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Interstellar - Own choice sound analysis

Updated: Sep 25, 2023

Here is my analysis of how sound has been used in my favourite film. I will be applying terminology learnt in lessons:

  • 0.1-0.7s-No ambient sound yet - highlights how silent space is & shows how alone Cooper is at this moment, non-diegetic music (contrapuntal) - quiet but stressful music with a low bass which raises tension as its the only sound that can be heard and dramatizes the scene.

  • 0.8-0.12s-Ambient sound introduced - Cooper heavily breathing in his space suit and the clanking of the space ship around hip escalates tension further as Cooper's anxiety is infectious to the audience. The sound of a clock is introduced in the background, which is ironic since the main concept of the film is all about time and every time the clock strikes 60 times in the background, it equals 7 years back on Earth, since the blackhole warps time, as previously mentioned, making it seem like an even bigger sacrifice for Cooper. The non-diegetic music continues to emphasize the tension.

  • 0.13-0.18s-Ambient sound disappears as shot switches to an extra-long shot of space again (same techniques used as the first shot).

  • 0.19-0.26s-Switches between similar shots to (shot) 1 and (shot) 2, adding ambient sound when inside the spaceship to highlight the tension, where as it is not used outside, emphasizing the silentness of Space and using non-diegetic music always to show tension is always there and make the audience feel worried.

  • 0.27-0.36s-Synchronous sound introduced for Cooper and Romilly talking.

  • 0.36-0.46s-Only non-diegetic music playing - volume increasing = escalating tension

  • 0.47-1.07-Ambient sound turns into more noticeably SFX as we can hear the volume of the ship being broken apart get louder, rather than just being a background sound, increases the danger for the protagonist which increases the anxiety from the audience.

  • 1.08-1.16-Asyncronous sound of Tom 'talking' to Cooper, as Tom is dead and Cooper is imagining this and we only really see Coopers face when Tom is talking so his voice doesn't line up with his lips as he is not on the screen.

  • 1.17-1.50s-All these techniques used on repeat.

  • 1.51-2.00s-No ambient sound, nothing - goes dead silent and creates confusion and anxiety within the audience.

  • 2.00-2.10s-SFX of spaceship breaking down contrasts silence of space and creates a very different atmosphere.

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