Harry Potter sound exercise and evaluation

Evaluation: 

In the opening credit sequence I used sound that was mystical and mysterious, which drew parallel to the dark, misty credit image. This gives a sense of foreboding and a feel of fear, as it is a deep repetitive sound. It then moves on to become more intense and quicker paced as the image goes through the Warner Bros logo, taking the audience into the next part of the sequence. Following this I added ominous yet harmonious sound with an orchestral feel, as the image is dark with mist adding to the sense of mystery. It is also synonymous with death and foreboding due to the sound of the dark violins. However, amongst the dark and mysterious sound, when the image moves through the ‘Harry Potter’ titles I changed the tone of the music to more light and hopeful which parallels the image as the mist and dark begins to fade into light. I did this to show that within the film there are both good and evil aspects.

In the playground sequence I used sound, which was more uplifting and rolling to signify the transition from dark and evil to light and good. Similarly this parallels the image as it is bright and clear; the sun is shining and the sky is blue, which usually denotes a happy scene. However, as the sequence progresses we see Harry’s shadow and him looking towards a family. His shadow represents his reflection in a mental and physical sense. The family signifies his reflection on what could have been if his parents weren’t dead. For this part of the sequence I used sound, which is stirring in order for the audience to empathise with Harry.

(Sound is then cut but continues when Harry challenges Dudley physically as sound for sequence is incomplete (2:14)).

As Harry challenges Dudley I used sound that was ominous to draw parallel to the feeling of evil and foreboding in the opening credit sequence.  Similarly I used sound to parallel the images on scene, for example thunder when the light in the sky closed up, and wind when paper and litter swirls around the characters.

(Sound is then cut, as sequence is incomplete (2:41)).

In the Dementor sequence when Harry and Dudley are running away I would have used a dark rhythmic sound to emulate their pace. As the action moves from them to the scenery I would add menacing sounds of thunder, rain and howling in a discordant way to enhance the sense of danger. As the sequence returns to the characters in the underpass, I would add tremulous and eerie sounds to depict how they’re out of the exposed danger of the field, however in the unknown of the underpass. As the lights flicker in the sequence I would use realistic sound of lights flickering to create realism to the scene. As the characters attention is distracted from the lights, I would add sound again which is pacier to heighten the tension of the scene before you can see the source of the danger.  As the source of danger becomes apparent I would use piercing sound, which cuts through and takes over the character, scene and audience. As the scene then cuts to Dudley and his escape I would use pacy menacing sound to clearly show the urgency and danger. When the Dementors are focused on one character, all other sound would stop and only the piercing noise would be heard to reinforce the evil, urgency and danger.

Overall, for the whole sequence I am pleased with the sound and I feel it shows the clear difference between good and evil. I feel the use of realistic sounds like the thunder and wind adds a sense of realism to the sequence, which is effective as the audience can relate and feel apart of the film world. From this task I have learnt that by matching the types of sound with the action of screen it creates a seamless sequence. Following this, if the sound matches perfectly it makes the sequence feels like one, as oppose to two separate entities, that being the sound and the visual. Furthermore it makes the audience feel like even though the sound is not part of the film world, that it actually is as it fits so perfectly. In my opening sequence I aim to recreate something similar, obviously fitting to the genre, but using the same method of integrating the music perfectly with the visual on screen, creating a seamless sequence.