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/lp/edinburgh-university-press/steven-spielberg-s-jurassic-park-sounding-dinosaurs-0xHNTGHt6f
- Publisher
- Edinburgh University Press
- Copyright
- © Edinburgh University Press
- Subject
- Articles; Film, Media and Cultural Studies
- ISSN
- 2042-8855
- eISSN
- 2042-8863
- DOI
- 10.3366/sound.2014.0053
- Publisher site
- See Article on Publisher Site
Abstract
The visual spectacle of Steven Spielberg's dinosaurs in Jurassic Park (1993) marked a moment in cinematic history. The digital effects used to create terrifying, realistic dinosaurs was pioneered by Spielberg and his team in their realisation of Michael Crichton's novel, and from a visual perspective, this `event' movie was perceived as a technological breakthrough. This article, while acknowledging the spectacular visual effects of this landmark blockbuster, explores the film's sound design. It has been observed that the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park are fully revealed onscreen for about six per cent of the film, but are suggestively present for about twenty-one per-cent of the time. This article discusses the use of atmospheric music, ambient sound and the techniques utilised by Spielberg's sound team to voice the dinosaurs in creating this `suggestive presence'. Through close analysis of the varied vocalisations of the creatures, and the ways in which they intertwine with John Williams' orchestral score, the article explores how sound is used to build suspense throughout the movie. KEYWORDS sound design sound effects non-diegetic score suspense Gary Rydstrom John Williams Jurassic Park animal sounds Sixty minutes into Jurassic Park (Spielberg 1993), the visual reveal of the mythic Tyrannosaurus Rex is
Journal
The New Soundtrack – Edinburgh University Press
Published: Mar 1, 2014