http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On05op_Md38

This clip from “Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid” is a classic and I picked it because of the way that nature is portrayed in the video. Analyzing the listening modes of the clip you can see that the causal sounds play a major part in the clip. Whether it is Butch and Sundance running across the plateau or them falling down the rocky hill, you can see what is happening and understand the sound associated with it. However when they get closer to the waterfall you hear the rushing water, which lets the audience know what the two men do not, that they are headed towards a waterfall and towards trouble. The way that the sound works out it lets the audiences know what’s going to happen just slightly before the two main characters. It’s not necessarily a non diegetic sound but the timing does key the audience in to what is about to happen.

Also the way that sound is used to portray the space of the area they are in is well done.  For movement, the echo’s of their footprints on the stones gets more intense as the characters get closer.  Also when they are falling down the rocky hill their sounds get louder when they’re closer for a moment showing the size of the cliff. The size, distance and perception are shown as well. The sound of the waterfall fills the rocky gorge as it should during the whole scene, to the point where the two men are yelling at each other.

The blogger page will not let me post the screenplay as a PDF so I have posted it below

FADE IN

EXT. SOUTHWEST AMERICA- DAY

Wind is blowing as BUTCH CASSIDY and THE SUNDANCE KID are fleeing over the top of a stone plateau. Hopping over a downed tree, SUNDANCE trips, barely regaining his footsteps.

 Wind is blowing the echoes of their footsteps.

They are running out of breath, stopping only for a moment to look behind them

and coming to the edge of the cliff,

they jump down a large hill only to fall and roll down 250 feet  through stones and

rocks, the cowboy boots echoing off of the rocks as they lose their hats down the hill. The sounds of

water appear, slowly getting louder and louder.

They roll to their feet as they get to a gorge at the end of path, exposing the waterfall that was

inevitably going to appear.

BUTCH CASSIDY

Damn it!

The camera zooms out to expose the LARGE ROCKY GORGE. They both hide against the edge of the rocky gorge as the waterfall is deafening the background sound.

BUTCH CASSIDY

Well the way I figure it we can fight or give.

If We give we go to jail

SUNDANCE

I been there already.

BUTCH Cassidy

But if we fight they’ll see right where we are and starve us out or go for position and shoot us

Might even get a rock slide started, get us that way, what else can they do?

SUNDANCE

They could surrender to us but I wouldn’t count on it

A few shadowed characters move over the top of the ridge.

BUTCH

They’re goin for position alright

SUNDANCE

Better get ready (loads gun)

BUTCH

Kid nextime I say lets go someplace like Bolivia, lets go someplace like Bolivia!

SUNDANCE

Next time!

Ready?

BUTCH

No, we’ll JUMP!

Cuts to a shot of the rock filled river below.

SUNDANCE

Like hell we will!

BUTCH

No it’ll be ok, if the waters deep enough we don’t get squished to death

They’ll never follow us.

SUNDANCE

How do YOU know!?

BUTCH

Would you make a jump like that if ya didn’t have ta?

SUNDANCE

I have to and I aint gonna

BUTCH

Ya got to otherwise we’re dead.They’re just gonna have to go back down the same way they come. Cmon.

SUNDANCE

Just one clear shot, that’s all I want

BUTCH

Cmon..

SUNDANCE

..Uh uh

BUTCH

We got to---

SUNDANCE

Nope! Get away from me, I wanna fight em!

BUTCH

They’ll Kill us-

SUNDANCE

Maybe-

BUTCH

You wanna die?

SUNDANCE

Do you? ( motioning towards the cliff, water still echoing)

BUTCH

Alright, Ill jump first. (sound of belt being undone)

SUNDANCE

Nope

BUTCH

Then YOU Jump first

SUNDANCE

No I said!

BUTCH

WHATS THE MATTER WITH YOU!
SUNDANCE

I CANT SWIM!

BUTCH

(Loud Laughter)Why you crazy?

The fall’ll probly kill ya (tosses SUNDANCE half his belt)

SUNDANCE

Whoa oa oa oa oa

The pair run towards the edge and jump hold each end of the belt

SUNDANCE

ahhh shiiittt!

Both screaming as they hit the water individually.

Again

The water crashing over the rocks and the two men is

Over whelming

BUTCH

Christ you’re downing me!

SUNDANCE
I’ll kill ya!

The two men

Almost drown  each other

Down the

River arguing

Threatening each other imperceptibly

As one of the

men who

 was chasing

them watches from the

Cliffs above.

The two men float down the river

To safety as the water crashes over them

FADE OUT

Finding your Howl w/ Sal Paradise

Finding Your Howl

This short work is somewhat vague yet says a lot. The first line leads the reader to believe in order to “find our howl” we must experience death in sense; I took this as we need to experience life in order to discover ourselves. He hints towards self sacrifice in order to avoid wasting one’s life.  It is all very theoretical.  He states, “The only way out of our self-erected prison is to go through it completely”. To me this seems almost depressing, as if we need to experience pain in order to live. While I feel that pain will happen in order to live and to learn from I don’t think that we should pursue it as I feel the author is recommending.

“[...] the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes 'Awww!' What did they call such young people in Goethe's Germany?”

Jack Kerouac – “On The Road”

I like this quote from Kerouac’s Beat classic “On The Road” because it expresses, in a way, the opposite of “Finding Your Howl”, while at the same time saying a very similar thing. The quote is representative of Kerouac’s unique writing style, often referred to as “spontaneous prose”. This means that Kerouac was typing almost without thought. This expresses certain type of honesty and accurate viewpoint from Kerouac’s racing thoughts. The way that he says people are “mad”, saying that they are crazy about life paints a picture of someone in love with the world. This appeals to my creativity because it shows that you can build off other people’s energy. Kerouac’s reference to Goethe’s Germany is one of changing times. This appeals to me as well since we are this moment in need of change. His comment, “burn, burn, burn” appeals to me as well because at times I feel that fire, burning, burning; moving forward with energy and passion.” Seeing the blue centerlight pop” appeals to me because I have seen this and wish to have it shared with others in a similar way that Kerouac shares with his readers. His reference to never yawning or saying a commonplace thing is an amazing way to look at life.  Never sleeping, always moving, burning like fire. Living in the present and living in the now are the mottos of those people, something I feel I share with them. 

The reference to roman candles is meaningful because the people that live like madmen will often burn out.  They may live in the moment but I feel like the moment for them does not last as long as it does for others. When they “pop and everyone goes ‘Awww!’” is the experience that you want the people who experience your creativity, whether it is in art or poetry or in music or movies or novels or dancing or political debates or coaching sports or just in the way you live, to feel. The way that Kerouac describes these people and they’re reaction is inspiring to the point where you drop out whatever you’re doing and travel across the country just see if you can have the same experience that Kerouac paints in “On The Road”. Kerouac says that these people, that live so madly, are the only people for him and I can hope to surround myself with the same caliber of person so that I may continue to be so inspired as Kerouac or his readers. Kerouac’s unique viewpoint is always inspiring as you can see and feel and imagine what he is seeing.  This appeals to me at the very core of my being since it is about raw energy and unique viewpoint. Truly Kerouac appeals to his readers at they’re base emotions. Kerouac’s very description piques the readers interest and shares with them his mad vision of the more interesting people that only he associated with. These are the beautiful people, these are the movers of the world, the shakers of societies, like Goethe’s Germany. I wonder what they said too.

Character Analysis

The picture above shows the American flag with a shrouded dictator at a podium. This represents Screwy Spring Mans colors because he uses his red white and blue colors to trick people into thinking he is a good guy, although he is in actuality quite evil.  The shadow of the dictator represents the way that Screwy Spring Man pretends to do well while actually causing harm to all those around him. He works from the shadows while claiming to do good.  While Screwy Spring Man was at one time a good person, after the accident that caused him to lose his legs and arms he has become bitter and greedy. His costume is black on the inside much like the how the character feels on the inside. He also utilizes red to show his anger.

The shadows in this picture represent a good depiction for Screwy Spring Man because he is backwards, quite like the photo.  You can see that the actual character is shrouded but it is his shadow that is really the character. The shadow is not what it seems with Screwy Spring Man. This is appropriate because Screwy Spring Man is, on the surface, something different. Screwy Spring Mans real intentions operate in the background. You can see that the man in the picture is plotting something in the background, much like Screwy Spring Man. While the shadow is in the light you can’t really see what the truth is, whereas Screwy Spring Man in the light is not what he seems.

The Shark Tooth is a sharp shape like Screwy Spring Man since he is pointed at the bottom of his body, like that of a shark tooth. Also the way that this shark tooth is detached from the shark, making it useless, Screwy Spring Man is missing parts of his arms and legs, making him seemingly useless as well. The sharpness of the tooth and the character are similarly dangerous. The shark tooth is shaped like a tornado, symbolizing its danger again quite like Screwy Spring Man. Screwy Spring Man is deceptively dangerous, like the shark tooth because there are layers to the danger. Screwy Spring Man has layers of danger as well. Also he is angular, similar to the shark tooth.

This picture represents the colors of Cheeky Chuck.  Cheeky Chuck’s brown and yellow shirt represents his ability to be one at nature and to be relaxed in stressful situations. The wide open space of white light represents his good intentions as well as his white pants. The open lake represents his honesty and good nature. The blue lake shows how he flows from place to place very naturally, thus foiling Screwy Spring Mans plans. His natural way of doing things is displayed by the tree and the lake and the sky because they are natural things. Cheeky Chuck is one with nature so this picture works for him perfectly and represents his colors.

 Cheeky Chuck is a shining beacon of light much like the sun.  This picture shows how the sun illuminates the sky the way that Cheeky Chuck illuminates the city with his foiling of Screwy Spring Mans evil plans. The sun is shining on the clouds without actually showing that it is shining down on the world, but we know that it is.  This is similar to Cheeky Chucks methods in that he is foiling Screwy Spring Mans evil plans is happening but it is not seen. The rays of the sun are like the efforts of Cheeky Chuck, rarely seen but often felt.

This picture represents the duality of Cheeky Chuck and how he is not merely a bridge of strength for the world but also an infinite symbol of good. The figure of the eight is also how Cheeky Chuck stands generally. The number 8 is one more than lucky number seven showing how Cheeky Chuck is a little more than lucky. The way that you can see what is all around the bridge, you can see all around Cheeky Chuck. The roundness of the number 8 as well as the reflection shows that Cheeky Chuck is a well rounded character who believes in personal reflection. The reflection may not be on purpose, which is very similar to how Cheeky Chuck accidently foils Screwy Spring Mans plans.