Moving Images, Understanding Media

Chapter 3 Sound and Image 87

have been in a virtually constant state of change throughout their history.

Discuss the following questions to examine the eff ects of modifi cations

and new developments in motion picture technology through a variety of

viewpoints:

As discussed earlier, the conversion to sound initiated a complete overhaul

of the fi lm production process and eventually added a new sector of work in

fi lmmaking. Th e most important facet of sound recording was the one that

made it such a sensation with audiences: seeing people speak on the screen.

Th is was the aspect of sound recording that most greatly aff ected the fi lm

industry and the experience of viewing fi lms.

Getting in Sync

Th e key to recorded sound in fi lms is that the picture and sound match up.

When we observe the mouth of a person move as he or she speaks on the

screen, what we see and hear must correspond exactly or it sounds “off .” Of

course, this is true unless we want it to work contrary to normal sound and

image. Synchronous sound, or sync sound, is sound that is heard exactly as

its visual source moves or is seen or perceived to create that sound. Typical

examples in movies are lips moving as that person speaks, footsteps heard

as a person walks or runs, or a door closing as we see it happen. Th e image

is said to be in sync with the sound.

What is needed for this to occur in movies? It is necessary to have both

cameras and sound recorders that run at an absolutely constant rate. For

movie cameras in the United States, this rate has been established at 24 frames

per second for 35mm fi lm. For synchronous sound to work, the camera

must continually run at exactly this pace. Th e sound must be recorded and

played back on a device that ensures an absolutely constant speed consistent

with precision time. With digital media, time codes are used such as SMPTE

time code.

Many people use motion picture cameras to record everyday events with

family and friends. Th ey turn on the camera, point to what they will shoot,

and press to record. It seems like picture and sound are one and the same.

However, it is important to understand and imagine picture and sound as

two separate parts that come together to make up a motion picture.

Matching It Up

For movies that are made with celluloid, the camera only shoots fi lm. Th e

sound recording is preserved on a separate device. A sound recordist oversees

the proper recording of sound for the movie (oft en using and mixing together

a number of microphones, for example) while the cinematographer and

camera staff are in charge of the photography.

In fact, this is why the slate, or clapperboard, exists. For most of the history

of fi lmmaking, the slate has been necessary to match up sound and picture.

At the beginning of takes that require sync sound, the clapsticks on the slate

are snapped together by the clapper (oft en the second assistant camera on

Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).