Sound and image within Charlie & the Chocolate Factory

 

 

 

 

 

Timecode ref 01.00.47 19.78

 

Title introduction

 

Within the movie ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ a key moment within both image and sound was supported through the event leading up to this specific time point in the movie, where by the image ascended upwards as the screen followed the high raised chimney in a spiral affect, synchronous to the music that followed. From this point, we reach the first scene where the background title is introduced as the screen has a sudden fall into chimney as what appears to be a swirl movement of chocolate as the camera falls into the chimney. This is a visual affect that creates the illusion of the camera-entering deep into the chocolate, though actually the camera is fixed into one position. This contrasting effect of putting the spiral music and spiral image effect side-by-side super imposes it all and is an effective watch.   

As the chocolate moves in a spiral effect down the chimney, the music heard is loud, with an accelerated pulse of rhythm and beat. This obvious sense of beat creates a high sense of energy as volume increases though the declination in image. I feel this particular section that attains both drums and a choral sound. This combined creates a mimicking effect as if we are entering a strange place, which makes the audience feel unease and intensifies the mood. This thick diatonic sound created adds a blend of layers to this section combining an organic vocal section which moves on top of a constant pulsation on drums.

  

Timecode ref : 01:02:30 03:30

 

Golden Ticket introduced

 

Another key moment displayed within the movie ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ is the first sighting of the ‘Golden Ticket’. Firstly, the moment leading to this particular event, was a thin ascending diatonic scale sequence effect.

 This bitonal effect has a high pitch with alternation in key, which raises a sense of high suspense where by ‘suddenly’ the music stops all together, for when the Golden ticket is introduced.

This key moment with both sound and image creates a big affect as it draws the audience to this one key moment where it intrigues the audience, where they are left with the anxiety to anticipate what will come of the ‘golden ticket’. From this moment on the story is then to be portrayed.

 The sound formed for this required a resonation of a brass horn which created the effect of a thick, accelerative, ascending reverberation on top of a thin metallic violin sequence. These sounds combined created a good deferment for when the sound drops suddenly to silence. This is a contrast for when the ticket to be display to the audience on top of the bar of chocolate, this is super imposed. From then on we are able to hear high pitched, thin twinkly sounds, which are created almost to magnify this childlike moment in the movie.

 

Timecode ref : 01:03:27 26:44

 

Trucks embark on their journey

 

Another key moment within the title sequence ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ is when the trucks are loaded up and  embark on their journey to deliver the ‘Wily Wonka’ chocolate.  When the trucks are being loaded, ready to commence, the visual sound displayed is a soft 4 beat pulsation on the drums where the last beat is left to resonate.

 On top of this sound, a high pitched thin violin drone plays through a mid pitched cello drone. From this point on the trucks are loaded and the gate opens to an ascending orchestral sound. This alternation in sound has an evolving sharp timbre and has an emotional changing harmonic sound.

 From this point on the trucks commence on their journey where a military sound is created to project the theme of work and to mimic the sound of machinery in action.  This sound is created through a marching resonance on an orchestral group of drums. It is a diatonic sound with a repeated beat throughout and on top of the thick French horn that plays in ascending scale sequence with a bitonal effect that was first introduced as we climbed up the chimney in a spiral pattern before entering the factory. This repeated echo prompts the sound as it is embedded into our memory now to be the theme of the ‘Charlie and the chocolate factory’ story.