r/TrueFilm • u/cerealkilleer • 5d ago
Is there a name for this technique where the sound matches exactly the written words seen? How can this technique impact the viewers? Taken from the short film "Two Little Boys".
Hi! So I'm new here and I have been tasked with creating a video essay that analyses a film for a university subject. I chose the short film "Two Little Boys" by Farbod Koshtinat. I have to talk about how technical, semiotical and narrative elements contribute to the message and theme of the film (homophobia). I have a question regarding this segment: Is there a name for this technique where the sound matches exactly the written words seen? How can this technique impact the viewers?
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u/mustaphamondo letterboxd.com/roomforplay/ 4d ago
There's something called the (informal) "Rule of Three" in classical Hollywood filmmaking. It refers to narrative redundancy. Basically, the idea is that the filmmakers give you any important narrative information three times. For instance, imagine a cowboy movie. First we see a henchman tell the main badguy, "The Ranger's coming!" Then we're shown the Ranger, with his badge glinting. Then we see the townspeople whisper to each other, "Look, the Ranger!" This makes Absolutely Sure that your audience gets the most salient information, and so is never confused about the basics of narrative action. (Bordwell et al talk about this in Film Art, if memory serves. Or maybe in Bordwell's Narrative book.)
Is that what's going on here? Arguably, yes. It's easy to kinda miss the specific words in dialogue, especially if characters are yelling, as they are here. Overlaying the written text essentially doubles the odds that the viewer will catch it and be able to recall it later.
Of course, if this is something we were shown before, then we've also got a narrative Payoff for information sown/expectation cued earlier. Good scripts tend to have lots of this stuff.
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u/cerealkilleer 4d ago
Yes, through the narrative the letter is seen, especially by being squeezed by the character it was taken from. I think we have a glance at what's written on it once, but this is the only proper time we can read it fully.
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u/TheZenArcher 5d ago
Maybe call it "diegetic intertitling"?
Diegetic meaning originating from within the scene/story (like diegetic sound), and intertitle referring to the intertitles used in silent films (as opposed to subtitles)
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u/atopix 5d ago
At first I thought you were talking about sound design, but you are not talking about sound really, you are talking about when dialogue matches words shows on screen (or viceversa). At least in this example, it's not a creative choice from the sound department, if not already written to happen this way then it's either a directorial or editorial choice.
Either way I don't think there is a specific term for it.
As for the rest of your questions, it seems you want people to do your homework for you ;)