Here She Comes! Scene from Van Helsing Movie (2004) | MOVIECLIPS.
Film: Van Helsing
Link: Van Helsing – Movie Clip – http://cli.ps/ZjVDS
Genre: Fantasy
Actors: Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, Richard Roxburgh
Directed by: Stephen Sommers
Writer: Stephen Sommers
In the movie, “Van Helsing” (2004), the films plot is based on Gabriel Van Helsing, a legendary vampire hunter. He is sent to Transylvania by the Vatican to rid the land of Count Dracula, vampire brides, Frankenstein’s creation and werewolves. While he is there he comes across Anna Valerious, one of the last of a powerful royal family, who is hell bent on destroying Dracula herself, for her family to get to heaven.
To create the desired effects of a film there are three basic categories of sound that are required to carefully balance and assist the story; dialogue, sound effects, and music. When we think of dialogue and the importance of it – it authenticates the speaker, so that we know it is a real person expressing feelings and gestures. With that we are able to follow the plot.
The use of sound is so intriguing how it is used to match to what we are viewing. Take for example, the (diegetic) synchronous sounds of horses running across the screen – you can hear the hoofs as they run or perhaps the “slamming” of the door when someone shuts it. (Non-Diegetic)Asynchronous sounds are the sounds that are not visible but provide dramatic effects so that we may get that climatic effect; eerie music, drum beats or “mood” music. This is so we know something is going to happen or to signify sadness or happiness.
The music, which is often played in the background of films, so that it plays off of our emotions “a particular musical theme associated with an individual character or situation may be repeated at various points in a film in order to remind the audience of salient motifs or ideas” (Marshall, n.d.). Most noticeably music in the background in horror movies, which is my favorite! “So important was its use that over time directors began inserting indications for specific music to be played at specific times. Music became a basic element of constructing a movie, as essential an element as lights and cameras” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014, Music, Sec 8.4).
Some specific sounds that immediately caught my attention was the high pitch music being played as the two vampire brides were cornering Anna in the room. Also, the crossbows; when Van Helsing dipped it into the holy water and turned to take a shot at the vampire bride while she was flying towards him (the sound of her wings flapping) made me sit at the edge of my seat to see whether he would make it! The music tied it all together to give it that edgy feel. The transformation of the two vampire brides when one was killed, the swirling effect of the music without the use of dialogue was heard, and it was interesting to correlate it together.
I would categorize the sound effects as being hard such as the footsteps and the weapons being fired. The use of Sensurround and surround sound gave you the deep bass vibrations and the feeling as if the sound was coming from not just one particular place for deeper impact was great. For me, I would not eliminate any of the sounds. I feel that they are key essential in making the film “come to life”. Without it, there would not be that sense of realism in the film. Silent films were the rave back in the days, but let’s face it, the use of sound just gives it that “WOW!” factor!
Reference
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From Watching To Seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Marshall, J.K. (n.d.). An Introduction to Film Sound. FilmSound.Org. Retrieved from http://filmsound.org/marshall/
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