Industrial Media Assignment on The clown train: Analysis of use of sound and visual to contribute to the film genre.
Just at the onset of this piece, without meaning to bias you, I have to confess that I watched the film one late evening in a dark room a few nights ago. The effects in this film scared the hell out of me as a viewer! It took me all these days to get this courage to write the analysis, that too early morning today so I have no glimpse of darkness or any other cues or links to the film to get me horrified yet again!
So, the film begins with complete darkness along with the sound of train slowing down and compartments sound is heard. There are no visuals used. One hears a sound of the train breaks screeching and we hear the train stop suddenly. This creates a rather scary feel to the darkness! This sound suggests the genre of the film as that of “horror or thriller” brakes for evoking the emotions of danger/horror in the audience.
The focus shifts to the location of a compartment in the train where the film is shot. There is a young man who is the focus with the engine sound is still there with sound of cars from the road.
A clown shows up with a sound of a drum and his big smile. The effect of his appearance is very impactful along with the sound of drumbeats used. There are low-key piano notes and beats playing very softly suggesting “expected danger in action” to add to the suspense of the audience. The young man asks the clown where they are and why the train has stopped. There is a conversation between the clown and the young man. The sound of the buzzing of light and drum beat hint that danger is expected with! By hearing this, it is evident to the audience that there will be danger, thus creating suspense in their minds to know what will happen next.
There is a feeling of constant danger in the audience with a sound of a light wire buzzing accompanied with the flickering of light almost three times. The next moment when the light goes off with the buzz sound, the clown shifts to sit next to across the young man.
The clown asks him if he wants to hear a joke? There is a train track sound in varied frequency is played in the background. There is a loud sound when the clown tells the young man a joke on cannibals, which is far from humorous and rather scary! That he has already told him that joke. To me this also suggests that they have met in the past!
There is a light buzz sound again with darkness. Now the clown shifts place and leans over him while the young man looks away. There is climax in the film when the young man now feels danger from the clown sitting next to him with a loud laugh. The young man just wants to run away now. The clown is laughing very loudly and the train track sound is in the background once again.
Visual of the young man struggling to open the train compartment door to get out is accompanied with a sound of the door of metal opening. He jumps out with a sound of him hitting the ground with a thud.
We hear the clown say that he will tell him the joke on Friday. There is a light buzzing sound again with complete darkness. The credits come on with the sound of a train.
The film consists of a sound effect for almost every action in the film, making it truly successful in evoking horror in the audience!
The shot construction is such that it keeps the focus on the conversation between the young man and the clown. Each time the clown shifts closer to the young man, the shot composition adds to the danger quotient for the young man. The clever use of light buzzing sound and lights going off leading to darkness lends immense suspense to the audience.
I would also like to share an example of a film of a different genre which has successfully used excellent sound effects which is : Dolerean Time Machine of Back to the future series and Star Tek Series which caters to Sci- Fi film lovers who enjoy a journey into the space age!
If you are a horror fan, or a student of media wanting to learn use of sound effects to create horror, Clown Train is a must watch simply owing to it’s amazing sound effects and lighting!
monamediamantras 