Creating a Scene around Sound

 Creating a scene around sound

- choosing the music, and writing a scene around it

http://www.filedropper.com/zapsplatwarfarebombticking18264

http://www.filedropper.com/bensound-theduel - sometimes the seconds lag, so what I've stated may not always be in sync

- Every sound is non-diegetic

-The sound effect is asynchronous and contrapuntal

-Music is asynchronous, but the beats match the timing of the shots (such as each cut)

Shot 1 ) 

The first shot of the scene is a 6-second medium shot of a guitar leaning against a stage at a low angle. I intend for there to be a quiet ticking sound (non-diegetic) as the camera zooms into a close-up of the soundhole. After 0.05 on the sound file, the zoom will stop and so will the sound effect; there will be 1 second of silence before it cuts to the next shot. This sound effect is a motif - running out of time - that occurs in the scene. This creates mystery as there is no connection between the guitar and the sound effect, therefore it is asynchronous and contrapuntal. I chose this sound because I want to suggest the passing of time, in which there is a bomb inside the guitar - the audience won't know this at all in the scene, so it ends with them questioning what was going on. I chose not to use an establishing shot of the setting to create secrecy so the audience will have to keep watching in order to find out what's happening.

shot 2 ) 

The next shot is where the music immediately starts, lasting from 0.00-0.02 on the sound file ( the shot lasts as long as this sound). This non-diegetic violin music has a low pitch that goes up at the end of each beat - I believe it represents tension from the repeated nature of the sound and relatively quick pace. The shot is a medium shot of a character in blue - to differentiate them - stood neutrally among a crowd of people, looking up at where the stage would be. The camera will zoom slowly into the character (ending in an MCU) on a dolly moving away from them. The creates the sensation that the audience is going into and out from the character at the same time, as more of the setting will be revealed while we get a clearer view of the character's facial expression. I chose to do this to create interest within this shot as well as to reveal more of the setting - which will be a seemingly endless crowd of people, furthering that they are alone in their body language/expression. The audience will understand that they are at a concert from the first shot, but there is no evidence that they occurred in the same time frame - especially since the ticking sound stopped before this shot, showing a separation. The character has an almost concerned, worried, and tense facial expression which contrasts to the excited, moving crowd. This tells the audience that they stand out and know something the crowd doesn't, furthering that mystery. The music has 8 beats that remain the same throughout - the tense nature of this mirrors a heartbeat, symbolising fear and stress as well as the quick passing of time which was hinted at in the first shot. 

shot 3 ) 

The third shot is also a medium shot of a new character in yellow, showing the same facial expression as the first character. This hints that they are associated together, or know the same thing, also looking up at the stage. This part of the music, lasting from 0.03-0.06 on the sound file, has the same 8 beats as the previous shot, symbolising a connection between the two characters. The camera will also zoom in to the character (ending in an MCU) while moving away on a dolly, creating the same effect as explained above. 

shot[s] 4 ) 

the previous shot will cut to a montage of 4 shots of the setting from 0.07-0.10 on the sound file which is another 8 beat sequence with drums overlaid. At every 2 beats, the camera will cut to a new shot of the setting. This creates a quick pace, but it is still long enough for the audience to decipher them. This also acts as a filler for the next shot. The first shot of this montage is a high angle overhead shot showing the left-hand side of the concert; part of the stage cut out of the frame, showing steps to enter it - which is important later - and the crowd in front and beside it. This doesn't immediately show the entire setting, so the audience cannot understand this as an establishing shot yet, but they can guess the scale of the setting from the use of the overhead shot and the size of the crowd filling the frame. The next shot of the montage is a high angle wide shot of the front of the stage where the audience can see a person singing into a microphone, holding a guitar - a hint back to the first shot of the scene - and part of the crowds heads closest to the camera. This tells the audience more about the scene, and exactly who is on the stage which will be important later. The next shot is another shot of the stage, yet closer in a medium-wide shot of the stage with the top half of the crowd's arms covering it slightly while moving around - these arms being an MCU. This shot is at a more intimate level which places the audience with the crowd and gives a sense of the environment. The final shot of the montage is the 'establishing shot' of an overhead high angle with the stage angled in the bottom right of the frame, with the space around it filled with the crowd. This finally shows the audience the scale of the setting, explaining that the characters shown in the shots previous are among a huge crowd, yet they still don't know where they are placed in it. I chose to have this establishing shot last in the montage so the audience will stay watching until it is shown to feed their curiosity and drag out the suspense. The music works really well for this montage as it gives a swift pace and allows for quick cuts in time to the beat so the shots are perfectly in sync.  

shot 5 )

This is where the music changes to a fast trumpet sound - from 0.12, shot ending at 0.15. I chose for the montage to immediately cut to a low-angle (powerful, dominating) medium close up of a new character dressed in a black suit with sunglasses stood in front of the stage. This costume hides their most human feature - the eyes - to make the audience suspicious of them. This plays into the secretive spy trope, relating to a hitman or agent working for the government that the audience likely has knowledge of, so they should make that connection and think of them negatively. This character also contrasts to the first two characters so the audience should assume that this character is not associated with them, as well as the change in music. This is aided by the angle which shows mainly the left side of their face, concealing the other side. I wanted to cut from a large scale setting to close proximity (a new character) to continue the fast nature of the scene and place the audience back to the familiar MS scale, as this is where the remainder of the scene will primarily take place in. The trumpet is a quick beat, illuminating the sudden appearance of this mysterious character. There is an additional 8 violin beats after the trumpet sound which gives time for the audience to take in this character's image and carry on the beats till the cut before the next sequence. 

shot 6 )

From 0.16-0.17 (first half, 4, of the 8 violin beats). The previous shot cuts to this shot of the first character (blue) in MS walking towards the camera hastily while it moves backwards on a dolly - suggesting they are moving towards the stage. The character isn't moving in sync with the music to establish realism. The music has reverted back to the familiar 8 beats and the audience knows that this part of the music is a motif for the blue and yellow characters. 

shot 7 )

From 0.18-0.19 (second half, 4, of the 8 violin beats). This shot is of the yellow character mirroring the previous shot; these characters are connected and have a similar objective in getting towards the stage. The audience doesn't know why they are moving, but they know it has something to do with the guitar which was focused on in the first shot. 

shot 8) 

MS of the third (black) character from 0.20-0.22. This is at another trumpet sound, establishing this character to appear at this musical motif suddenly. However, the previous sequence of 8 violin beats has a rise in pitch overlaid which builds up the tension to this trumpet sound. This warns the audience that the third character will appear (foreshadowing). There is an additional 8 violin beats after the trumpet sound which gives time for the audience to take in this character's image again and carry on the beats till the cut before the next sequence. It also allows for the character to have movement - they turn their head up towards the stage, indicating to the audience that they know where the two characters are going. As they move their head, the camera pedestals upwards and pans to the right, lingering on the singer with the guitar. This establishes the singer as a point of focus and therefore a target.

shot 9 )

From 0.23-0.26. Cut back to the first character in an OTS shot still hastily pushing the crowd to get to the stage - we can see the stage in view, and it is confirmed that this is where they are going. The music has gone back to the low-pitched violin sequence (8 beats), however, there is an added high pitch of violins on top of this sound which heightens the tension and anxiety in getting towards the stage. This is because the audience knows the rising high pitch must end, so the characters must work against this as quickly as they can before the sound stops. This relates back to the idea that the scene is quick-paced and the characters are running out of time. The violin beats also mirror a heartbeat, increasing the anxiety. 

shot 10 )

From 0.28-0.31. Cut to the second character in a low angle MS (intimate, highlighting the stress) moving towards the camera, dolly backwards. The pitch increases slowly. 8 violin beats.

shot 11)

0.32-0.33. Cut to ground level shot of black trousers moving through the crowd with the camera on a dolly following (side profile, left-facing, moving to the left of the frame). This creates mystery as the audience doesn't necessarily know who is moving, but they are moving opposite the first two characters. 4 violin beats.

shot 12 )

0.33-0.34. Cut to close up of third character's chest moving through the crowd - we know this because they are wearing a suit. 4 violin beats.

shot 13 )

0.34-0.35. cut to the first character in a close up of their face, camera moving backwards on a dolly. The rest of the shots for this montage are one second each which is a contrast to the previous shots of the scene. This is intentional to create tension and stress as the shots are close, placing the audience in the characters' perspective as they move quickly. This works well with the heightened pitch. 

shot 14 )

0.35-0.37. Cut to a wide shot of the stage with the crowd's arms moving around. This is  POV from the first character previous, with the camera moving in a hunting shot to mirror the experience of being in a jostling crowd as the character would be.  

shot 15 )

0.37-0.39. cut back to the first character, low angle shot of their chest, pushing their arms out against the crowd. This is from their right-hand side - they are turned to the right side in order to move more efficiently. 

shot 16 )

At exactly 0.40, the camera will cut to a low angle long shot of the singer on stage. The singer will pluck the guitar in sync with the cymbal sound that occurs at 0.40. This is an asynchronous sound, as in real life the sound produced by the singers actions would be a guitar riff, yet I chose to match the sound within the music (a cymbal) as it fits nicely and continues the non-diegetic sound used throughout. This shot lasts from 0.40-0.41. 

shot 17 )

Cut back to the first character who stops moving from 0.42-0.43 (framed in an MCU). They stare at the stage in disbelief/defeat. This shows that the guitar has significance to the scene, and that is what the characters are working towards. The audience doesn't know exactly why the characters are concerned with the singer/guitar yet. The character scans the crowd around them, working out something.

shot 18 )

0.44-0.55. Cut to the second character in a hunting mid-shot (behind) coming out of the crowd, jumping over the metal railings, and skulking to the side of the stage where the steps are. The camera movement acts as though the audience is stalking this character, suggesting they are acting suspiciously. This is assisted by the change in sound. There is a high pitch overlaid on the 8 beat sequence, which I associate to be danger/tension. The camera follows the character, turning the corner of the stage, remaining below at a low angle, as the character walks up the steps and pulls the curtain to the singer on stage. At 0.52, the trumpet motif will occur to which the third character will appear into the frame from the right-hand side in a close-up of the back of their head. The rise in pitch alludes to this motif, so the audience can understand it as a warning. 

shot 19 )

0.55-0.59. The first character runs, with a shocked expression, towards the stage (hunting, OTS shot). 8 violin beat - no synchronised movement. The second character is running from the right side, appearing from out of the frame, towards the singer on stage. This is a POV from the crowd/character one. The high violin pitch occurs again at this part - I found this part of the scene to be relatively climactic as the characters are interacting with the singer which was hinted to have some significance throughout. Therefore the rise in pitch again creates a louder, faster, and more action-packed effect which complements the chaos of the shot. Once the first character sees the second run on stage, they stop moving. 

Shot 20 )

1.00-1.12. The final part of the scene has no cuts to show the action happening. It is a full handheld shot of the second character running towards the singer, with 10 seconds of struggle as the character pushes the singer to the ground in an effort to grab the guitar from them. This finalises the guitar motif, as it finally has relevance in the climactic part of the scene. I chose to use a handheld shot so it is jerky and random, to match the chaos of the actions. The shot lasts from 1.00-1.09, which means it is the longest so far. The camera will do a circular pan around the two characters on stage. At 1.07, the third character will appear from the curtain and walk towards the two characters on stage. At 1.10 the third character will grab the second character's neck, and at 1.12 they will pull a gun and shoot them. This ends the whole scene in one final cymbal sound, which is often used to symbolise the start or end of something.