The Quarantine Stream: ‘Making Waves: The Art Of Cinematic Sound’ Is Fundamental For Film Fiends

By Ethan Anderton/Sept. 16, 2020 7:30 am EST

Here’s where we get into individual sound designers like Walter Murch (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now), Ben Burtt (Star Wars, WALL-E), Gary Rydstrom (Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan), each taking audio on the big screen to a new level in a variety of ways. Not only do we hear from those sound designers themselves, but there’s an endless roster of other Hollywood sound designers who discuss what drew them to the profession, praise the work of their colleagues, and reveal some of the secrets of sounds that went into movies like The Matrix, Top Gun, Argo, and more.

Finally, perhaps the most informative and fascinating part of the documentary is the breakdown of how sound fits into three different categories in a movie. As the documentary illustrates, it helps if you think of overall sound in the movie as an orchestra. But instead of strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion, sound is divided into voice, sound effects, and music. Voice includes everything from dialogue recorded on set to group automated dialogue replacement (ADR), which is to say large crowds chanting or dozens of soldiers grunting and screaming in a battle. Sound effects can include the roar of a dinosaur or a jet engine or simply footsteps on a hardwood floor, not to mention the subtle sound of ambience that lingers in the background of every single scene. And finally, there’s music, the score or the soundtrack that must work harmoniously with all other sounds at the same time.

All of these pieces combine to bring the images in front of you to life in a way that 24-frames per second never could on their own. Hearing the many fine and famous examples of remarkable sound in cinema that Hollywood has produced over the years, along with compelling commentary and insights from some of the most brilliant minds in film and sound, makes for a documentary that will have you wanting to crank up your surround sound and immerse yourself in cinematic sound.