The text that I have selected for my discussion of sound and sound effects is the popular UK reality and competition show, The Apprentice. There are various reasons for my decision, the most obvious one being due to the sheer popularity of the show, with the opening episode of this year’s series attracting 6.4 million viewers (Sweney, 2015, [online]). Also it is consistently contemporary to discussions regarding television due to its annual broadcasting schedule; it has been on screens since May 2005 (IMDb, 2015, [online]).
I have specifically chosen a television text to analyse because of its reliance upon sound, Dorai and Venkatesh declared that sound has been an ‘essential part of television from its very inception’ (Dorai & Venkatesh, 2002, p.32).
Now, Aaron Koh stated that ‘non diegetic sound is in itself a semiotic code designed as a convenient shorthand to evoke meanings, moods and identifications’ (Koh, 2010, p.129). The Apprentice is a very good example of this through its use of non-diegetic empathetic sounds. This is evident within any of the tasks set by Sir Alan Sugar; we can notice action sounds if the team in shot are rushing, gloomy sounds if they aren’t doing well and upbeat sounds if they have achieved something. Overall this enhances the emotion within a scene (Crook, 1999, p.88) and imprints the feel of the visuals.
This type of sound is primarily used as a ‘form of direct address’ to the audience (Pramaggiore & Wallis, 2005, p.210) and is most relevant when observing the character of Alan Sugar. The construction of him as intimidating is deeply rooted in the application of sound; it often builds the suspense and anticipation of his presence before we even see him. This loosely links to Peter Hutching’s ideas, not that Alan Sugar is a “monster” but by building the mood before we see him it constructs him as intimidating and somewhat fearful (Hutchings, 2004).
The Apprentice is also very effective in its use of diegetic sounds when it comes to evoking meaning. This is best seen through the conversations on the show, one of the best examples is during the boardroom scenes when we know through language expression and tone that it’s a heated situation. Dorai and Venkatesh stated that diegetic sound should ‘advance the story’ through its meaning (Dorai & Venkatesh, p.32) and the boardroom scene is a perfect example of this, through their arguing and conversations we eventually see one being fired which advances the competition.
Through these diegetic sounds comes the creation of a particular, and now nationally recognised, sound motif (Evans, 2006, p.262-263). The iconic “you’re fired” is the catchphrase on the show which rounds off every episode except the last of the series. It is fair to say that the saying has become instantly recognisable of the series and even has a spin off show named after it, The Apprentice: You’re Fired.
To conclude, I feel that the application of sound within The Apprentice works extremely well for its purpose and arguably, it could even be as important to the meaning as the actual visual image.
Bibliography:
Crook, T. (1999). Radio drama. London: Routledge.
Dorai, C. and Venkatesh, S. (2002). Media computing. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Evans, R. (2006). Practical DV filmmaking. Amsterdam: Elsevier Focal Press.
Hutchings, P. (2004). The Horror Film. Harlow: Pearson, pp.127-147.
IMDb, (2015). The Apprentice (TV Series 2005– ). [online] Available at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450897/ [Accessed 22 Nov. 2015].
Koh, A. (2010). Tactical globalization. New York: Peter Lang.
Pramaggiore, M. and Wallis, T. (2005). Film. London: Laurence King.
Sweney, M. (2015). The Apprentice recruits 6.4m viewers. [online] the Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/oct/15/the-apprentice-audience-bbc [Accessed 22 Nov. 2015].
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