Chapter 6: Listening to the Cinema: Film Sound (pgs. 184 - 220)
"Too often given secondary status, sound engages viewers perceptually, gives key spatial and story information, and affords an aesthetic experience of its own (pg. 186)."
The image is seen as the primary form of conveyance in the film industry. But, without sound these images cannot convey everything that is necessary to provide a multi-level and richly textual experience to the viewing audience. Musical soundtracks have become extremely popular. The songs that are chosen to be played throughout the film serve to help bring both meaning and emotion to the viewer through the music. Now, you can go out, after seeing a movie, and buy the musical soundtrack. This has become big business. The movie industry and the music industry have joined forces to make billions of dollars off of these soundtracks.
For example, the soundtrack for the movie Titanic (1997) was one of the most successful soundtracks ever sold. The theme song is My Heart Will Go On sung by Celine Dion. She will forever be associated with that song and that movie. Even though the soundtrack for Titanic was successful, the most popular soundtrack was from the movie The Bodyguard (1992). It sold over 16 million copies after its release.
"Listening to movies, just as much as watching them, defines the film going experience and with the advent of advanced technologies, sound has helped to make that experience even more immersive (pg. 186)."
One of the newest ways for people to experience movies is called Audio Description (AD). It is a narration of all the visual elements-action, costumes, settings, images-of theater, television/film, museum exhibitions, and other events. Visually impaired patrons experience all the visually engaging elements of cultural events, the rich variety of colors, lighting effects, levels, gestures, and facial expressions that others often take for granted; critical bits of information that a person who has low vision formerly could only experience through the whispered asides from a sighted companion. Using words that are succinct, vivid, and imaginative, properly trained describers convey the visual image that otherwise is not fully accessible to 10 million blind or low vision Americans and not fully realized by the rest of us, sighted folks who see but who may not observe (audiodescribe.com).
Visually impaired moviegoers can now ask for a headset that will tap into an AD system. While listening to the descriptions through the headset, the person can picture in their mind what everyone else is seeing. It started out as a small pilot project funded by the American Council for the Blind. President Obama employed AD at his Inaugural Speech. AD has been used for many years but is just now being used in the movie theaters. These services are now available nationwide with the help of Audio Description Associates, LLC in Maryland. Like wheelchair accessibility, AD is yet another way to accommodate the handicapped and visually impaired patrons allowing them to enjoy the movie going experience along with the rest of the viewing pubic. No one has advocated for AD more than Joel Snyder. He is a pioneer in the Audio Description industry. He has worked tirelessly to bring culture to blind and low-vision patrons of movies and the arts, as well as, public television documentaries. He has also become internationally renowned in this field.
"Although cinemas mimetic capacity to reproduce images and sounds from the natural world is one of its strongest appeals, the perpetual quest for images and sounds that are bigger, louder, and better indicates that part of cinema's appeal is its ability to provide a heightened sensory experience that intensifies the ordinary (pg. 190)."
If you like giant screens and loud special effects, the best way to see a movie would be at an IMAX theater. The screens are immense. The movie Avatar (2009) was the all-time highest grossing IMAX film. The movie brought in over $220 million dollars worldwide.
Personally, I cannot watch a movie in that type of an environment. I get sensory overload and I have to cover my ears. It is too much. Some people love it, not me. Although I did enjoy going to the Boston Science Museum when I was a teenager. They were playing a movie in the Planetarium about space. The movie was set to Pink Floyd music. Me and my friends thought this was so cool. The music went so well with the magnificent images of space. The images along with the music transported you up into space. You felt like you were there. They also had a laser light show to go along with it. It was amazing. We had never experienced anything like that before. We thought that was pretty high tech at the time. For some reason, at that time, I did not get overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of that experience. If I ever get a chance to see something like that again, I will definitely give it a try again. Never say never.
Works Cited
"Titanic (1997) - IMDb." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 23 Apr. 2011.
Dion, Celine. "My Heart Will Go On." Let's Talk About Love. 550 Music, 1997.
"YouTube - 'Titanic' Theme Song." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 23 Apr. 2011.
Dion, Celine. "My Heart Will Go On." Let's Talk About Love. 550 Music, 1997.
"YouTube - 'Titanic' Theme Song." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 23 Apr. 2011.
"The Bodyguard (1992) - IMDb." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 23 Apr. 2011.
"Audio Description Associates: What Is Audio Description?" Audio Description Associates: Welcome. Web. 23 Apr. 2011.
"Avatar (2009) - IMDb." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 23 Apr. 2011.
"YouTube - Avatar Trailer The Movie (New Extended HD Trailer)." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 23 Apr. 2011.
"Audio Description Associates: What Is Audio Description?" Audio Description Associates: Welcome. Web. 23 Apr. 2011.
"Avatar (2009) - IMDb." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 23 Apr. 2011.
"YouTube - Avatar Trailer The Movie (New Extended HD Trailer)." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 23 Apr. 2011.
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