A lot of emphasis is placed on how films look. Critics
and pundits, will often examine the artistic influences that movies draw from,
to create their visuals. From there, the discussion may turn to costume and set
designs, or framing and cinematography. Taking into account that orientation of
thought, it’s easy to understand why the other half of the equation, is given
the deaf ear.
The majority of the cinema audience, never sits down to
simply watch a picture; they sit down to watch and listen to it. We don’t go to
see the movies, we go to see and hear them, and that distinction is very important.
Anyone that listens to books on tape, or dramatic readings, can tell you that
audio is capable, of presenting a complete story on its own. Pictures however,
require aid.
The tracks that we enjoy are so underappreciated,
unexplained and taken for granted, that we hardly realize their power. The very
life of a film in fact, is entirely dependent upon them. Without sound effects,
dialogue and score, moving images lose most of their appeal. “RoboCop”
specifically, is so indebted to its sound design, the production would have
been forgettable, if just the effects were missing.
Classic Movie Trailers – RoboCop (1987)
Peter Weller was not hired, to pilot a mechanical suit.
When he walked onto the set, he wasn’t wearing armor, or even a single piece of
metal. The original RoboCop costume was made from rubber, plastic and fiberglass.
If you listen to the track however, your ears will tell you that what’s inside
the suit, isn’t entirely human.
You’ll also be convinced, of an immense weight and
presence, with every footfall. The experience of watching “RoboCop”, is one that
was manufactured in a studio, with machines you’re not supposed to acknowledge.
That equipment wasn’t placed in front of the camera, or advertised, but it was
obviously entrusted to some very talented people. The magic they produced
behind the scenes, especially their sounds of servomotors, kept the hero from
looking like a laughable mime.
The audio in this film, is essential to allowing the audience,
to suspend disbelief. The sound is the storyteller, though that fact isn’t
widely acknowledged. In addition, the track behind “RoboCop” is a very distinct
signature, which sets it apart. The gun the protagonist uses, is
distinguishable from every other firearm, I’ve ever heard in a movie.
Human nature is to blame, for the dominance of sight over
our other senses. That isn’t to say however, that we wouldn’t miss hearing our
environment, as well as listening to our entertainment. It’s just that we
seldom realize the work, and the artistry behind the information, we enjoy with
our ears. A door slams, a woman walks away, a bell rings and a gun fires, but
we don’t consider that most of those inclusions to the audio file, were not actually
recorded on the set.
“RoboCop” is a reminder, that movies are audiovisual
experiences. I think it’s important to note, that the audio precedes the visual
in that word, for good reason. If we considered closing our eyes and muting the
images, we would we still walk away from this film, with absolutely everything we needed to know. The pictures are just the icing on the cake.
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@ChannelSeals
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