| The utilization of sound effects and music in contemporary American cinema to enhance the narrative and visual impact often goes unnoticed by the average cinemagoer. Three examples of films which radically changed how sound functions in film are: Francis Ford Coppola's 1974 The Conversation, Brian De Palma's 1981 Blow Out, and George Miller's 2015 Mad Max: Fury Road. In these films, digital sound editing techniques, (such as equalization) and music score can mentally transport the audience to another geographical location or to another historical point in time, beyond the narrative itself. A high concept film matched with a high concept soundtrack is what has made box office "hits" in the past. By carefully choosing what music to create for a movie and with careful editing of sound effects, the auditory component of a film can be in complete control of the viewers' emotions. By using digital sound editing techniques, such as ADR, foley, EQ, compression, etc., it is possible to shift the emotion felt by the audience and create an environment that would not be possible with just a picture alone. |
