Call the midwife

 

Call the midwife - soap opera

Each programme/film had its own audio effects, and I have detailed notes on them for periods of time in the programme/film that I watched. They are listed here below in this case for the soap opera 'Call the midwife'.

The first things to be heard in the episode I watched are a Foghorn and seagulls which tell us they are at a seaside location, or at least somewhere with a dock. A train can then be heard but it is a steam train not electronic, therefore suggesting the era we are in. There is also a slow soundtrack to fit with the time to try and create relatability and provoke nostalgic emotions. Distant sirens can be heard showing us there is crime in the area, thereby telling us it is not necessarily a safe area. In a backing soundtrack you can hear banjos and violins, provoking the emotion of the scene to be quite calm and pleasant. You can then hear wheels turning, and bike bells, there is a lot of them suggesting it is the main means of transport. This again tells us it is from a period where technology is still lacking. The floors are made of cobbles, which you can tell from when the bike wheels hit it; but that also tells us it is from a time when materials are still not realised. Whistles also tended to be used by police officers in England around the 50's, which we can hear telling us the setting. The bikes are also moving at a very slow pace, suggesting a cramped space which is typical of England's old narrow streets. Heels on steps can be heard telling us the setting is changing and that there are women in the scene. The fact that there is the sound of a cupboard moving and paper shuffling, suggests someone filing paperwork away telling us there are no computers for storing electronic data. The dialogue is also well spoken, and is of a British descent, now confirming the culture of the programme. You can also hear the flame flickering, telling us there is no electric lighting. The use of classic operatic singing and period songs, tells us the era it is from in another form. There is actually silence for a brief moment to create tension in that moment of clarity, to show it is an empty area. The use of crying babies, and people talking in cute voices, tells us there are babies present in a reasonable amount. For a moment someone sneezes, and the gas from the air machine can be heard, this is to help with the fact it is a demonstration so the people are suppose to be quiet. The use of laughter, is to then create a light hearted feel to the scene. There is no response at the door to create tension, and near silence to show he is in control of the scene. A distant echo of children playing can be heard to tell us the area is quiet. Then footsteps, and awkward silences are put in place to create tension again. We then have the concept of appearance VS reality, to mess with the audio in that moment. There is then the sound of Velcro from the blood pressure monitor to tell us what is happening. There is no dialogue to build awkward tension by them not knowing what to say. This then draws attention, which is then draw away by the sound of keys. The use of a fragile voice is to create vulnerability in the scene. Then cockney accents are use dto set the period. The change in what can be heard from crying babies to silence is to add tension and attract attention to the scene, while giving coherence between the change of shots. This shows us the scene and area the characters are in has changed, without even needing to look at the screen.