The Dark Knight (2008) Sound Case Study: Opening Scene

Today, our teacher challenged us to understand sounds in production and being able to distinguish them within our genre. For example, being able to notice diegetic and non-diegetic sound or synchronous and non-synchronous sound.

Since we were told to do the opening scene of a movie within our genre, I knew immediately where I would head towards: The Dark Knight. This is a classic, amazing opening scene. Also, this is most likely my most watched film as it never gets old.

Learning about diegetic, non-diegetic, synchronous, and non-synchronous sound allowed me not only have more knowledge in media but it will help me with part of the AICE exam. We were told one part of the AICE Media Studies AS exams is we will watch 2 minutes of a film multiple times with a 1 minute break in between, then have to write an essay based off what we just saw. Knowing these media terms for sound gives me the ability to apply it to that essay and even my movie.

 The Dark Knight

https://youtu.be/0OYBEquZ_j0- Link to video used

• Begins with a sound bridge from the showing of warner brother's logo into the first opening scene, it is a ticking sound paired with a different menacing and dark sound, which is meant to be a suspension building sound. It is also non-diegetic. This ticking carries throughout the entireopening scene. 

• Following there is a sting which is heard right when it shows the building, essentially when the movie starts. 

• The ticking and menacing, dark sound starts to get louder and louder as it closes in on the glass windows of a building. 

• It gets louder and louder until sound effects are used for the shooting of a gun which breaks a glass window. Also, a synchronous sound. Diegetic sound. 

• Continued sound effects and synchronous sound when the man with the gun reloads it and then shoots it again, what is shot seems to be a grappler to connect them to this next building (the bank). Also, this is a diegetic sound. 

• A sound motif for the joker is used, which is essentially a one note distorted, rising sound which starts when he is standing on a sidewalk holding a mask. Non-diegetic sound. 

• The sound gets increasingly louder as the mask is zoomed in on. 

• Car screeches in front of joker to pick him up which is a diegetic, synchronous sound. Can be considered sound effects if sound is enhanced to be louder for audience. 

• Joker opens the door, diegetic and synchronous sound. Same applies for sound effects if sound is enhanced to be louder. 

• Cuts back to men in building where there are sound effects which involve the men getting on the zipline from the grappler they connected to the building. Diegetic and synchronous sound. 

• As well as them getting their bags on their shoulders to take with them. Diegetic and synchronous sound.

• Ambient sounds of the city are heard as they zipline over the street to get to the other building.

• Sound effects are added to show the people ziplining to the cars below them, sort of a whoosh sound. Non-diegetic.

• A sort of “dun,dun,dun” sound then plays as they zipline over the buildings which is meant to build suspension. Non-diegetic.

• The men land on top of the building which is on some rock/gravel which one of them slips on. Diegetic, synchronous sound.

• Dialogue between 3 men in car over the share of the money, which signals that there is a robbery about to happen. 

• The menacing sound they have been playing is considered a sound bridge as it is carried out through different scenes, although during dialogue is put lower so we can hear them talking. 

• Can also slightly hear the car running. Diegetic, synchronous sound.

• Sound effects are added to the clocking/loading of their guns. Diegetic, synchronous sound. 

• Menacing sound gets louder as it goes to top of the building with two men.

• More dialogue then diegetic and synchronous sound as one man uses a hammer to break into the electrical box, and another man gets other equipment out.

• They get out of the car, and the car door closes and footsteps are heard as they run up to the bank after checking their surroundings. Diegetic, synchronous sound.

• Ambient sounds of the city are heard in the background as they walk into the bank.

• They get into the bank after the sound of opening the door where their footsteps are heard from them running inside the bank. Diegetic, synchronous sound.

• Woman is heard screaming which is sound perspective due to the proximity of the sound. Also, it is asynchronous as the sound doesn’t match what we are seeing on the screen.

• The menacing sound in the background, which is non-diegetic, is still playing as multiple people now are screaming from being robbed which is diegetic. Can be considered asynchronous from the screams as we don’tknow exactly which people are screaming. 

• Next, from the robbers there is dialogue between them yelling at the employees of the bank to get down. Diegetic, synchronous sound.

• The menacing sound gets louder as there is continued dialogue between this one robber who is yelling at the employees and then to have dialogue from this woman employee telling the robber, "No” to not rob her or hurt her. Man also falls from being pulled over the counter. All diegetic, synchronous sounds.

• Camera cuts back to the top of the building where there is dialogue between the two men up there. Sound effects are also used as a signification that the silent alarm is going off. All diegetic, synchronous sounds.

• Goes back into bank where a bag of grenades is opened. Sound effects are used for the opening of the bag of grenades. There is continued dialoguebetween this lady employee and robber who is pulling her over the counter and telling her to stay down. Next, we can hear a grenade click from further sound effects. All diegetic, synchronous sounds.

• There is a sting before it cuts back to the roof, sort of a ringing sound. Non-diegetic. This signifies something interesting or dramatic is about to happen.

• While on the roof, there is dialogue between the two men up there where there are sound effects of a silenced gun shooting to kill the man who got rid of the silent alarm. The man also grunts as he goes down. We hear the man fall to the ground and the electrical box fly open. All diegetic, synchronous sounds. Although, the menacing sound that has continued playing is non-diegetic.

• The menacing music then turns into a “dun-dun...dun-dun” as the man who killed the other runs down the stairs, this signifies the dramatic moment and the rush he is in. Music is non-diegetic. Footsteps of man running down the stairs is diegetic.

• Sound perspective as we see this man in his enclosed office watching the robbery and we hear in the background the robber yelling once again at more of the employees which is dialogue. Diegetic sounds.

• There is also the joker putting another grenade in someone’s hand where sound effects are used for the clicking of the grenade. Diegetic, synchronous sound.

• Man walks into safe where the door opens and the music gets louder for a second. Diegetic, synchronous sound for the door opening and non-diegetic sound for the music.

• The joker continues putting grenades in people's hands and we hear the clicking of the grenades, meaning sound effects. There is continued sound perspective as in the background is the continued yelling of the other robber at the employees. Diegetic, synchronous sounds.

• Menacing music slightly changes as camera cuts to man breaking into bank vault with certain type of contraption. Non-diegetic.

• Sound effects are used for the contraption as it breaks into the vault door. Diegetic, synchronous sound.

• A robber hits a security guard to get him down and proceeds to scream at everyone for dialogue. Diegetic, synchronous sound.

• Man inside office then shoots one robber, killing him with a shotgun. These are sound effects. The glass also breaks from the shot as well as the robber screaming as he is killed. Diegetic, synchronous sound.

• The music rises and sting, or could be considered incidental music, is used for the suspension of the scene. Non-diegetic.

• The joker hurries to get cover from the man shooting as sound effects

• Cuts back to man opening vault with continued sound effects when the voltage of the contraption hits him back and then he grunts. Diegetic, synchronous sounds.

• Menacing sounds then get louder again as it cuts back to the robbers getting shot at and the man fires multiple shots and the joker runs from him for cover. Sound effects from the gun and diegetic, synchronous sounds.

• Man clocks his gun again with sound effects and then dialogue between man screaming at robbers and then more dialogue between robbers as they are taking cover. Diegetic, synchronous sound. Menacing sound slightly changes as the man gets closer. Non-diegetic sound.

• Man shoots final shot when robber thought he was out, then continues clocking gun since he is out of ammunition, then man shot with final round grunts to ground. Sound effects and diegetic, synchronous sounds.

• The joker shoots the bank employee, sending him slowly falling to the ground.

• Since the threat is taken care of, the sound slightly gets softer. Non-diegetic.

• Dialogue between robber and joker, and a different sort of sound at the end before scene goes back to the vault.

• Dialogue between two men at vault as one gets the vault open, and another is getting stuff out of a bag. Sound effects are then used for the opening of the vault. Then the dialogue is continued as suspense builds to one of the robbers shooting the man who opened the vault, which is more sound effects from the gun shot. Diegetic, synchronous sounds.

• Camera back on joker walking around bank as the menacing music gets louder which is sort of a repeating “Buh” sound which is also non-diegetic.

• Menacing music changes back while getting louder, then sound effects are used for vault door completely opening. Non-diegetic sound then diegetic, synchronous sound.

• Diegetic, synchronous sounds when man runs into vault and puts all the money inside into the bags.

• Bags are stacked onto each other and then dialogue between joker and robber. Diegetic, synchronous sounds.

• Gun then clicks from use of sound effects. Diegetic, synchronous sound.

• Dialogue continues as background music is lowered, then footsteps. Diegetic and non-diegetic sounds, diegetic sounds are synchronous.

• Bus appears knocking man to the ground, also breaking the glass of the bank. Sound effects and diegetic, synchronous sounds.

  
  

  Questions

   (These questions were also added for the end of the sound case study by our teacher)

  
  

1. 1. The sounds provide the audience with a lot of narrative information; it shows at the beginning that something dramatic and suspenseful is happening. The sting between scenes also shows the more important or dramatic scenes. For example, when the music has a sting right before it cuts to the roof where the first robber shoots another robber on the job. 

2. 2. The emotional response it induces on the audience is key as it makes us intrigued about what all goes down for this robbery. The suspense builds as well as the drama. We ask ourselves questions all throughout like, will they get caught or get away with it? All of this is very important for how the opening scene is set up and how the entire might go down. 

2.