Can You tell And Not Show?

Now, We have all heard the phrase 'show, don't tell,' as one of the golden rules in storytelling, but what if I told you that telling a story not through dialogue but through sound can be equally as powerful? To explain the concepts ahead, I'm going to be using the opening sequence of 'I Am Legend' as an example, so go ahead and watch it down below to get a refresher.

So, if we go purely by what we see, the scene is about a guy chasing some deer on the deserted streets of New York, and just when he is about to catch it, it gets stolen by a lion. It establishes where we are, has some good action, and even gives us a little look into our characters psyche, by all means, a perfectly good scene.

Now, I recommend you play back the scene (starting from second 20), but this time, do not look at the image, only listen to the sounds. See what you pick up, in terms of where we are, and what is happening.

Scene Anaysis

It paints a pretty different picture, doesn't it? Whereas before, we could clearly tell that we were in an abandoned city, now we are not so sure. Aside from the dialogue and the car noises, there is nothing that indicates it, rather, the contrary. We start by hearing a gust of wind, followed by a bunch of birds taking flight, crickets, and birds in the distance. It sounds a lot less like New York City and much more like the savannah. So it is not a coincidence that, a few seconds later, a herd of gazelles appears. Now, when you look at it through this lens, it gives you a much fuller picture. The sequence is not about a guy chasing some gazelles in his car; it is about a predator chasing its prey. Now the whole context starts making sense. Even more specifically, it is a lion chasing a gazelle. Don't believe me? Go back and listen to the noises the car makes. It is not an accident that it is a loud engine because it is meant to sound like a lion. Even around the 30-second mark, you can hear some rattle from the car that sounds like a more toned down roar, followed by a loud one. Remember that if a film is well made nothing in it is an accident.

And this is the way the scene works together, image and sound, each giving you a piece of the puzzle, complementing each other. And if you had any doubts left that the reason for this scene or that what it was trying to allude to, was more than what meets the eye, look at the final minute where our protagonist is hiding in some tall grass, like a lion. Image and sound complementing each other. And it is no coincidence that his meal gets taken by another lion. At this point, not only do we establish the dynamics of the world and the story. hunt or be hunted, prey vs predator. but also the survival of the fittest and the strongest. That is why I love how this scene ends. He has an opportunity to kill the lion, but when he sees it has a family, he backs away. Not only is it a great character building moment that helps us empathize with him, but it also exemplifies the themes of the story and how this world is ruthless and merciless. That is exactly what we will see for the rest of the film how a human being has to deal and adapt to this cruel and inhumane world to survive. Does he have what it takes to stay alive, or will he become prey?

So the next time that you go to write or film a scene, make sure you ask yourself, How can I enrich the story through sound? Can I tell the somenthing that I can’t show?

I hope you liked this little scene analysis on 'I Am Legend' from the perspective of sound design. This was actually an example that one of my favorite professors used to explain the huge potential that sound design possesses in telling a story, and even better, how when done correctly, not only does it enhance the picture, but it can tell a seemingly completely different story at the same time.

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