Soundtrack Analysis on Jaws

Jaws is a 1975 American thriller directed by Steven Spielberg. It is about a giant man eating shark who attacks beachgoers on Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town. The film was mostly shot at Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
The clip I am using from this film is when Hooper goes into the sea in a scuba kit while enclosed in a shark proof cage after he as well as Quint and Brody.

In this scene the director uses Diegetic sound (this is the sound that the character will hear in the scene, For example the bubbles he blows when he is in contact with the shark) as well as non-diegetic sound (sound that the viewer can hear but the character cannot) as you hear the screams of Hooper and the 'crash' of the shark hitting the cage as he is trying to attack.
You also have the mood music in the background. Non-Diegetic sound is used to make the scene better for the viewer to watch and to often tell the viewer what to think during that scene.

The shark in this scene has its own Leitmotif (soundtrack that goes with a character) or his own music which is low pitched, this can also can been seen as the ambience as it is setting the mood for the scene. This tells the viewer that the shark is turning up. As he gets nearer or further away from his intended target the amplitude (the volume in the scene) of the scene changes (goes from quiet to loud) to make it more dramatic, this entices the imagination of the as they viewer imagine the potential outcomes of what might happen and encourages them to keep watching to find out, when the shark attacks the pitch goes from low to high.

Another thing demonstrated in this scene is the Dissonance (sound that you don't want to hear or is not pleasant) of it as there are notes that don't go together in it, this makes the viewer stay on the edge of their seat as it creates a lot of tension amongst the scene. There is no consonance (sound that you want to hear or is pleasant on the ears) in the scene which makes this part of the film tell the viewer what to think and to feel slightly on edge because the shark hasn't gone away yet.

I think there is a lot of Foley (sound that is made in a studio and then added into the clip) in the scene as you generally can't hear sound under water. So when the shark hits the cage you lose that sense of realism which ruins it in a way but also keeps the viewer interested because if there was no sound at this part it would just be boring!

Within the first minute there is both are two different types of cuts. One is a J-cut  (where you here the sound before the clip) which is used as the shark approaches Hooper in the cage; you hear the audio but it changes clip quickly. At the end of the minute we see an L-cut because as the shark goes away and the audio fades the clip changes again to get the reaction of Hooper thinking he has got away with seeing the shark.
When the shark does go to attack Hooper in the cage we get a sense of fight or flight (a part in a film where we don't know what is going to happen next) as we don't know until slightly later whether he will stay and fight the shark or instead try and swim away.

Overall there are a lot of different techniques in this clip which make it more enjoyable to watch and keeps the viewer watching. It is a bit unrealistic but that is what makes a film better to watch as they often push the boundaries.

Foley Recording Plan & Soundtrack Treatment

Foley Recording Plan

Whilst making your recordings please take some photographs to show how you set up your Foley floor....

How will you ensure that you get a good clear recording?

I will make sure the mic is the right distance from the item and make sure it doesn't go over 0d.b otherwise it will get distorted.

What type of microphone will you use and why is this an appropriate microphone to use?
 
I will use a boom microphone has it gives me better sound for the recording of the sounds.



When recording, what recording issues do you need to be aware of and how will you safeguard against these?

During the filming i need to be aware of background noise so need to make sure everyone/thing is quiet this includes turning any devices that may be on in the room.

Treatment

What feel or mood are you hoping to achieve with the sound for this clip?

I am aiming to make the scene slightly comedic to go with the genre of the film.

Describe the music you are going to add to the clip and what response you hope to illicit in a listener?

I hope to have music that has a high tempo to sort of give it a comedic approach but also high pitch as that's what you tend to hear in a horror film. I will get the music from garage band as the music/tracks on there are royalty free.

What foley sounds are you going to record in the studio and add to the clip and what will they add to the scene?

Swishing Sound: This adds a comedic look to the scene as the sound is used in cartoons when something is thrown

Rummaging Sound: This is for when they raid the box for items as well as taking cutlery out the draw, this adds realism because without this the scene will seem unrealistic.

Impact Sound: Adds more realism to the clip but I will make it sound slightly different to a normal collision or impact.

Do you need to record any sounds out on location?

I do not need to record any sounds out on location

Who will be in your recording crew to help you get your sounds and what are their individual roles/responsibilities?

Noah - Recording the Sounds
Myself and Sam - Producing all the sounds