The document analyzes the use of sound in the docu-drama genre based on a sample film. It finds that dialogue is the primary component, with minimal music used only for the opening and closing. Ambient sound provides depth and realism without being prominent. Sound effects can be included to illustrate parts of the story but are not essential in all docu-dramas, as exemplified by the sample film having no sound effects.

1. Music
Dialogue
Sound Analysis Timeline for
Similar Short
Ambient Sound
Cicada by Amiel Courtin-Wilson
Sound FX
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59

2. Music
Dialogue 5:00
Jump Cut
Jump Cut
Jump Cut
Pause Pause
Ambient Sound
Very distant, quiet traffic noise throughout.
2 Sharp intakes of breath Breat
h
Sound FX
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59

3. Music 6:00
Multiple Banjos
Played louder the
longer we hear it.
Dialogue
Jump Cut
Jump Cut
Stopping and
Starting Hesitant
Ambient Sound
Very distant, quiet traffic noise throughout.
Sound FX
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59

4. What does this tell me us about sound in the Docu-
Drama genre?
Music
Throughout the main body of the film there is no music compliment. The main
concentration throughout the film is on the dialogue and this is what secures the
short in the documentary genre. However at the end of the film when the
interview is over and has faded to black a closing video sequence of the character
walking down a road plays and the sound of banjos fades in and plays over this
and the credits. This choice of music is used because it goes with the perception
we have of the character. The banjos ensue connotations of hillbilly and country
folk and the mise-en-scene of the film show us the character isn’t a city dweller
and is very much a country guy. In this genre of short I’d conclude that music is
used possibly as an intro and an outro of the film, but doesn’t play during the
main content. It’s used to reflect the character of the film.

5. What does this tell me us about sound in the Docu-
Drama genre?
Dialogue
The main component of the film is the dialogue. Being a docu-drama one of the
first things associated with it will be speech because of the style that
documentaries are. The way the dialogue is spoken is very important to the film
and how the audience react to it is directly affected by this. For example the
pauses and hesitancy in how the character says some of the lines in this short
present to the audience that he is nervous or worried about what he’s talking
about. In out film, as the dialogue will be the main component, we’ll have to give
clear instruction to the actors how to project the emotions and feelings we want.

6. What does this tell me us about sound in the Docu-
Drama genre?
Ambient Sound
Although throughout the film the ambient sound is only quiet it provides depth to the film.
As the genre is not just documentary, but drama as well, this depth makes moves the film
away from an interview to a more captivating story. The ambient sound being traffic noise
and the characters breathing add realism to the film, which is important for a docu-drama
to separate it from a completely fictional short.

7. What does this tell me us about sound in the Docu-
Drama genre?
Sound FX
In this particular film there are no sound effects to accompany it. As this is just a solid
interview style film, in this case they’re not needed. But in this genre there is still a place
for sound FX as an accompaniment but they aren’t necessarily important for all films in this
genre to have. In our film we are thinking of having sound FX to illustrate what is being
talked about by the character.