Shaun of the Dead - Film Soundtrack PDF

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Shaun of the Dead - Film Soundtrack The feature film which I have chosen to analyse a scene from is Shaun of the Dead [2004]. The plot follows a couple of friends living in a small flat on the outskirts of London and their story in finding out that there has been a zombie outbreak; and how the town they live in is gradually being overrun with the undead. My selected scene is 2 minutes 50 seconds long and is near the opening of the film where Shaun leaves the flat to purchase a can of coke and a cornetto from a nearby shop. Whilst doing so he is oblivious to his surroundings and the fact that his local area is being overrun with zombies. I have picked this scene in particular because of its specific reliance on using the soundtrack to convey meaning. The scene starts with a close up shot of Shaun with his head leaned backwards and mouth hanging open, we then hear him snore which abruptly leads into a cough and groan before he then opens his eyes, tensing and blinking repeatedly as he wakes up. The soundtrack here makes use of the diegetic sounds within the scene to make it clear that Shaun was asleep. The idea that he has just woken up is an important factor in understanding his behaviour throughout the whole scene so we can see why this was made clear to the viewer. A cut is then made to Shaun walking into what appears to be the living room, where he asks Ed “Do you want anything from the shop?”, Ed replies “Cornetto”. Shauns tone of voice in this brief dialogue lacks enthusiasm and seems very offhand, something that would be hard to pick up on through body language without the soundtrack. ‘Use of dialogue is invaluable for revealing a characters ideas, goal and dreams’ (William H. Phillips, 2009, p. 164). Dialogue is invaluable here as it gives the viewer the context that Shaun will be heading to the shop, helping the contextualise the visuals to follow. Without this the viewer would be unnecessarily confused as to what is happening and would be forced to make assumptions for a simple plot line. Dialogue helps ground the actions of characters and makes simple intentions clear and cohesive to the plot for easier viewing. It is after this brief introduction to the subplot Shaun then begins to make his way to the shop, leaving the house with a deep sigh, the rattling of a metal gate on the driveway and his feet scraping below him. It is clear from the audible sigh and sound of his feet scraping that he is discontented and is reluctant to leave. Visually his expression is deflated and lacks enthusiasm but the sound makes it clear to the viewer that he is dragging his feet, something that is cropped below screen on the film. This is one power that sound possesses, the ability to inconspicuously provide the viewer with a sense of what is happening beyond the frame of the camera. This technique is used again when Shaun enters the shop. When entering he is ignorant to the fact that there are bloody handprints dripping down the front of the fridge, he creaks the fridge open and the metallic clinking of coke cans can be heard as he decides which one to pick up. As he steps away a sudden squeak of his shoe can be heard below as he slips and loses his balance before quickly propping himself back up. At no point in this scene do we see a pool of blood on the floor but the diegetic sound of a slipping shoe is used alongside the visual cue of bloody handprints implying what has happened outside of the camera view; we are able to interpret that Shaun slipped on a pool of blood in a way that isn’t distracting, cleverly enhancing the scene. Like before, Shaun was oblivious to this. After Shaun leaves the flat we begin to hear the first piece of non-diegetic sound in the

scene: a low droning ambience. This ambience begins at a constant low volume and is built upon and as the scene progresses. The initial low volume gradually increases as Shaun gets nearer to the shop and then is accompanied by the slow repetition of a few piano notes something that would be typically expected in the horror genre. It is clear that the soundtrack intends to add tension in conjunction with the visuals on screen. This tense droning and piano is then immediately broken, almost to comedic effect when Shaun enters through the open door of the shop. Upon stepping inside, the soundtrack is filled with the overhead ‘elevator style’ music from within the shop. The choice of this style of music reduces the tension and gives a lighter hearted feel to the scene, falling in line with the comedy horror genre of the overall movie helping align it with viewers expectations. When Shaun starts paving his way towards the shop the distant barking of a dog offscreen can be heard, followed by the distant groaning of a man who can be seen walking in the road. As he continues more offscreen sounds can be heard. Using sound ‘beyond the lighted frame’ (William H. Phillips, 2009, p. 167) is typical of horror movies to build tension. A phone can be heard ringing from a house nearby and a car alarm is set off in the distance. Shaun then walks past a smashed car window and more zombies can be seen up the road. All of the sounds represented offscreen through the soundtrack are important in showing how oblivious Shaun is. The fact he does not react to these sounds is something that can not be represented through visuals. Sound effects are typically important in film for providing a sense of location and life to a scene. In this instance the sounds are utilised for the opposite, they represent the lack of life in the scene. Other than the sounds mentioned above, the street is eerily quiet and empty. The phone ringing is never answered, the car alarm continues and the dog continues to bark, all of which imply that there are no people around, helping us piece together what is happening. ‘Like light and shadow, sound effects often add to a film in inconspicuous ways’ (William H. Phillips, 2009, p. 168). Finally, the scene concludes using the clever alignment of dialogue to explain what is happening outside. Shaun returns from the shop and sinks into the couch turning on the TV. Doing so, he flicks through the TV channels, all of which piece together a cohesive speech from many different voices declaring that there is “panic on the streets of london”, “people are literally being eaten alive” and how “religious groups are calling this judgement day”. By using different speakers to make up this declaration, it allows the viewers to understand the events outside the flat whilst continuing to represent Shaun is oblivious to all of this. This clever usage of narrative speech could be interpreted as a form of film narration which is diegetically located within the scene as it serves one of the same purposes of a narration: to explain the plot to the viewer. To conclude, it is clear that the soundtrack is a very important part of a movie. In this specific example the rise of tension is almost completely reliant on the non diegetic sounds and music included in the soundtrack. We can also see how important sound effects can be in providing location and context to a characters actions and how dialogue is an invaluable to understanding their goals and intentions. We can also see how movie soundtracks range from being obvious to inconspicuous, and how both ends of the spectrum can be just as important as each other for the telling of a story. Without the soundtrack the movie would lack meaning, would be confusing and would definitely be less engaging.

Bibliography ●

William H. Phillips (4th ed., 2009), Film: An Introduction. Basingstoke: jhhvv (Chapter 4).

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David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson (2012), Film Art: An Introduction. New York: Knopf / McGraw-Hill (Chapter 7).

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Nick Lacey (2005), Introduction to Film. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (Chapter 1.4)....