The era of 3D and super-visual films has come. So, what about sound? What could be the next step on film sound? Tim Prebble has made a great review about this topic, regarding some aspects abut the technology and the techniques that could be implemented to reach a new level on the sound for this new era of filmmaking. Let’s read:
Along with the hyperbolic (& in my opinion somewhat dubious) promotion of 3D films as “game changing” an aspect that seems to be late to the conversation is the use of sound in such films. In some ways I guess this is partly due to the fact that with the implementation of surround sound many decades ago, bringing sound “off the screen” has been a part of the vocabulary of every film mixer since the 1970s; the concept of 3D sound is not new in that respect.
But the re-launch of 3D films in the form of huge budget blockbusters such as Avatar raises the issue again, since for such a film to cost many hundreds of millions of dollars to make means there must also be vast funds available to develop & present an appropriately “game changing” soundtrack. Accordingly there can be no doubt that a need has been created, but is it being fulfilled?
For those of you who have seen Avatar, did you think the soundtrack presented any new innovations in terms of physical depth and/or use of surround sound? But of course, accompanying that question is the philosophical issue of whether it actually should do and if so, how?