Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Greetings again from the darkness. Did you hear that? While watching a movie, you are likely aware of explosions and spoken dialogue, but it's quite astounding how many other sounds can make up a movie-watching experience. While it's true that we think of movies as a visual medium, it's not a complete description. Oscar winning director Steven Spielberg said, "Our ears lead our eyes to where the story lives."

Midge Costin was a noted Sound Editor from 1986 through 1998 on such films as CRIMSON TIDE, CON AIR, and ARMAGEDDON. She then transitioned to education and has spent 20 years at the renowned USC Film School, holding the Kay Rose endowed chair in the Art of Dialogue and Sound Editing. She is truly a sound expert, and in this, her directorial debut, she beautifully lays out the art form of sound that takes place within the art form of cinema.

Ms. Costin structures the film with an historical timeline, personal profiles of some of the most important figures in sound, and a breakdown of sound segments and technology. Along the way she includes film clips to provide specific examples, and interviews for industry insight. The film takes us back to 1877 and Edison's phonograph, and on to 1927 when THE JAZZ SINGER delivered Al Jolson's voice. 1933's KING KONG mesmerized with the first true sound effects, and we learn the direct connection between movie sound and radio. We really get the inside scoop on the breakthroughs of American Zoetrope (founded by Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas), and the importance of Barbra Sreisand's demands for A STAR IS BORN (1976), Robert Altman's multi-track NASHVILLE, and the "Wookie" sounds of STAR WARS. Of course, many other films and filmmakers (including Stanley Kubrick) are singled out for moving sound forward.

Some of the most interesting data comes courtesy of the "nerds" known as Sound Designers. Walter Murch (APOCALYPSE NOW), Ben Burtt (STAR WARS), Gary Rydstrom (JURASSIC PARK), and Lora Hirschberg (INCEPTION) are all Oscar winners, and their insight is fascinating along with that of Cece Hall, Bobby Banks, and Anna Behlmer - the latter of whom recounts her experience as a woman doing the fighter jet sounds for TOP GUN.

Cinema sound is divided into Music, sound effects, and voice, with each of these sections have sub-categories. Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR), digital layers (through Pixar), ambience, and the custom effects of the Foley are all parts of the circle of talent delivering puzzle pieces to the Sound Mixer for assembly. If all of this hits you as a bit too technical, you should know that it's presented in a manner that makes it easy to follow. Sound is what pushes cinema into an immersive experience for viewers, and you'll likely walk away from Ms. Costin's film with an appreciation of just how many elements go into what you hear during a movie - and that's worth listening to.

I love music and I love music in movies, but besides music there are lots of people working on a movie that do nothing else but get the sound right of people talking, wind rushing throuhg the trees, robots squeeking and water streaming.

Amazing to see how BIG these sound studios are in which all these sound artist create the perfect sound that accompanies the images. Sound is emotion and I really value good sound in a movie.

This documentary features some of the biggest classics in American cinema, like "The Godfather", "Apocalypse Now", "Star Wars", but also some movies that might not seem so classic but still truly are because of the use of new techniques in sound editing, like "Toy Story", which was the first movie which was totally digitally edited.

Even Barbara Streisand of all people has played an important part in movie sound history because one of her seventies movies was the first to be recorded IN STEREO!

Lots and lots of interviews with sound editors, who show HOW they created sounds for the biggest movie classics in history. What a joy to watch! Recommended for the fans of the technical parts of a movie, but also for the casual viewer because it is a revelation to learn how they create these magical sounds in these classic movies that have mesmirized me to this very day!

I was disappointed. Instead of going into the depths of sound, the film mostly focuses on talking heads, including directors as well as sound pros. There's a short history of sound in films (not just speech), and a short segment about the categories of sound production. These were good but far too short and shallow. I felt like I'd seen a promo, hagiography even, for the sound professions instead of a doc. Those professions deserve a much deeper and more detailed documentary.

Whoever is looking into the technicality of sound design... won't find much here.

So what's is all about? It's more about the turning points in the history of moving pictures that defines sound (in movies) how we know it today.

Of course the documentary revolves around what happened in the States and especially in Hollywood.

So we follow the sound as it comes to the world (in theaters that is) and it develops through tribulations (executives who do not understand the value of it and are concerned about how long it's gonna take) and moments of great triumph, when those pioneers who put in a lot of efforts ad overtime got recognized in a way or another (box office, awards, being in this documentary).

Great editing, the whole 90 min flow brilliantly, funny and serious at the same time.

Kudos for recognizing the absolute necessity of team work in the movie production.

The graphic elements that link the sound design components to an orchestra ensemble is a very smart way of presenting the various component to us, the audience. Audience that most likely is barely aware of the importance of sound in a movie and might know a bunch of directors and that's it. Well I'm pretty sure that this doc accomplished its mission, helping people to develop a better understanding of sound without boring them.

For a film nerd, this is fascinating. It is entertaining, intriguing and educational. For non-film nerds, this is probably a bore, though it may open some eyes and ears. Sound is the forgotten and overlooked aspect of filmmaking and for the vast majority of filmgoers it will sadly, for these very essential artists, always remain so. One note of concern for me. This is all about sound in film in this digital age of being able to control and alter nearly everything including voices and the same applies to audio recordings and the alteration of singers' voices to make then sound better, to improve their vocal quality. This was brought to mind by the appearance of Streisand and her "My Man" comments. She has one of the great voices of the modern era, but she hasn't made a recording in many years that doesn't sound over-manufactured. It's all very pretty, but much of it sounds artificial without any real feeling involved. It sounds dishonest. I use her as an example as I've followed her since the 60's and can hear the difference, but I'm sure this is much more true with far less talented singers than her, but who can tell?! This is something that I don't like about the manipulation of sound that we have nowadays, but this documentary is about film and it is what I said it was. A must for film nerds. The Star Wars and Saving Private Ryan examples were awesome, but so are some others. These are very important and creative people in the creation of making films.