In the film “The Adventures of Guylive” from the former Soviet Union, the tiny characters speak in a high-pitched tone, as only a high pitch suits their small throats, while the giant character, Pêchya, speaks in a low voice. However, during the filming, adults played the roles of the tiny characters, and children portrayed Pêchya. So how was the voice modulation achieved in the film?
Director Pơtusơco explained that while filming, the actors spoke in their normal voices, and during the production, a unique method was employed to alter the pitch based on the physical characteristics of sound.
To raise the pitch of the tiny characters and lower the voice of Pêchya, experts used slow-motion tape recordings to capture the dialogue of the actors portraying the tiny characters. Conversely, they used fast-motion recordings for Pêchya’s lines. When the film was screened, it was played at normal speed. The result aligned perfectly with the director’s vision.
This phenomenon occurs because when the voices of the tiny characters reach the audience’s ears, the frequency of vibrations is significantly higher than that of normal sounds, naturally resulting in a higher pitch. On the other hand, when Pêchya’s voice reaches the audience, the frequency of vibrations is much lower than that of typical sounds, leading to a lower pitch. In summary, in this film, the pitch of the tiny characters’ voices is about five tones higher than that of ordinary people, while Pêchya’s voice is about five tones lower than the normal pitch.
With sound, “the time magnifier” has been uniquely applied in this way. This phenomenon also commonly occurs when we play a record at a speed greater or lesser than the normal rate.
