A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities,
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg,
in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Music
Johannesburg 2016 / Recently, scholarly work in the field of film sound design has emphasised the crucial
significance of sound in film. Writers such as Mark Underwood (2008), Larry Sider (2003)
and Danijela Kulezic-Wilson (2008) have expressed the view that film sound design ought to
be approached from a musical perspective substantiating this position through analytical
discussions on the relatively musical use of sound design in scenes from films such as Alfred
Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963) and Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream (2000).
Building upon the work of these and other scholars, this thesis investigates the varying ways
in which music and foley sound design relate and interact within a film seeking to categorise
with some specificity the various ways in which foley sound design can ascend beyond its
ordinary remit and in so doing function in lieu of film music as well as in cooperation with it.
I consider examples from, amongst others, The Godfather, parts one (1972) and two (1974)
by Francis Ford Coppola and The Matrix (1999) by Ana and Lana Wachowski.
In each chapter of part one of the thesis (which I call Take 1), I explore a particular aspect of
the way in which foley makes known its capacity to function quasi-musically. Chapter one
looks at Walter Murch’s concept of the metaphoric use of sound and how, through this
technique, foley sound can be applied so as to fulfil roles more accustomed to film music in
its stead. Chapter two details some of the ways in which film music and foley interact within
a film. A crucial element of this discussion is the on going debate between scholars such as
Michel Chion who disavow the existence of a soundtrack and others such as Rick Altman
who contradict Chion on this matter. Chapter three looks at how otherworldly diegetic
contexts help to encourage creativity in designing and applying foley sounds so as to further
enhance its pre-discussed ability to act in film music’s stead while chapter four focuses on the
voice as the soloist within the melee of sounds that constitute the film soundtrack.
Part two (or Take 2) of the thesis consists of compositions written in response to some of the
theories and concepts explored in the first part of the thesis including a ‘dramatic string
quartet’ in which I attempt to realise in a musical composition some of the ideas discussed in
all four of the chapters. I conclude the thesis by reflecting on the main insights uncovered
throughout the thesis in addition to reflecting on the process of composing the pieces in
relation to the relative success of the performances thereof. / GR2017
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/22001 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Mabitsela, Diale Daniel |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | Online resource (102 leaves), application/pdf |
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