The effects of fidelity with "air guitar" in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (page 2)

The first occurrence of "air guitar" is near the beginning of the movie and serves as a way for the audience to become accustomed to its significance. After a brief argument about the future of their band, Bill and Ted reach an agreement and simultaneously pull back and give a few strums to the "air guitar". While doing this, there is an obvious and humorous use of fidelity. We all know that "air guitars" are unable to produce music, yet when Bill and Ted do this, the audience hears the sound of a real screaming electric guitar, as if it came from the "air guitar". The audience receives a sound that they are not expecting, and it processes as a pleasing use of fidelity.

Although the significance of this effect is still in its infancy, it is presented to the audience as a humorous way to end the scene.
The "air guitar" gradually builds itself into an underlying theme of the entire movie. The continuation of the fidelity (ie. Electric sounds coming from an "air guitar") helps add humor and punch lines when needed; however, the effect begins to serve more of a purpose than this. When Bill and Ted strum their non-existent instruments, no one other than they and the audience can hear it. In a scene where they are surrounded by a group of people, they play a loud "air guitar" that goes completely unnoticed by the rest of the group. This helps show the great friendship between the two, as if they have a connection that no one else has. Everyone looks at them if they were idiots, but they know each other so well that they can actually hear each other play. In other words, the audience is given a gauge for the friendship of Bill and Ted. While my best friend and I are close, we certainly can't hear each other play "air guitar", thus Bill and Ted are given a strong bond that most don't posses.

Continue to page 3 of "air guitar" in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, 4