Anempathetic and empathetic sound

Anempathetic Sound

Anempathetic sound is when opposite music or sound has been used in a film when the action is completely opposite to the music this enhances the images on screen. Unlike empathetic sound where the music matches the mood or action on the screen. For an example in Full Metal Jacket you can hear the Trashmen’s song Surfin’ Bird being played non-diegeticly in the background. This juxtaposes because on the screen you can see the horrors of the Vietnam war of people killing each-other and bombs being exploded but at the same time we hear Surfin’ Bird which is a cheery rock n roll song with pointless lyrics. This being played with the heavy images of Full Metal Jacket perfectly shows anempathetic sound because it would seem inappropriate but somehow it goes because playing Surfin’ Bird really emphasizes the horrors of the Vietnam war. For something that Surfin’ Bird would be appropriate for should be a comedy film because of its immature playful sound which is why putting it with the Full Metal Jacket makes the images more shocking.

Another example of anempathetic sound is from Shaun of the Dead, during a scene in the pub where it is the climax of the zombie attacks the Jukebox in the pub begins to play Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now. The reason this works really well is because this enthusiastic classic rock is about enjoying yourself by having a good time. This works really well to achieve anempathetic sound because the images on the screen are gory and horrific so the images and the music juxtaposes. The reason this song has been chosen is because the film in itself is a comedy so it is humorous to the audience to hear a classic song that doesn’t fit the images on the screen. Also what makes it even more humorous is that the characters in the film can hear the song because it is being played diegetically through the jukebox in the movie and because of the zombies attacking it makes it humorous that they can hear this song. Normally you would expect to hear this song in perhaps a rom-com movie as one of member of a couple is happily running search for the other one however the fact of it being used in this section of the film clearly shows anempathetic sound.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=imsHXpEuxX0




Empathetic sound 

empathetic sound is the complete opposite of anempathetic sound, empathetic is when the music matches the  mood of the pictures on the screen. in this example of the use of the jaws theme in jaws it allows you to experience the scene twice one with only dialogue and the same scene again but with the empathetic sound in the background. the sound his empathetic because of the eeiry screeching of the strings create the scary panic atmosphere and the fast tempo that increases makes the viewer jumpy because they know that something unpleasant is coming and in this case it is the killer shark this creates suspense.  The music fits with the images because you can see people panicing on the scream and when their panic rises, because the shark is getting closer, the music tempo increasing making it sound like the shark is racing towards them. You can really feel the different atmospheres between watching the same clip without music because without the music the scene is flat and did doesn't have any ambience but when there is music is works with the dialogue to create the emotions of the scene.

This is a piece involves the use of both anempethetic and empathetic sound. The clip is of the famous shower scene from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. in the images we can see the actress having a casual shower when a silhouette appears behind the shower curtain. Which is followed by the mysterious owner of the silhouette killing the women with a knife. Everything is silent to create the atmosphere that she is just having your typical shower and nothing is going to happen. The camera shows a variety of close ups like we are in the shower with her. This long silent introduction has be used to purely create tension. As the camera pans to the silhouette of the killer the diegetic sound of the shower becomes quieter. Suddenly when we see the ominous silhouette draw back the curtain we hear the iconic high pitched shrieking staccato strings that has been used replicate the stabbing and slashing of the murder. The harsher and quicker the stabbing becomes the texture thickens so that the high pitched staccato strings have doubled to create intensity and to increase the dynamics. The shrieks are made up of dissonant chords which gives them that eerie and thrilling sound. When she is slowly dying and the murderer disappears the terrifying and iconic shrieks have now been replaced by only a cello playing a slower and sustained notes getting lower and quitter as she dies.This iconic sound is now famous and whenever somebody mentions a stabbing you will find them to be singing this music from Psycho in which Hitchcock originally didn't want music at all he at first only wanted the sound of the running shower and the women's screams.

The anempathy comes from once she has died the only sound that is heard is the running of the shower which sounds normal like everyday life. Maybe the reason Hitchcock chose to have the shower running is to show that the murderer has provoked Marion's everyday routine like having a shower by killing her while she is doing her natural daily routine to show how deranged the murderer is. Or Hitchcock decided on it to create terror for the audience that the killer will kill anywhere anyplace. This natural sound of a shower adds to create suspense and tension because the viewer wouldn't be expecting the killer to kill during the day and in somewhere as random as a shower.
The empathetic music for this scene fits well because of the violins attacking like the blade of the knife slashing into the women but this music will only suit the horror genre because of the sound and tone to it. You wouldn't likely to hear this music in any other type of movie because it just wouldn't fit well, unless it was for a comedy so using the shrieking strings at a moment where it isn't a serious horror the music can be used as a joke to create comedy because of it's relation to horror in can make it humorous in a comical situation. 

 

Deigetic Sound

Diegetic and Non-diegetic Sound

Diegetic

Diegetic in sound is when music is being played from a device within the action of the film so that the characters in the film can hear the music that is playing. An example of diegetic sound is during the Avengers you can hear Shoot to Thrill by ACDC being played through the PA system in the jet. The reason people behind the music chose to do this is because in Iron man 2 the same song is used as iron man flies into a crowd of fans, so hear the music has been used as a sound motif (theme) for Iron man. So the use of it being diegetic is so that we and the characters know that Iron man is coming because the music, being his theme tells us he’s coming. This also the first time we see iron man in the film so again as it is his theme and  the character is a bit of an attention is why it would be appropriate to play is theme dietetically in the film.  This is effective to the viewer because it is a familiar to that relates to the much loved characters which makes the viewer excited when hearing the music diegetically through the planes PA system building the anticipation before we see him. Also I believe the use of this hard rock song in the movie is appropriate because everybody assumes that a heavy metal rock song should appear in an action movie which Is what the avengers is. It wouldn't sound right if Shoot to Thrill was heard digetically through a gramophone on a period drama like Downton Abbey.

In soaps they use music to set an atmosphere, for an example in EastEnders the radio will be played diegetic so that the characters in the café for an example can in the music. This sets the scene for the actors to make it more realistic that they are in a café. For soaps, they also use modern songs from the charts to be played on the radio. Like in this example I have found on YouTube, behind the main action of Max talking to Tiffany in the café you can hear Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance in the background. The reason for this is so that it can create the café atmosphere of having modern music as well as letting the audience know that this soap has been set in the present day.  The fact that the actors can hear the music is profitable because it sets the scene for the actors so that they can play a realistic role of having the correct set and setting atmosphere. The use of modern chart music here is appropriate because it fits with the soap opera images however if they were to use an example such as Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565 by J.S. Bach it wouldn’t fit with the set because playing a haunting classical piece through the radio like this wouldn’t seem natural so the acting on the screen wouldn’t seem like a real life conversation in your average café and it would just seem wrong to put this piece of music with the images on the screen. Plus the eeriness of the organ would seem inappropriate to use in this scene. Also the music hasn't been chosen to relate to the emotions of the scene like in a movie would because if this scene wasn't in a soap then they would probably have a slow sad piece of music in the background and it wouldn't be diegetic to the actors, but because it is a soap opera the aim is realism which is why Lady Gaga is being played on a radio like it's a natural moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubmkkx0NUgI&feature=player_detailpage

you wouldn't expect this in a soap, especially if it is being played diegetically.

 Another example of diegetic sound is the Cantina Band in Star Wars episode IV New Hope. During a art of the film we see Luke and Obi-Wan Kenobi go in search to find Han Solo. whilst in the bar there is a band of Aliens in the background who play the Cantina Song. having the band with in the action is what makes the sound diegetic. the music being used in this is similar to the reason Lady Gaga has been used in EastEnders like i had previously spoken about.the alien band are playing a repetitive tune which seems surreal and unusual sounding. this is why it can be used in Star Wars because the film is a Sci-fi so it would seem logical to have an alien sounding piece of music being played by alien musicians in a sci-fi film. However if this piece of music was played in EastEnders like the Lady Gaga tune it would have the same effect as the Bache tune it would be inappropriate and seem out of place which is why you wouldn't use it. With the star wars piece and the Eastender example they are both similar but different, they both use the diegetic music in the same way to create the atmosphere for the images. both examples are set in a bar/ cafe/ restaurant environment and both have the music casually in the background. however the reason the pieces of music cannot be used in both examples are because they fit to their purposes and the environment. Eastenders is a modern day soap opera so it is practical to have today's top 40 chart playing in the background of a modern day restaurant, it is also the same with Star Wars because it is set in a futuristic bar in a sci-fi movie you would expect to hear some alien sounding music to fit with the images of the aliens in the bar and the alien musicians. even though both piece of music work well in their own examples they cannot be used in the others because it would look and sound wrong and out of place and it would be a terrible example of anempathetic sound.