The Sound of Movies - Why Hollywood’s Becoming Harder to Hear

<p>When was the last time you turned on the subtitles while watching a movie? Does it ever seem like the music and sound effects, especially the explosions, are as loud as ever, but the dialogue’s barely above a whisper? Does it seem like older movies, movies like Jaws and Star Wars, were easier to understand? Are we just getting older and losing our hearing? That’s one possibility, but if the sound quality of your last moviegoing experience resembles the “Empire Strikes Back meets Christopher Nolan” parody video posted on my blog, your ears probably aren’t playing tricks on you:</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWAOM3XC9Q" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWAOM3XC9Q</a></p><p>Cinematic sound has changed dramatically over the past few decades, in some ways for the better and in other ways maybe not so much. Those changes can tell us a lot about the value of sound, all the different moving parts and new technologies that can be involved in creating just the right audio experience, and how even the biggest names in Hollywood can overlook its importance.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>One of those big names is director Christopher Nolan, and his films in general, and the movie <em>Tenet</em> in particular, sparked debate about whether his distinctive use of muted dialogue and booming music is a good or bad thing. But that question didn't start with him: a Los Angeles Times article from 1996 about the teen horror movie <em>The Craft</em> raises some very familiar-sounding complaints about the trend of music and sound effects drowning out the dialogue, and it suggested that teenagers and new media are to blame. "New media" back then meant loud music videos and the younger generation was Generation X, which just goes to show how long this trend's been developing.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Christopher Nolan is, however, something of a unique case, and his movies are often at the forefront of cinematic audio trends. According to sound editors who’ve worked with him, he believes in ac