Sound Analysis Script: Video Case Study

Sounds within clip:

• Contrapuntal music- ‘Never gonna give you up’- music
• Dialogue
• Door opening- foley
• Body movements- foley
• Coffee cup placed down- foley
• Newspaper page flip- foley
• TV news report- sound effects & dialogue
• Gun handling- foley
• Police siren- sound effect
• Car pulling up- sound effect
• Keys- foley
• Patting seat with hand- foley
• Coffee jug handle- foley
• Coffee pour- foley
• Earphone put to ear- Increase in music
• Singing- dialogue
• Earphone pulled out of ear- decrease in music and comes to a stop
• An anxiety provoking sound effect slowly comes in- sound effect
• Wrapping earphones up- foley
• Door opening/closing- foley
• Gunshot- sound effect
• Body fall- foley
• Chair tip over- foley
• Coffee jug smash- foley
• Scream- dialogue

Script

INT. Voice over.

The clip plays out on the screen while voiceover starts. Once the first piece of dialogue ends, the clip rewinds to start again. Clip volume is low to hear V.O.

Emilie V.O

There are many different ways sound can impact a film. This can be done with the use of music, sound effects, foley, diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Within the film Baby Driver, I believe contrapuntal music is often used to make the audience feel uneasy and confused, as it creates a juxtaposition between what you hear and what you see. I believe this music is intentionally used throughout this clip to reflect the narrative and connote a dark, twisted genre.

Clip volume increases and it plays out more. Clip volume decreases again for V.O.

Emilie V.O

Often, in a film, the music we hear is actually not a part of the film world but instead is non-diegetic. This isn’t the case for Baby Driver. The music we hear in this scene, called ‘Never gonna give you up’, is apart of the film world as the protagonist is listening to it through his iPod. I think this is done purposefully to have a connecting impact on the audience as they are encouraged to personally relate to Baby by sharing the music with him.

Clip rewinds to replay

Emilie V.O

At the start of this scene, we see Baby entering the diner listening to his iPod. The romantic song choice denotes to the audience he was expecting to just meet Debora there and is caught off guard when he sees Buddy- providing an interesting contrast. We are made to feel physically closer to Buddy by having his foley sounds be a little louder than would be realistic. This is done to highlight certain important pieces of information such as revealing a gun hidden under the newspaper. This impacts the demographic by creating a sense of tension, importance and danger.

The clip starts to replay to show what Emilie talked about. Once the clip continues past where she talked about, V.O starts again.

Emilie V.O

Our attention is specifically being drawn to the TV as the news reporters voice increases in volume- connoting to the audience it is important.

This is done to reveal information about another character, Buddy’s girlfriend, who died. I believe the use of Tv and news reports in this clip is used to impact the audience by creating a realistic scenario for them to relate to.

Emilie V.O

Soon, we hear sirens in the background that quickly become a foreground sound, drawing our attention to the arrival of the police. I think these sound effects may have an anxiety provoking impact on the audience and create suspense within the scene.

Clip fast forwards to earphone bit

Emilie V.O

In this scene, I believe it is the director’s intention to have the narrative reflected in the lyrics through reappropriation, as Buddy is denoted to be using the song to tell Baby what he’s going to do. I think the reason the volume increases is to denote Buddy listening to the song along with Baby. Throughout the film, music is used to drive the storyline by being in time with the on screen actions.

Quotes appears on screen-

“In Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver, even the machine guns fire in time with the beat.” (Adams, S. Baby Driver — Movie Reviews — Rotten Tomatoes. Rottentomatoes.com.)

“Whenever I’m writing a script, I’m scoring myself by playing the right kind of music.” (Industrial Scripts®. (n.d.). 15 Edgar Wright Quotes for Filmmakers & Screenwriters. [online] Available at: https://industrialscripts.com/edgar-wright-quotes/ [Accessed 12 Mar. 2019].)

Clip rewinds and replays earphone bit.

Emilie V.O

The music then fades and we hear a sinister, anxiety provoking sound effect intended to create tension and make the audience feel scared. Our attention is shifted to the person walking through the door, interrupting the tense moment and luring the audience in to a false sense of security as the sinister sound effect ceases, creating the ideology that everything is safe now.

Clip increases in volume and plays out for a bit. Then decreases in volume for V.O

Emilie V.O

The sudden, loud sound of the gunshot is a juxtaposition against the silence and is intended to have a shocking impact. There isn’t an awful lot of foley used in this clip, but when it is, it purposefully draws our attention to the small, realistic details such as coffee, newspaper, door, keys, cups, seats and movements. In my opinion, this is done for realism. The dialogue in the film is used to drive the narrative, inform the audience and develop the characters.

Quote appears on screen- “Equal parts slapstick and visceral thrills, but never too far from a reality check.” (Eric Kohn. Baby Driver — Movie Reviews — Rotten Tomatoes. Rottentomatoes.com.)

Overall, I think baby driver is an excellent example of how sound impacts film, it has a variety of sound effects, foley, dialogue and showcases how the use of music can change the ideology, genre and impact of the film.