the use of sound in 'Serenity'.

Joss Whedon's Serenity is a sci-fi set in the future, so the challenge for every sci-fi direction is to create the atmosphere of science fiction with futuristic environments. It's not all about visual aesthetics, how a film sounds is integral to its authenticity. In the ship, you can hear the sounds of the mechanical arms and parts of weapons and crafts being soldered together. The ship is the workshop of the future; a haven for innovative weapon design and vehicle manufacturing. Right from the opening shot, you can see the spaceships of the future flying about, so the entire sound design revolves around this concept. In space, there aren't any particles to carry vibrations, so no sound. For the shots of space, you can't hear the ships flying by, as that would go against the laws of physics, so the sound in those scenes creates authenticity in regard to sticking to science-fact that many other sci-fi seem to ignore. We commend Gravity on its use of sound in space, but it defies many other laws of physics that most other viewers don't care to mention. Whereas Serenity sticks true to science in almost every aspect, and the sound design is no exception. 

The soundtrack sounds very Western and often bluegrass, as the basic premise of Serenity and it's television predecessor Firefly is 'western in space', which is quite an innovative concept; combining space with other facets of geek culture is the very thing that made Star Wars famous. The mid-20th Century western soundtrack juxtaposes the futuristic environments and locations, giving the viewer an innate familiarity which we otherwise wouldn't have. The accent of Malcolm Reynolds, the main character, is also quite southern, reinforcing the western aesthetic. After all, dialogue is sound too.  

'Phantom Menace' exam question.

Q1: Explain 2 ways in which the narrative (the characters and events) in the extract fits the action adventure genre

The speed and motion is notable in this scene. The pods are moving fast through tight spaces with the additional threat of competitors crashing in to you. We’re familiar with driving through tunnels, and the Pod Racing extract is like that but exaggerated in both scale and speed. The pods are obviously going faster than most motorway speed limits, so the slightest moment of poor judgement can send you flying into a rock following an orange/yellow cloud of explosions. Unlike planes flying through the air, there is relative motion with the ground and the rocks; we can see how fast the pods are going in relative to everything else, unlike planes in the air which don’t look as fast as they are actually going. It has a standard protagonist, which is represented as a young, brave little warrior, and a standard antagonist that is ugly, slimey and conniving. And of course, the antagonist fails and the protagonist wins, eliciting standard action/adventure tropes, but then again, what else could you expect from post-era George Lucas?

Q2: Explain how the following is used to create effects: mise-en-scene

The cinematography is most notable, switching between POV shots, close-ups and tracking shots, to intensify the speed and motion. The sound effects of the pods are mechanical and raw, making them seem as if they're made out of scrap metal and spare parts. The pods also look quite rusty, with iron screw panels instead of models as the pods shell. It creates the atmosphere of dereliction and desertion, which is certainly effective in a desert environment. In fact, everything about the atmosphere is presented as derelict and deserted. The spectators are wearing robes, much like those living in the desert, and the colour palette is mainly yellow/brown, like a Tunisian village. It's environment has a lot in common with The Hurt Locker in that regard, but in overall quality, The Phantom Menace and The Hurt Locker are polar opposites. 

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