Sound in Film and Cinema

Sound plays a vital role in film and helps shape the way the viewer reacts and watches a motion picture. Sound influences and enhances what we see on the projector screen. Film critic and music composer Michael Chion breaks down sound into different groups which each play a role in the making of a film. 

Michael Chion describes sound and listening in three different types of modes: causal, semantic, and reduced listening. “Causal listening refers to the listening of a sound in order to gather information about its cause or source (Chion 25).” Semantic listening is listening for the purpose of gaining information about what is communicated in the sound and language. Reduced listening is listening for the purpose of focusing on the qualities of sound itself such as pitch or timbre, which is independent of its source or meaning. 

In the film Bad Boys II with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, each of the three listening modes are used. In one of the last scenes of the movie, the two policemen gear up for a huge battle in which they rescue a hostage while under gunfire from the Cuban army. They enter a mansion surrounded by armored guards and men as they make their way through the house trying to find the hostage. They are able to successfully escape with the hostage as they leave in a car with the mansion exploding in the background. The sound first heard in this scene uses causal listening with miners digging an underground tunnel. The clang of the digging indicates that men are underground and are moving quickly. In addition, the semantic sounds of the policemen’s voices are heard as they instruct each other where to go. This is causal listening as well as semantic listening. The barking of instructions indicate that the voice is from one of the policemen and from semantic listening you can hear that the voice is from actor Will Smith without even seeing him in the picture. In the background, as the policemen prepare to enter the house, the reverberation of a drum is heard as a reduced sound to create suspense. Immediately, the explosion from a rocket launcher rips through the air followed by the panicked voices of the enemy soldiers. This fleeting moment uses all three listening modes. Causal listening is used to determine that the source of the explosion is the rocket launcher and reduced listening indicates that magnitude of the explosion and its effects on the building. Finally, semantic listening is used determine that the panicked voices belong to the Cuban soldiers who are under attack. Then the crash of shattered glass and windows is heard through reduced listening as well as the sound of the approaching enemy vehicles as the policemen make their way towards the hostage. As bullets and machine gun fire whiz by the policemen in another example of reduced listening, the clatter of footsteps and shouting is heard loud and clear to convey an atmosphere of chaos and confusion. The shouting of the men as they escape is another instance of semantic listening as the viewer realizes that it is coming from actor Martin Lawrence. 

Sound is able to influence what we see and affect its images by bringing to life the images on the screen. The sound of a grenade making a huge explosion magnifies it effects on the scene at hand. The noises make the scene and actions come alive and seem all the more real. The noise of miners digging tunnels makes you believe that you are really inside that tunnel with the characters in the film. Listening to sound in a film also makes the viewer react more to the action or scene. For example, the noise of a machine gun firing rapidly several rounds of bullets at a time makes it seem all the more remarkable of a feat when the actors miraculously escape a hail of bullets while running for their lives. Awed at such a scene, the audience thinks, “how did they do that” or “that was amazing.” Furthermore, the listening of sound captures the viewer’s attention and wraps them into the scene. The noise of several helicopter in the sky dashing across the ocean gives the impression that a huge action scene is about to occur or a crucial point in the film’s plot is on the brink.

How to Do Pinhole Art

Pinhole art is not something you commonly see but the creations are beautiful and very easy to make. There are several different techniques and many different ways to display the pinhole art. One technique is to use a coloring page as your guide. Simply lay the page on top of the new paper then place them on a piece of cardboard. Use a pin or needle to poke holes, every quarter-inch or so. A large pin, like a hat pin, is perfect. It helps to tape the paper and pattern to the cardboard to make sure the pages don't slip. Upon covering the entire design with pinholes you can tape it to a window or a picture frame with no backing.

Another way to make the design is to use stencils. Draw the entire design on to the fabric or paper with a disappearing marker, found in sewing departments. The marker's color will last for about 72 hours then disappear for good. This allows enough time to make the pinhole arrangements before allowing the pattern to disappear.

The disappearing ink markers are perfect for making intricate designs from a poster or large picture. Make dots with the marker, spaced evenly, then go back and poke a hole in each dot. The picture is then outlined for display.

Some people prefer to keep the original picture rather than having it disappear. During certain conditions only the picture can be seen, not the pinholes. In other conditions, the pinhole art will show rather than the original picture.

Any number of things can be your pattern maker. Calendars, postcards, wallpaper, and posters all make great patterns. And, the pattern doesn't have to be done on paper only. You can make pinhole art on cloth, cardboard, foil or poster board.

Pinhole art requires no colors, markers, or paints but does require a light source that will shine through the pinholes to form the design. Windows are a perfect place to display your pin art because the light will shine through yet bright sunlight will be filtered through the artwork.

Besides windows you can also display the artwork in a picture frame that has no backing. Make the design on a dark piece of felt, then place a single light behind the art. A bulb, made to look like a candle, is the perfect way to shine light through your artwork. The candle bulbs can be found around Christmastime in stores that sell Christmas decorations. You can also burn a tea light behind the picture.

For denser materials, like felt, try using a nail rather than a pin to make the holes. Be careful not to tear the fabric when inserting the nail. You'll find many creations that you can easily do by looking around your home for things to make the patterns and finding places to hang the artwork.

How Europeans Incorporate Eastern Art

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European Use of Non-Western Art
Miranda Smith
Southern Utah University
December 2001


During the early 20th Century European Avant-Garde artists utilized non-Western art and incorporated it into their own art. African art was one of the most appropriated forms. Most of what was seen as influential from Africa was sculpture. African sculpture typically includes nonorganic planar shifts that contrast with Classical proportions. The elongated areas of the body, such as face, neck and torso as seen on p. 457 in the Adams book, illustrate the non-Classical nature of African art.

One of the Avant-Garde schools that specifically utilized African art was The Bridge (Die Brucke). This group was intent on building a link between their art and revolutionary ideas, and between tradition and Avant-Garde. One of the ways those in The Bridge worked toward this was by combining the geometric look of African art with more traditional ideas. The flattened forms of Kirchner's The Street (p. 459) speak to this idea. The figures in The Street are also elongated, as seen in the sculpture of the Baule ancestor from Africa.

Matisse was also influenced by African art. His work speaks of African masks. His lack of modeling in his work Madame Matisse (p. 458) bears strong resemblance to the masks found in Africa. There is also a lack of organic qualities in this painting. The hair on her head is flat, and it seems to perch on the top of her head. Matisse was also influenced by Arabian art. In his Harmony in Red (p. 463), sinuous lines are used to create an illusion of animation. Matisse coined the term "arabesque" in reference to the lines seen in Arabian architecture, such as mosques.

Emil Nolde was also influenced by African art. However he used other non-Western influences in his art. His Still Life with Masks (p. 460) is indicative of the use if non-Western art. One of the masks (the red one) is based on a drawing of an Oceanic canoe prow, the yellow skull is derived from Brazilian shrunken heads, and the green mask seems to be influenced by African art.

It is clear that these artists were very interested in appropriating other art forms for their own use. This fueled further Avant-Garde developments and shaped the art of the early 20th Century. African art appears to be the most pervasive in these works, but the influences of Arabia, the New World, and Oceania can also be seen. It is also important to note that while these artists copied the look of these other forms of art, the cultural context of the art in regard to the peoples it was borrowed from was lost.


Bibliography

Laurie Schneider Adams, A History of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill, 2000).

Making Sure Mom Gets What She Needs at Her Baby Shower

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When throwing a baby shower one of the main concerns of the host is whether or not the mom to be will get what she needs. There are several different ways that you can ensure that she will get everything that she needs. This article will discuss those options. First you could purchase all of the gifts yourself, but that is really being unrealistic, since most people just do not have that type of money. The bet ways is to make sure that the mom to be registers for all of the items she wants or needs. 

There are really dozens of different registries that you can choose from. One of the most popular ones is Babies R Us. What makes there registry so good is that anyone can purchase something for you no matter where they live. Also their staff is very helpful, but in store and online. Once she registers you will want to make sure, that all of the guest know that she is registered and where she is registered at. You can do this by putting it on the invitations. Then once everyone calls to rsvp, you can really stress the fact that she would love to get the items she really needs off of her baby registry. 

Another option is to have everyone go in on a group gift. What you do is have all of the guests make a min contribution of about twenty dollars. This way they can still get their own gift, and they will be included in the group gift as well. This has worked very well for me in the past. We were actually able to get just about everything on the mom to be's list. In addition she will also get a lot of other nice items. You will see how much it really is appreciated when she is able to get just abut everything that she requested. Also make sure that in addition to what she put on her registry, you get something just for her. Most people will get spa kits for mom, or even a spa gift certificate. This way either before or after the baby comes she can get a day of rest and relaxation. What mom does not want and deserve that? 

When it comes to making sure that the mom to be gets everything she needs it really is up to you the hostess to make sure that this happens. It really is not as difficult as it sounds, although it will take a little more work on your part, it definitely is something that can be done.