Before starting the sound design, I first did some visual analysis of the Mon Oncle clip I selected. Tati’s filmmaking style relies on long takes, wide framing, and carefully choreographed physical movement. Because of this, even scenes that look simple at first actually have a very clear sense of rhythm and structured actions. The clip I chose takes place in the exterior courtyard of a modern house: hard materials, geometric architectural lines, and mechanical devices that look slightly absurd but aesthetically interesting.
The overall pacing of the shot is slow, but the characters’ small actions—walking, pausing, turning, looking at objects—are slightly exaggerated and have a rhythm similar to silent-film comedy. Therefore, in the sound design, these actions need to be very clear, clean, and closely synced with the movement. At the same time, the mechanical features in the scene (like the fountain and automated devices) show a sense of repetition and regularity.
Another important element is the depth of the space. Even though the camera angle is fixed, there are small movements happening in the background from time to time (for example, someone in the background is moving cutlery while eating). I should pay attention to these details when designing the sound as well.
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