The Visual Atmosphere

Today we got talking about atmosphere: what it is, and how it can be created. Cinematic atmosphere was discussed in the most detail.
Having recently filled the role of camera operator/director of photography on a short film for a media subject, and given that the crew is currently spending most of our time in the editing suites, the importance of atmosphere becomes all the more apparent. In post-production sound, we've had to consider 'atmosphere tracks' for most of our scenes (as do all short and feature-length film crews). The atmosphere track can add many layers of depth to a scene and its characters. Through the simple use of a sound effect, a female character, for example, can be established as a mother -- perhaps even a strung-out mother, if that sound effect is a perpetually crying child; a location can be established through sound, for example, the visual may be of any room, but adding sounds of people fighting loudly, trains and traffic, and/or loud music, the location can be established as a busy apartment block on a main road.
An example from our film would be the adding of muffled voices off-screen during a scene featuring only our main female character, to establish her mind-set as unstable, anxious and distracted by the views and opinions of other people around her.

Atmosphere can also be established visually. Through photography (where there is no sound) the setting of atmosphere is perhaps even more crucial. Take, for example, Gregory Crewdson's 2007 photograph 'Birth'.

(image credit)

Crewdson sets the atmosphere with the snow on the ground; the dark/overcast tone outdoors contrasted with the bright, fluorescent lights inside the room. The woman turning her back to the child on the bed. This scene feels cold. Temperature-wise and emotionally.

Adding a black and white filter to image, arguably, warms it, and it is evident that the intense, saturated blue of the original image creates a coldness that we do not necessarily notice until it is removed. Now there is no difference between the light outdoors and indoors. The black and white flattens the atmosphere. 

I would like to explore this phenomenon further in our atmosphere project, but my group and I have decided to explore the physical experience of atmosphere, instead of the visual. The idea got us very excited, though, I am very much looking forward to it!

Romany