Analyses Of The Use Of Sound And Camerawork In Sweet Sixteen

Sound:

'Sweet Sixteen' by Ken Loach uses both conventional and non-conventional sound choices and techniques of Social Realist Dramas to produce this film. For example most social realist drama focus on the working and low classes, this means that the script has to fit what may be said, in what situation and to who. The stereotypical 'chav', who many would associate with the working class swears and uses a lot of bad language to put their point across. Because of this 'Sweet Sixteen' also uses a lot of swearing.

The nationality of the cast and the setting of the film is also important to the script as there may be different accents. Again the stereotypical working class family lives in big industrial cities and in the old houses provided for the factory work force. Many of these factories were built in Scotland, where the film has been set.

Loach goes completely against convention on the soundtracks which he has chosen for the film. Rather than choosing a R+B or gangster rap, which is the stereotypical of 'chav' working classes he has chosen a much slower and softer song without any heavy lyrics in more than one accession. This shows that the featured characters have a more sensitive and caring side to them as a slower music choice is seen as a higher class of people and lifestyle. This however is not always the case. 'Funny Games' by Michael Haneke focuses on a high class family on a holiday, the opening starts with classical music as they drive around the country side, next the music suddenly stops and a very heavy metal rock song starts. This song choice is something many would expect to see a 'working class' to be listening to not the 'high/upper class'.

Camerawork:

Again Sweet Sixteen goes against normal social realist drama conventions with different camera styles bring used. Most films from this drama use only hand held camera and most scenes are never static for a long period of time. Sweet Sixteen however uses only static shots (the camera is mounted on a tripod) for most of the filming using mainly mid, full and close shots. Because of the camera being static there are lots on panning shots used opposed to editing and changing the camera location which is a major characteristic of a social realist drama film.

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