The different categories of sound in the movie Titanic are used for various reasons. Overall, music is a critical part of a movie with regard to its success or failure. Additionally, a soundtrack, as the text states, “is a collection of songs used in the film (or, sometimes, “inspired” by the film, if they are included on the soundtrack CD but not heard in the movie).” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). Normally, the score consists of music written specifically for the film, but not always. As the textbook states, “the film’s music score is what plays in the background of a scene while action takes place, and is not to be misconstrued as the film’s soundtrack. I believe the music in this movie was paramount in not only viewing the movie, but also feeling the emotions within it. The motivational song in these movies in, Eye of the Tiger, by the rock band, Survivor.
My favorite example of this is the music played in the series of Rocky movies.
The textbook states, “After the conversion to talkies, music became a basic element of constructing a movie, as essential an element as lights and cameras.” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). The last basic category of sound is music. Some popular sound effects include, but are not limited to, the sound of crowds of people in the background, known as walla, and dates all the way back to days of radio, nature sounds, mechanical noises, door creaks, etc. In my opinion, this would take an incredible amount of talent to find just the right balance of sound without taking away from the film’s intent. One thing I was definitely unaware of is the fact that most sound effects have to be recorded separate from the movie filming, then added into the final film. The textbook states, “Many movies are shot on large soundstages-vast warehouses in which sets are built-which are not exactly the place to find realistic sound.” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). Many films use loud explosions as a way of giving the audience a rush of adrenaline. The next category of sound is sound effects. In addition to traditional dialogue, filmmakers often implement the use of voice-over Voice-over is when a character’s voice recounts the action to help the audience understand what is going on. This process is known as automated dialog replacement.
Interestingly, most of the dialog recorded by actors has to be re-recorded their lines so they can be heard more clearly. Moreover, the most effective dialog does two, and often times, all three of these concurrently. They are, to further the development of the plot, to enhance characterizations, and to establish very quickly important information the audience needs to know to understand the action (e.g., names, locations, dates, motivations, backstory). The textbook states three reasons to use dialog in film. As the textbook states, dialog is something that most audiences take for granted. First, dialog in films is when characters talk with each other. The three basic categories of sound are dialog, sound effects, and music.
Here is the site for RMS Titanic Hitting Iceberg Sound Effect: Here is the site for the Titanic Theme Song by Céline Dion – My Heart Will Go On: