Synchronicity - techniques and design

The thing that makes it difficult to differentiate between synchronistic occurrences and purposeful matching in film and music is that items in each of these media share many features. Music especially has a much more rigid rule system for both rhythm and melody. As many time structures and modes can be used as there are combinations of numbers, but what we find pleasing are those that are found in nature.

In film everything moves from the perspective of the camera to the screen. In studying cinematography one learns very specific ways to capture a two person conversation. As with all art there are specific rules, such as not crossing the 180 degree line, that fall back on principles of design that are then broken to add or remove emphasis, complexity, create confusion, etc. The camera only has a couple of types of movement it can perform.

The film that I've been studying has all been big budget Hollywood entertainment films that are produced primarily to make a profit, and not just for the sake of art. Wherever you have a group of artists working in a shared environment they will start to share common tendencies. It is no secret that the major studios actively try to find the best ways to capture the attention of mass audiences.

The example I'm presenting has no real causal relationship aside from being released around the same time, Nevermind in 1991, Pulp Fiction in 1994, Terminator 2 in 1991. The three do share some interesting crossovers at several points.

Color scheme is very general and open to a great amount of interpretation. Blue and orange are extremely common as complementary colors of the sky, or sunset colors. Sure enough, each of these films represent a part of that schism with Pulp Fiction being orange and Terminator 2 being blue. If someone were purposefully linking or creating one work after another, this is a situation where that person could decide on either using the same choice as the first work, or to be the complement to it. The viewer and researcher could come along afterwards and find reasoning for either decision, even if it is pure coincidence.

The point when I thought I was really on to something with this example was when track 2, In Bloom, started along with the title scene for both films. This is at about 5:05 in my video example. Pulp fiction has its well-known, thick orange text slowly zoom out while in Terminator 2, the robot head slowly zooms in. This starts after the song's short intro with pounding drums finishes and the main chord structure begins that seems to slide from one note to the next because the previous note is played right before each change. It's a very powerful effect that also demonstrates some limitations of film making. Objects on screen can get bigger or smaller, move left right and up down. It becomes more about how camera changes are made in sequences. Scene changes may begin a new pattern.

The last topic I'd like to touch on is that of symbolism. During both films at around 59 minutes there are scenes where the characters use a large needle. In Terminator 2, Sarah Connor is breaking out of a mental hospital and using it as a weapon. In Pulp Fiction, Mia Wallace has overdosed on drugs and needs an adrenaline shot to the heart. It's another instance where there could be an important linkage. The syringe is used to both put one in a comatose state and bring one out of it.

I'd like to finish by noting another point in my video that I find amusing where at 4:18 in Pulp Fiction, the couple talk about there being a lot of wallets in the diner and in Terminator 2, the child's animal shaped see-saws pass by while on fire.