music- is the mood of what is happening in the scene or throughout the movie.
Explain how the different categories of sound are being used in your chosen film.
In the Wizard of Oz sound dialogue, sound effects and music are used throughout the film. The movie starts with music and has many scenes where the music portrays something either happy, scary or uplifting, such as when she sings Over the Rainbow, when the witch comes into play, or as Dorothy, tin man, scarecrow, and cowardly lion sing as they make their way down the yellow brick road to go find the Wizard of Oz.
How does the use of sound inform the mood of the scene or film overall?
The sound draws the audience in as they anticipate what is going to happen next, or have the feeling of what is about to happen whether it be good or bad.
Can you identify specific sound sin your film that allow you to infer a particular genre.
In the movie the Wizard of Oz, you know that it is a fantasy genre as most movies have the same sounds effects such as this one.
Since each category of sound may produce a range of effects, how might you characterize the effects of your film?
In the sound dialogue the way the characters talk to each other as in the scene with Dorothy and the wicked witch of the East, you see that the sounds gets intense as the witch threatens Dorothy. Sound effects of the witch leaving that scene really capture your attention, and make you aware of what is going on, and the music lets you understand that this particular scene is intense.
How would the scene or sequence play differently if you changed or removed a key sound.
I feel if you would take out all the intense scenes and sounds it would make the movie more heart warming and softer, where as some of these scenes in this movie are intense and sounds really help carry the movie through.
Identify the type of lighting used in the film, the Wizard of Oz.
The lighting in this film is Technicolor, which is low and high key. In the beginning of the movie Dorothy is in Kansas and this scene is all black and white, which is a low key lighting, and then it switches over to the land of Oz and everything becomes very vivid and realistic with color making it a high key lighting, as everything is so bright and well lit up.
Asses the impact of the lighting used to establish the theme.
The lighting starts out dim and kind of dull in the land of Kansas where Dorothy lives with her aunt and uncle. I see that as being a old rustic look setting on a farm. In this day and time we would make a movie like that to remind of us of how it might of looked in the past years ago, and that is what this scene reminds me of. Also when the light comes in is where Dorothy finds Oz and the story takes a more superior turn toward it’s theme.
What are the benefits of this style of lighting used?
The benefits are you get to see two different lighting portrayed in one movie, but brought together to tell the whole story.
How did this technique contribute to the theme?
The lighting made the journey to Oz more realistic, more alive, and captures the audience attention more.
How was the lighting technique suited to the genre of the film?
The Wizard of Oz lets you have a fantasy world, in which you believe everything is completely different and wonderful beyond measure. As you see when Dorothy was in Kansas things were darker and dim and she was wanting to go to a place where she could be free and feel alive, but when she got to Oz which was wonderful and beautiful she wanted to come home. In a fantasy world, things look wonderful and perfect, but in real life you realize things are not what they seem. I feel this is portrayed in this movie this way.
Compare how the scene would play if different choices had been made.
If the scene would have been in all color it would have gave a more vibrant earthy look and brought more affection and emotion in to play, but the scene where she is singing, Some where over the Rainbow would not have caught your attention, because with it being in black in white and things looking plain, she needed somewhere that brought life.
The movie I chose to look at with the lighting choices it used is, “A Walk to Remember”.
Identify the type of lighting used in the this film, such as high or low key and/ or traditional three point.
I feel in my own opinion that all three lightings were used at different times to make this movie. Such as: when Shane West as known as Landon comes over in the day time to read lines with Mandy Moore also known as Jamie, it is natural light because it is outside giving high light to that particular scene. Particular scenes at school give off high light as they use the windows in the rooms, which gives a bright scene as well. A low level lighting that was used, was when they were looking through the telescope at night. Everything is dark , but there is just enough light to show their faces and the telescope. A traditional three point light was used in the school play they put on. You could see the background set up, but the light was focused on either both Jamie and Landon, or one or the other. As she sung, the light was brought to her face and body bringing her into the picture and not the whole entire scene.
Assess the impact of the lighting used to establish the theme.
The lighting shows two kids who are in high school and fall in love, all though Jamie is sick and dying of leukemia which he doesn’t find out toward the end. The lighting shows the emotion as they become close or far apart, the emotion can be seen more in the darkness and it intensifies that scene more, as where the light shows more of the surroundings as they are walking or going through them.
What are the benefits of the style of lighting used.
The benefits used bring the characters parts more to life and reflect more on them and the part they play. The lighting can make things look more dramatic, fun or eye opening to what is really happening in this movie.
How did this technique contribute to the theme?
I feel this technique contributes to the theme, in the way a walk to remember, is some what casted at night, and that is when a lot of the romantic scenes take place or more intimate actions are said. That is when they can open up more and be themselves, and where they find each other.
How was the lighting technique suited for this genre?
This genre is a romantic drama genre. The lighting only enhanced the moments of love, suffering, and finding one another. It also brought to light the natural scene as one would go about their day to day lives if they were dating or spending time with another.
How would this scene be played it different choices were made?
I feel if she had not been sick, or died, this scene could have showed the life they could have lived in a happy wonderful life with high key lighting showing all the wonderful ventures they would take.
Select a full length film and identify the title, writer, director, major actors, and the date it was released
Title: The Wizard of Oz
Writer: Noel Langley & Florence Ryerson
Director: Victor Fleming & King Vidor
Major Actors: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, and Margaret Hamilton
Date of release: February 25, 1939
The Story: The Story is about a girl named Dorothy and her dog Toto, who lives in Kansas with her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry. A great cyclone approaches their home and as Dorothy hits her head she passes out, but when awakes is flying through the sky to the great land of Oz. As Dorothy’s house lands it falls upon the wicked witch of the East who casts a spell on her. She then meets the good witch Glenda whose magic puts the ruby red slippers on Dorothy’s feet and is told to follow the yellow brick road that leads to the Emerald City in which she will meet the great Oz who will help her return home. On her journey she encounters a scarecrow, tin man, and a scarecrow, whom she will take with her.
The Plot: The movie is about a young girl named Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto who are on their way home from running into their mean neighbor Miss Gulch who Toto bites. As Dorothy makes her way home to tell her uncle and aunt what had happened because she was worried that Miss Gulch would hurt Toto, she finds that her aunt and uncle have chores to do and do not have time to listen to her. After a while Miss Gulch comes to the house and with papers from the sheriff’s office to take the dog, although Dorothy begs for uncle and aunt to stop them, she must let him go, and Almira Gulch puts Toto in the basket and rides away on her bike, Toto makes a escape back to Dorothy. Dorothy becomes scared that Almira Gulch will return and so she decides to run away.
As Dorothy walks down this road she runs into a man who lives in a wagon named Professor Marvel, who is a fortune teller and a balloonist, who tells Dorothy of all of his travels and how he can see the future. As he takes Dorothy in and tries to read her fortune he asks her if she is running away, he then slips a picture of her aunt and uncle of her pocket and begins to tell her that because of her running away her Auntie Em is very sick and is calling for her. With Dorothy being scared she then runs home to tend to her grandmother, but as she gets close to home a cyclone is approaching, and Dorothy can not find her aunt and uncle, so she goes to her room but as she does she is hit on the head by a window and becomes unconscious. When she awakens she is flying through the sky as she looks she notices she is caught up in the cyclone. While looking at the window she sees Miss Gulch riding her bicycle in the air, but then transform into a witch on a broom stick. As she looks again she finally lands in the Munchkin land. As she gets out she notices that it is a beautiful scenery of land in Oz and of small people, but what she did not know was that the house landed on the wicked old witch of the East.
As she walks around a light gets brighter and comes toward her, until the light shows a beautiful princess as though it seemed, but it was Glinda the good witch of the North and then the Witch of the West shows up and asks who killed my sister, and of course Dorothy did not know that she had by landing on her in the house. So she threatens Dorothy but before the wicked witch of the West could leave Glinda reminds her not to forget the ruby sleepers, as the wicked witch of the west goes to get them off of her feet, Glinda takes her magic and put them on Dorothy’s feet, and tells her to keep them their that they must contain magic or the witch of the west would not want them so bad. The wicked witch vows that she will get revenge. Glinda then tells Dorothy that the wonderful wizard of Oz can help her get back to Kansas and tells her to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City, where she will find the wizard of Oz.
As Dorothy walks the yellow brick road, she comes to a cross road and is trying to figure out which way to go, and all at once she hears something tell her to go this way, knowing that she is by herself, she is trying to figure out who is talking and as she looks at the scarecrow she sees his arms putting in two different directions. The scarecrow lets her know he does not have brain that is why he can not make up his mind, so she suggests he go with her to meet the wizard so he can get a brain, along the way they run into the tin man who needs oiled so he can put his arm down from where he had been chopping wood. The tin man tells Dorothy he does not have a heart, so she invites him to go along so he can meet the wizard and get a heart. As they go into the forest they come up on lion who tries to scare them, but he did not have the oomph to be scary, so tells Dorothy he needs courage, and she invites him to go with them to get courage. As they all four set down the path the run into the scary witch of the West who scares the lion tremendously, tries to set the tin man on fire. As the travel onward the come upon Oz and ask to speak to the Wizard, the Wizard then tells them that if they bring him the broomstick of the witch of the West he will grant their wishes.
As they travel through the haunted forest on their way to the witches castle, the witch see’s them coming and decides to send out her flying monkeys to go get them. Dorothy and toto are captured and taken back to the castle, as the witch threatens to hurt Toto, in exchange for not hurting him Dorothy offers the ruby red slippers, but the slippers will not come off of Dorothy’s feet while she is still alive, so as the witch figures out how she is going to kill Dorothy, toto escapes and leads Dorothy’s friends to the castle to help her, but as they try to save her, the witches guards surround them, as the witch threatens to kill her friends and lights the scarecrow on fire, Dorothy throws a bucket of water which hits the witch and she begins to melt. The guards become ecstatic that the witch is dead, and praised Dorothy as they give her the witches broomstick.
As they make their way back to Oz to see the wizard, the wizard tells Dorothy and her friends to come back the next day. They soon are let in and treated like royalty and cleaned up before coming to see the wizard, as they make their way to the room where the wizard awaits, the soon find out who they are talking to is a man behind the curtain making sound effects. Dorothy then lets him know he is wrong for what he done, and in he lets them know he is a good man. He then gives Scarecrow a diploma, the lion a medal and tin man a testimonial, and lets them know that they have more brains, heart and courage than the people he knows. The wizard lets Dorothy know that he can take her back to Kansas in his balloon, but as they go to get in, Toto chases a cat and Dorothy goes after him, and the balloon takes off without them.
Glinda then returns to Dorothy to let her know she could have always went home, all she has to do is click her heels three times and close her eyes and think to herself, “There is no place like home”, as she does this she awakens her Aunt and Uncle are by her bedside and the professor hearing about her comes to see her. She begins to tell them about the story and how they all were in it and that she will never run away again, and most of all that there is “No Place Like Home.”
Discuss whether this film is presented in chronological or non-linearly order.
This film is chronological order as it goes forth to tell the story and not back and forth.
How did this aesthetic choice contribute to the general effect on the audience?
As Dorothy moves forward in the movie so do the characters as they go forth with her.
How are the elements like character development or foreshadowing impacted by the choice of storytelling methods?
I think if the movie had went in the non-linearly way it would have been a bit confusing going back and forth while trying to tell the story.
If the film would have followed a different presentation style, how would the general effect on the audience been different?
It would not have showed the setting as old farm that a cyclone was going to destroy or the Dorothy and the route she chose to take. I do not think it would have the same effect on the audience as we find out it was just a dream.
mandycarlnoursunshines 