Sunday 29 November 2009

MERLIN CLIP - USE OF SOUND

The clip starts with triumphant, almost royal, sounding music over the top of images of a fight scene. In the background we hear the exaggerated diagetic sound of the swords clashing together. The music gives the impression of a show of significance and hero rather than simply a fight between two people. As the battle goes on the music becomes much more aggressive as one warrior wins the battle and then we hear an audio bridge linking the battle scene to that of the triumphant warrior walking over to Merlin. The music now suggests perhaps a darker, sinister character in the warrior.
We hear much more light-hearted music during a clip where Merlin is using magic. The high-pitched notes add to the mood of this scene; it is much more calm and relaxed than before. The scene is interrupted as we hear an old man shouting at Merlin. This is a countertype as the old man has a very strong voice rather than fragile as we generally see, and suggests a position of power.
There is a use of silence during the next scene to show the emotion. The warrior meets a woman, who shall be a prize for the winner of the final – stereotypical. The sound of the kiss is important as it represents the bond these two characters may form.
The next scene has a big use of tension and the character of Merlin actually plays a countertype. In horror movies we see characters nervously walking through scenes like this, but most of the time these roles are played by women – simply for the male gaze generally. But in this scene we see a young man performing the role. To add to the tension we hear long, suspended notes of non-diagetic music, and loud diagetic hisses of snakes – normally connoting evil.
The loud clock chime symbolises a change in setting or time. Merlin repeats his countertype role in this scene, this time with an almost house maid type of work being performed. As he prepares the warrior for battle, the music is very light-hearted and feminine possibly connoting Merlin’s character and the mood of this scene.
The final scene is that of another battle being taken place. It is very similar to first scene, with exaggerated sword clashes and triumphant music for the hero. It is also fast paced, which matches the quick cuts we see on screen.

No comments:

Post a Comment