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Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

An exploration of the history and emotional power of cinema sound, as revealed by legendary sound designers and visionary directors, via interviews, clips from movies, and a look at their actual process of creation and discovery.

Director

Midge Costin

Year

Genre

documentary, history

Box Office

$53,144

Production

N/A

Awards

1 win & 10 nominations total

Cast information not available.

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It was weeks and weeks
of just balancing all the sound effects - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

It was weeks and weeks of just balancing all the sound effec...

I kind of came up with
a certain pattern or rhythm - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

I kind of came up with a certain pattern or rhythm

Point of view is great for sound - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Point of view is great for sound

So I designed a sequence, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

So I designed a sequence,

That came from an actual veteran - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

That came from an actual veteran

If you look at it,
it never has, until the battle is over, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

If you look at it, it never has, until the battle is over,

And very importantly,
there's no score. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

And very importantly, there's no score.

John Williams would've done a beautiful
score with a whole different feeling, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

John Williams would've done a beautiful score with a wh...

These different
elements of sound in movies - - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

These different elements of sound in movies -

You know, with dozens of sound editors
editing thousands of tracks. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

You know, with dozens of sound editors editing thousands of ...

It ultimately took people
like Ben Burtt on "Star Wars" - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

It ultimately took people like Ben Burtt on "Star Wars&...

...created by a team of sound artists,
a circle of talent. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

...created by a team of sound artists, a circle of talent.

Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece was white as snow - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Mary had a little lamb Its fleece was white as snow

Edison originally developed
the motion picture camera - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Edison originally developed the motion picture camera

They had no way to put it in sync, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

They had no way to put it in sync,

They were just so eager
to put sound to movies - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

They were just so eager to put sound to movies

Films were projected
with a full live orchestra. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Films were projected with a full live orchestra.

They could be projected
with people talking behind the screen. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

They could be projected with people talking behind the scree...

There were actually people
that travelled around - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

There were actually people that travelled around

There's films like "Wings"
when it played in New York, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

There's films like "Wings" when it played in ...

There just wasn't technically a way
of capturing and recording the sounds, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

There just wasn't technically a way of capturing and re...

Warner Bros. did "Don Juan"
with John Barrymore. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Warner Bros. did "Don Juan" with John Barrymore.

It actually had
a synchronised music track, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

It actually had a synchronised music track,

Then in 1927, they actually
recorded dialogue on the set, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Then in 1927, they actually recorded dialogue on the set,

♪ Toot, toot, Tootsie, goodbye - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

♪ Toot, toot, Tootsie, goodbye

What struck people most
was Al Jolson's speaking voice, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

What struck people most was Al Jolson's speaking voice,

It was a gigantic sensation, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

It was a gigantic sensation,

They had developed a way
of shooting movies without sound, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

They had developed a way of shooting movies without sound,

Suddenly, there was this revolution
when they had to start - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Suddenly, there was this revolution when they had to start

All right. Here we go. Quiet. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

All right. Here we go. Quiet.

But the microphone's
ranges were so short, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

But the microphone's ranges were so short,

She's got to talk into the mic.
I can't pick it up. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

She's got to talk into the mic. I can't pick it up...

Don't you remember,
I told you, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Don't you remember, I told you,

But despite
the limitations, audiences loved sound. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

But despite the limitations, audiences loved sound.

And I think it's because even
in the sound of a human voice, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

And I think it's because even in the sound of a human v...

But the addition
of the voice was not the only thing - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

But the addition of the voice was not the only thing

Filmmakers began to realise - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Filmmakers began to realise

They discovered that you
don't get all the sound effects you want - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

They discovered that you don't get all the sound effect...

So this is where slowly
the idea of the sound editor evolved - - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

So this is where slowly the idea of the sound editor evolved...

There's fire, explosions, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

There's fire, explosions,

Different from buses,
different from trains. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Different from buses, different from trains.

As sound editors,
we create a sound world - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

As sound editors, we create a sound world

But it isn't probably till
you get to "King Kong", - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

But it isn't probably till you get to "King Kong&q...

Many techniques
we use to manipulate sound today - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Many techniques we use to manipulate sound today

The bulk of it is all about
characters that don't exist - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

The bulk of it is all about characters that don't exist

I went to the Selig Zoo at the time. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

I went to the Selig Zoo at the time.

I then slowed those down
to half speed, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

I then slowed those down to half speed,

But Murray Spivack operated
outside the system. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

But Murray Spivack operated outside the system.

He was locked away
in the music department, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

He was locked away in the music department,

I think they felt the studio would say,
"Don't bother with all that," - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

I think they felt the studio would say, "Don't bot...

...because the studios
had their own collections - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

...because the studios had their own collections

...and face punch and explosion. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

...and face punch and explosion.

If they worked successfully, they'd be
kept and used over and over again. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

If they worked successfully, they'd be kept and used ov...

They were just expected to get
something in there and on budget. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

They were just expected to get something in there and on bud...

But some of
the biggest innovations in film sound - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

But some of the biggest innovations in film sound

Who knows what evil lurks
in the hearts of men. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men.

"The Shadow"or"The Whistler"- - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

"The Shadow"or"The Whistler"-

I remember lying on
the floor in front of the radio console. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

I remember lying on the floor in front of the radio console.

I thought, "When I grow up,
I'm gonna make footsteps like that." - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

I thought, "When I grow up, I'm gonna make footste...

I just thought it was really great.
It was great for your imagination, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

I just thought it was really great. It was great for your im...

An innovator here
was Orson Welles. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

An innovator here was Orson Welles.

He was very adventuresome
in sound perspective. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

He was very adventuresome in sound perspective.

Now the smoke's crossing
6th Avenue, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Now the smoke's crossing 6th Avenue,

So when he did "Citizen Kane", - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

So when he did "Citizen Kane",

By being as aggressive
spatially with sound - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

By being as aggressive spatially with sound

This idea that
every space has its own signature. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

This idea that every space has its own signature.

Now in complete control
of the government of this state. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Now in complete control of the government of this state.

And you can use even
very refined elements of reverberation - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

And you can use even very refined elements of reverberation

But this was
a new innovation for sound in film. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

But this was a new innovation for sound in film.

The norm from the 1930s to the 1960s - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

The norm from the 1930s to the 1960s

Why don't you say it, you coward?
You're afraid to marry me. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Why don't you say it, you coward? You're afraid to...

You'd rather live
with that silly little fool - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

You'd rather live with that silly little fool

But if you run music
all the time in the film, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

But if you run music all the time in the film,

But if you want unrelieved tension, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

But if you want unrelieved tension,

Hitchcock got the power of sound. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Hitchcock got the power of sound.

He actually essentially
dictated a sound script. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

He actually essentially dictated a sound script.

And he really incorporated
the use of the sound - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

And he really incorporated the use of the sound

Hearing their
breaths and feeling the impacts - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Hearing their breaths and feeling the impacts

That was a scene
where it worked really well, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

That was a scene where it worked really well,

But the studios weren't
encouraging of that kind of thing. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

But the studios weren't encouraging of that kind of thi...

The Hollywood studio
system often had a built-in approach - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

The Hollywood studio system often had a built-in approach

...parallel to filmmakers
making the same kind of movies - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

...parallel to filmmakers making the same kind of movies

♪ Pillow talk - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

♪ Pillow talk

And that tends to restrict
the adventuresomeness, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

And that tends to restrict the adventuresomeness,

So the Hollywood films
I'd seen as a kid growing up - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

So the Hollywood films I'd seen as a kid growing up

To my way of thinking,
they were corporate creations. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

To my way of thinking, they were corporate creations.

But when I was 10, - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

But when I was 10,

And I understood intuitively
what it did and how it did it. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

And I understood intuitively what it did and how it did it.

I would record from the radio
onto the tape recorder. - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

I would record from the radio onto the tape recorder.

And then cut the tape into pieces,
and then rearrange the pieces - Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

And then cut the tape into pieces, and then rearrange the pi...

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound poster

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

An exploration of the history and emotional power of cinema sound, as revealed by legendary sound designers and visionary directors, via interviews, clips from movies, and a look at their actual process of creation and discovery.

User Rating: 0.0 (0 ratings)

Director: Midge Costin

Writer: Bobette Buster

Production: N/A

Genre: documentary, history

Year: 2019

MetaScore: 80/100

ImdbRating: 7.6

BoxOffice: $53,144

Released: 25 Oct 2019

Awards: 1 win & 10 nominations total

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