Remaking

: the reshaping of sound in Portuguese musical comedies

Abstract

This multidisciplinary study consisted of collecting qualitative data from both originals and remakes of A Canção de Lisboa, O Leão da Estrela, and O Pátio das Cantigas by narrowing down the data set, and interpreting the data derived from these films using the Film Sound Analysis Framework. Following this research design made it possible to understand the sound design of films from the 1930s and 1940s, the impact of technological developments in film storytelling, but also how their remakes reflect a type of cultural transformation from the film originals to their respective remakes. The Film Sound Analysis Framework is an analytical tool that can be used to understand a film narrative and in the comparative analysis of film. Several academic research and pedagogical initiatives have used this framework as a conceptual tool. One of the recent applications of the FSAF is to connect past and present film narratives. The research presented here is an example of the FSAF applied in such a way, to analyze remakes of classical Portuguese movies and gain insight into how directors and screenwriters interpret the original narratives. The FSAF offers a clear way to analyze the different sound components in film and interpret their function. It is a conceptual instrument for critical analysis of sound and music in film that bridges the distance between sound semantics, syntax, and taxonomical or applied perspectives. Using the FSAF in longitudinal studies of film allows for a systematic analysis through the observation of similar variables, leading to the identification and assessment of patterns or trends in the use of sound to convey meaning and foster emotions in the cinematic experience. Several research projects are currently applying this framework in conjunction with additional analysis grids, looking, for instance, at works from the same director, or within the same genre, or even at remakes, as I do in this dissertation.

Date of Award	27 Jul 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Isabel Capeloa Gil (Supervisor) & Álvaro Barbosa (Co-Supervisor)