There is an exercise, or experiment, which I carry out at the start of any
course, lecture, class etc on sound/music and film. It is adapted from one
of the suggestions at the end of Michel Chion's fundamental book
'Audio-Vision' which is practicaly the single most important book on the
subject (though I don't agree with all its theses).

I start by playing the soundtrack of a film clip without the image, and then
ask some questions about what's going on in it, what the sounds are, what
the narrative is, etc. Then I show the clip again, this time with the image
too. I don't remember what film Chion recommends using, but I use the first
few minutes of Jacques Tati's M.Hulot's Holiday. (I always start by saying
that if anyone recognises it then they should please keep quiet during the
discussion. I also start the clip after the opening credits, so it doesn't
start on music but sound effects.) Then I again ask questions in order to
draw out the difference of effect and to show how the sound is constructed
and in various ways influences the apprehension of the narrative though it
may not have much narrative content in itself. If you know the film you'll
know it's got no dialogue and it turns out to be a comedy. All of which
makes for a very upbeat start to the whole session. Try it.

Michael Chanan



> -----Original Message-----
> From: [log in to unmask]
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
> [log in to unmask]
> Sent: 08 December 1999 10:18
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Now... film and music suggestions anyone??
>
>
> for those of you who have been curious, i will happily send the
> list of films
> that i choose. or, rather, that myself and the other professor
> chooses (she
> is a music professor).  unfortunately, the class is not geared directly
> towards sound/film and music (and East Tennessee State University
> is a rather
> conservative school, with imitations ingrained in the students'
> minds about
> what they are willing to learn from). Hence, those suggestions
> which are more
> easily accessible are the ones which I will be going with (which is why I
> gave you my two as "Clockwork Orange" and "Reservoir Dogs", since
> they are
> understandable in an immediate sense as well as allowing a degree of
> entertainment for the students; this is also due to budgetary
> constraints,
> since there is no film studies here per se, except partially through the
> English major, and we are in the midst of a cash crisis which
> does not allow
> the purchasing of films in any number).
>
> Which leads me to my own follow-up question, and perhaps a topic for
> discussion. Outside of film theory/studies students, who are
> quite willing to
> look at anything (as am I, of course), how do you folks go about
> introducing
> "radical" examples of film in classes? To what degree do you feel its is
> necessary for students to have a basic film vocabulary, or music
> vocabulary,
> to approach this topic successfully in class? Is there a need, in your
> opinion, to progress through popular films (using Reservoir Dogs as an
> example which, in a quick poll, 90% of the students who will be
> taking the
> class have NOT seen) and make them aware of what they are
> listening to (in
> that case, should I stoop low enough and use any of the Star Wars
> films....
> lol..... which I will NOT be doing), or perhaps partially popular
> films (I'm
> thinking about Kurosawa... the moments of silence in "Ran" always
> struck me
> as being amazing in their absence and power, or "Leningrad Cowboys Go
> America" by Kaurismaki, which always struck me as a poetic use of popular
> culture amongst a Beckett outlook on life; and the suggestion of
> "The Jazz
> Singer" was something that alreay occured to me, but was rejected
> as being
> too difficult for the students, and "Birth of a Nation" was also
> rejected, in
> favour of "Citizen Kane" for visual vocabulary, though perhaps
> I'm going to
> be able to show "Triumph of the Will", which puzzles me in its
> acceptance)?
>
> The aim of the class which I will be teaching is to "introduce"
> an "artistic
> experience" to the students, most of whom grew up in middle-class, white,
> conservative Christian homes here in Tennessee, and thought "Seven" and
> "South Park" were radical art, if they saw them. In that sense,
> and because
> the class is being team-taught, a compromise has been reached whereby the
> choice of films is meant to also reflect the history of music (chafing
> slightly under the fact that "Name of the Rose" is going to be
> used because
> of the renaissance music in it).
>
> Any comments? And, of course, any criticisms or continuations of
> this thread
> welcomed.
>
> Scott Koterbay
> Department of Art and Design/Department of Philosophy
> East Tennessee State University
> Johnson City, TN
>
> In a message dated 12/8/99 8:15:11 AM, [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> << i would cast a vote for Antonioni's Red Desert. i dont know if
> the sound
> used in the film fits in with some of the more "scored" work and compiled
> songs towards which you seem to be inclined. Also, in terms of creating
> atmosphere, the terrific soundtracks to Touch of Evil and Vampyros Lesbos.
> Runners-up include Jarmusch's Dead Man and Wenders' Wings of Desire.
>
> i am curious if any of this discussion on this list re: films and sound
> will extend beyond reading recommendations (though that was the original
> request) and into the matter itself (though i am not sure what form this
> would take or in which direction it would go)
>
> and i for one would like to know what films you do eventually choose.
> ken g >>
>



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