Chapter 1:
What diegetic sounds create realism in the opening scene?
At the very start of the opening scene, the audience can hear sea gulls as we are given a birds eye view of the sea. You can also faintly hear waves crashing in the background. This creates realism as the sounds transport the audience to the beach; sea gull sounds and crashing waves are sounds that are associated with the beach and therefore even without watching, the audience can tell where the opening scene takes place.
How would you describe the non-diegetic sound and what does it contribute to the opening scene?
The non-diegetic sound is the sound of the police talking over the radio at the beginning; this sound is layered over the typical beach sounds. Then, the Superintendent's speech begins to play over the sound of a police car siren. This talking makes the scene realistic and immediately the audience know what the opening scene will include; which is the theme of police.
What is the effect of the Superintendent's speech being a sound bridge over the beach scene?
The Superintendent's speech playing over the beach scene is quite comedic. The Superintendent talks about the police finding people in "life or death situations", and we then see a group of men in inflatable hats messing around on the beach. He then mentions the police making the "highest standards of decision-making", while the policeman fails to pull apart two of the men who are fighting; one man is held in a headlock and the policeman is barely helping. Furthermore, the Superintendent mentions "positive daily interactions with the public", just as a man punches the policeman in the face. Lastly, the Superintendent mentions the policemen earning "respect from the public they serve". Immediately after this, a man turns to the policeman and says "what is the point of you?" Overall, after each statement the Superintendent makes about the police force being respected, resilient and dealing with threatening situations, the scene on the beach displays the opposite of this.
