By knitting together the sparse sonic ingredients in a subtle undulating fashion, supervising sound editor Skip Lievsay and composer Carter Burwell bring a well-defined cohesion to the soundtrack. sound effects, dialogue and music) that the Coen brothers are able to cultivate an atmosphere of unease that not only highlights Barton’s state of mind but also complements the film’s ambiguities. It is chiefly with the help of auditory elements (i.e. However, the narrative of the film transcends this simple plotline by emphasising the internal and external anguish this naïve and idealistic character (Barton Fink) experiences. The end result was Barton Fink, a film that has its main character experience a similar creative impasse. During this state of uncertainty they temporarily abandoned that project and started a new one. While embarking on their third film, Joel and Ethan Coen experienced a creative impasse. Its critical success offers an example of a viable alternative to those modes of production. This unique approach to the construction of the soundscape for Barton Fink stands in contrast with a majority of the general practices of Hollywood. As a result, the aural elements are truly homogeneous: all striving to complement the narrative. The integration of these elements is achieved principally through the Coens’ collaborative filmmaking efforts. One of the main reasons for the film’s highly communicative sonic environment is that it is expressed through a soundtrack that weaves together all of the aural ingredients. This is most evident in the ‘world’ they created for Barton Fink (1991). Joel and Ethan Coen have consistently used music, effects and dialogue to shape the atmosphere of their films. At the same time, Barnes offers some intriguing analysis of the finished film which demonstrates why attention to Barton Fink’s sound design is important for both practitioners and theorists alike. In so doing, Barnes illustrates a model that he suggests could be a template for better sound design practices within the Hollywood system. He takes us from the level of the script, through the shooting, and on into the sound mixing stage in order to elucidate the processes by which these filmmakers integrate sound into the larger work. Barnes draws on a variety of interviews with this long standing collaborative team – including some conducted by the author himself while completing his dissertation research – in order to flesh out the production methods of a group of filmmakers clearly as concerned with the expressive power of their film’s soundtrack as with the image. In this essay, Randall Barnes takes us deep into the concept of “designing a film for sound” using Barton Fink as a case study for examining the close working relationship between writer/directors Joel and Ethan Coen, sound designer Skip Lievsay, and composer Carter Burwell. Barton Fink: Atmospheric Sounds of the Creative Mind Sound Practices of the Coen Brothersīy Randall Barnes Volume 11, Issue 8-9 / September 2007 28 minutes (6943 words)
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