Final Storyboard

Storyboard

Each excerpt uses the same film clip playing in the same order with the order of the musical cues reversed i.e. Excerpt 1 = Cue 1,2,3,4,5 and Excerpt 2 = Cue 5,4,3,2,1.

For lack of repetition, only one excerpt will be storyboarded.

Excerpt 1

Cue 1

The first cue of excerpt one is where the characters theme is established in its purest form, instantly recognisable by melodic pattern, harmonic intervals, instrumentation and rhythmic contour.

Figure 1

The theme (Figure 1) is written in B minor, a key that nineteenth century composers such as Tchaikovsky and Schubert established as a key of delicacy, heartbreak and despair (Satis 2012) to represent both the isolated heartbreak of the main character and the troubled breakdown that ensues during the clip. Piano leads the melody of the key coupled with a reverb effect to create a sense of space, representing the piece of the characters life that is missing as well as the glazed over look of the world as the character can not just see the piano for its true colour. The piano itself characterizes the delicacy, isolation and tragedy of the character harmonised by a cello and viola playing pedal tones using B minor, B augmented and B suspended fourth chords, creating a further sense of deep, resonant sorrow. Rhythmically the theme follows an up and down pattern as the tonic note of B is followed by an interval of a perfect fifth before the crotchet notes play back and forward by major second intervals. This rhythmic setting is one of the fundamental aspects of the theme, where the melodic patter allows notes to come bounce back and forward between each other in an up and down motion allowing for a memorable melody line that is recognisable not just by pitch value.

Traffic

As the cue comes to an end, background traffic noise fades in to regain the filmic immersion and provide a sense of continuity during the wait for the second cue.

Cue 2

The second musical cue (Figure 2) changes in two fundamental ways; it begins to incorporate the melodic minor scale within the cello, viola and bass harmony and the rhythmic pattern changes by adding quavers as opposed to the previously used crotchets.

Figure 2

Although the rhythmic pattern adds half notes to the second and third crotchet, it continues to be a recognisable melodic pattern through the up and down patter of a major second still found in the lead notes of each beat. Adding quarter notes almost enhances a sense of urgency and confusion into the previously established, walking paced theme. Harmonically, the pedal tones found beneath the main melody change during this cue as the cello and viola use diatonic chords to provide further colour to the tonic note whilst the newly introduced bass instrument this, at first supporting the establish chord pattern before harmonising using a major third to widen the sense of uncertainty. The last suspended note found after the established melody, predominantly played by the string harmony is an A sharp, found in the B melodic minor scale. The B melodic minor scale begins continues to enter the theme more and more throughout the musical cues as a hint to further chromatic dissonance, to create an overshadowing sense of uncertainty and to begin to cover up the home key by pulling further away from the tonal centre.

Cue 3

Theme three (Figure 3) continues to stray further from the tonal centre by introducing the first signs of dissonance by adding an F natural accidental before the already established F sharp.

 Figure 3

Dissonance is used in this section not to completely skew the theme and its meaning but to begin the breakdown of the characters mental state, the character doesn’t all of a sudden mentally break down, it takes time for him to become who he will be which is represented in the theme as it does not imply an over use of chromatic notes, instead using one to create the sense of unease to the previously established melody. The rhythmic pattern again stays the same, reinstating to the audience that this theme embodies this character whilst suspense is created once again through the harmony, this time using a tremolo technique in the mid range viola and low range cello. Tremolo used in the string section by quickly bowing a note back and forward is a film convention established in Hollywood cinema for creating suspense (Kalinak 2010) by creating the audio equivalent to trembling. The tremolo is played in unison by the viola and cello on two different octaves to create a bee like buzzing sound, the violas high end cutting through with an almost shriek like effect through it’s darker, richer tone than the full warmth of the low end cello.

Narration

As theme three ends, a narration spoken in French by a woman begins. This piece of dialogue remains in the video for two reasons: the is to create an unknown reason for the characters breakdown as the viewer can visually see that he struggles with himself, the audio narration reinstates that this woman’s voice is the reason for that struggle whether she is someone that he has lost, a victim of his, he is a victim of hers, someone that he is trying to find or someone that has caused for him to leave. Hearing this voice in excerpt one leads to a full breakdown of the characters mental state whereas in excerpt two it soothes his breakdown, allowing him to take control of himself. The second reason creates the unknown mentioned above, as there is no English language spoken or subtitled. If the audience cannot grasp on to what it is that the narration says, they cannot anchor down an exact plot, only a possible cause or effect.

Cue 4

Theme four (Figure 4) pulls further away from the initial key of B minor as the melody incorporates G sharp and A sharp found in the melodic minor scale as well as the use of chromatic chord voicing’s such as the incorporation of the minor second to create a sense of chaos within the chords. 

Figure 4

The previous sustained tremolo notes no longer play in unison, instead favouring for harmonies within the B melodic minor scale to enhance the feeling of unease when compared to the original melody in B minor. Rhythmically the piece changes slightly as the full melody is now played in quavers, slightly changing in pitch value but continuing the original shape of the melody as to not detach itself from its fundamental purpose, to act as the mental state of the character. The rhythm acts as the characters mental state, an unreadable cacophony of confusion chaos and anxiety in which he cannot shut off from his rhythmic pulse. A violin section that rapidly raises the pitch of each note played to form a scratching effect is implemented into the instrumentation, acting as a devil on the characters shoulders and the parasite that breaks him down, playing strict half notes repeating itself in rhythmic pattern as it gradually creeps up the B melodic minor scale with chromatic notes introduced creating a diverse chaotic range. 

Vomit

This cue ends as the character vomits. The use of silence here is a powerful injection into a music heavy soundtrack, allowing the audience to take a moment to reflect on what they have already heard and see, and feel shocked by the image they are seeing, feeling detached from the character’s state of mind until the musical theme once again enters to reintroduce the viewer with the characters current metal state.

Cue 5

The fifth and final musical theme begins as cue four finished, reiterating the previously established melody (Figure 4) and violin pattern. The harmony played out between cello, viola and bass begin to diminish the original melodic harmony, the cello for one, creating a sinister, swarm like effect by clashing the tonic note with a minor second and minor sixth note. Clashing notes from both the melodic and natural minor scale are used to full effect in harmony in this section such as an A being played under an A sharp and F played under an F sharp, all used to add to the confusion of where the home key is now situation and distorting how the viewer looks at what they believed to be the feeling of home, detaching the sense of control with the uncontrollable. The very last bar of this cue reiterates the first musical them harmonised with chromatic notes to create an uneasy melody, warming the viewer to the conclusion that although this may be the same character in visual state, his mental frame of mind is far removed from his initial introduction. 

End