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Post 3 – Sound

Categories of sound:
Dialogue is a category of sound in which characters talk to one another. Sound effects can be just about anything from crowds in the background to the hum of a light saber. The music of a movie is usually comprised of the soundtrack and the score. Empire doesn’t have a soundtrack in the traditional sense. Since the story takes place in a galaxy far, far away, it would be strange if a Bon Jovi song played in the background. The Star Wars films were famously scored by John Williams.

How does sound inform the mood of the scene?
The following scene takes place shortly after Han, Leia, and Chewbacca make it off of Hoth. The first use of sound in this scene is when Imperial Star Destroyers show up. Those classic horns/ brass make up the Imperial March, the mood of which is foreboding. The scene snaps into action when Han decides to fly through an asteroid field. John Williams uses fluttering violins and tubas during action sequences. The sounds set a very clear mood of “edge of your seat” suspense. Also included in the scene are the whirring of the Millennium Falcon’s engines and the laser blasts from TIE fighters. At the end, the music lightens signifying that the heroes are out of danger, at least for the moment.

Specific sounds that allows the audience to infer a particular genre:
The science fiction genre utilizes a ton of different sounds. Empire is a great example of a movie with iconic sound effects. In the first minute of the following clip, a few outstanding examples can be heard. The whirr of the light sabers being lit, the sound of the blades colliding, and Darth Vader’s respirator are all sounds that lead the viewer to the conclusion of sci-fi without even seeing the imagery.

Categorize the effects in the film:
The sounds heard in Empire Strikes Back are a mix of exaggerated and unexpected. Since Empire is a sequel, one could argue that the sounds (like Darth Vader’s respirator) should be expected. These sounds are not natural and don’t occur in everyday life. Sounds like TIE fighters blowing up are exaggerated because in the void of space, it’s unlikely that you would hear much of anything.

How the scene or sequence would play differently if you changed or removed a key category of sound:
I can’t imagine any of the Star Wars films with a musical soundtrack. Empire Strikes Back would be very different with pop hits instead of an orchestral score. There were plenty of songs that could have fit in a dark sci-fi film in 1980 (for example: Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall). Not to say that music can’t be integrated into the sci-fi genre. The TV series Battlestar Galactica included a cover of Jimmy Hendrix All Along the Watchtower. The song matched the dark mood of the associated scenes perfectly:

References:

B. Goodykoontz/C. P. Jacobs. 2014. Film: From Watching to Seeing; Bridgepoint Education Inc. ISBN-10: 1621781658

Captain America. (Octover 14, 2010). Luke Skywalker VS Darth Vader [Video File]. Retrieved from youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-DeI3ohVbY

Dusty Sweeper. (November 27, 2011). All Along The Watchtower – Battlestar Galactica [Video File]. Retrieved from youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMo7WybtTWI

Marcelo Zuniga. (March 25, 2015). Asteroid Field – Empire Strikes Back [Video File]. Retrieved from youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvJDItC6tE0

Post 2 – Lighting
The Empire Strikes Back demonstrates a variety of lighting techniques to set the scene. If I had to pick just one, I would say that low-key lighting is used to emphasize the dark mood of the film. As I stated in my last blog post: Empire is not a traditional “the good guy always wins” movie. In many ways, Vader “wins” at the end. In the following clip, we see a great example of low key lighting on the planet Degobah:

One benefit of low key lighting is that shadows emphasize lines on faces and generally show more emotion than in a well-lit scene. It was particularly useful in the Degobah scenes because of the Yoda puppet. In an effort to make the Jedi master appear wise, the puppet’s eyes and wrinkles were based on Albert Einstein (IMDb, 2015).

The theme of Empire is that good doesn’t always triumph over evil. Low-key lighting contributes to the theme by emphasizing dark shadows and contrast in most of the scenes.

Being that Empire is a science fiction film, a lot of artificial lighting had to be used because many of the sets were in space or in otherwise windowless locations. The following scene takes place on Bespin, prior to Luke arriving:

Had traditional three-point or high-key lighting been used, I don’t think the film would feel as ominous. A lot of symbolism would have been lost if every scene was well lit. The emotion from on Yoda’s face would not have been as easy to see and the final light saber scene would not have been as tense if you could see where Luke and Vader were at all times.
References:
Marcelo Zuniga. March 25, 2015. Luke Meets Yoda – Empire Strikes Back (Rescored) [Video File]. Retrieved from youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlKoiJu9TsQ
Marcelo Zuniga. March 25, 2015. Carbonite Freeze – Empire Strikes Back [Video File]. Retrieved from youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXmp1hLK0tY
IMDb. 2015. Yoda (Character). Retrieved from URL http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0000015/bio

Title: Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back
Writers: Leigh Brackett (screenplay)
Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay)
George Lucas (story)
Director: Irvin Kershener
Cast: Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker)
Harrison Ford (Han Solo)
Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia Organa)
Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca)
Anthony Daniels (C3PO)
Release Date: 20 June 1980

Story: Empire Strikes back is the sequel to the 1977 blockbuster Star Wars. When their rebel base is attacked by the Galactic Empire, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia Organa are forced to evacuate. Luke seeks a Jedi master to complete his training. Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and C3PO just aim to escape the Empire. After Darth Vader captures Han and Leia, Luke is faced with a critical decision: complete his training or abandon his new master in order to save his friends.

Plot: The story starts on the ice planet Hoth, the secret location of a secret rebel base. While scouting, Luke is attacked by a Wompa and sees a vision of his former master Obi-Won Kenobi who instructs him to seek out the Jedi Master Yoda on the planet Dagobah. Han finds Luke and brings him back to the base where he is healed just in time to fight the Empire. With the use of a spy drone, Vader found the base’s location and launched an attack. Once all seems lost and the Empire was the clear victor, an evacuation order is given. Han, Leia, Chewie, and C3PO escape in the Millennium Falcon while Luke sets course for Dagobah in his X-Wing fighter. The Falcon’s hyper drive is damaged, forcing Han to fly into an asteroid field in an attempt to lose the Empire’s Star Destroyers. Han ends up losing the Empire by hiding in a Star Destroyer’s trash but is followed by a bounty hunter under Vader’s employment. Han decides to take the Falcon to Cloud City, a mining colony on the planet Bespin, to repair a malfunctioning hyper drive. Meanwhile, Luke crash lands on Dagobah and begins his training under Yoda. During his training, Luke sees a vision of his friends being captured by Darth Vader. He decides to leave Dagobah and rescue them rather than finishing his training. On Cloud City, Han and Leia are greeted with open arms by Han’s friend Lando Calrissian but is later betrayed and handed over to the Empire. Vader plans on luring Luke to Bespin and freezing him in carbonite but not before testing the procedure on Han. Han is frozen and handed over to the bounty hunter Boba Fett before Luke arrives. Soon after his arrival, Luke and Vader battle with their lightsabers. Vader comes out on top and after cutting Luke’s right hand off proclaims that Obi-Won lied and that he is Luke’s father (plot twist!). Luke drops from a platform and manages to escape by being picked up by Leia and Lando in the Falcon. The movie ends with Luke getting prosthetic hand and Darth Vader standing on the bridge of his Star Destroyer staring into space.
Chronology: The Empire Strikes back is presented chronologically. Character development is impacted by the storytelling format because the cast of heroes is forced to split early in the film. Luke has to branch out on his own in order to train and learn the ways of the Force. Han and Leia are able to grow closer, foreshadowing their eventual relationship. The split allows for two stories to develop with cuts to each group of characters. Overall, the aesthetic choice of Empire is very dark. This isn’t a traditional movie where the good guy saves the day. At the end, the heroes are very much defeated and although Vader didn’t “win”, he did come out on top.
References:
THX1968. May 14, 2010. The Empire Strikes Back Theatrical Trailer [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96v4XraJEPI
IMDb. 2015. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. Retrieved from URL http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080684/