What content will help you quickly test surround sound – discussing scenes from well-known films

Movie sound is an integral part of the story. Surround sound systems help to reveal the director’s idea to the fullest extent. Today we have prepared a compact selection of films, scenes of which will help you evaluate the capabilities of a home theater audio system. [например, в шоуруме перед покупкой]…

The authors of the paintings gathered a large team of sound designers and used interesting effects, so their work deserves attention. [Ссылки на отрывки мы поставили, конечно же, для удобства поиска контента и наглядности.]

Photo: Mason Kimbarovsky.  Source: Unsplash.com
Photo: Mason Kimbarovsky. Source: Unsplash.com

“WALL-E” (2008)

What to watch: the scene where WALL-E and Eve are flying in outer space

There is quite a bit of dialogue in this picture, so the main emphasis is placed on the soundtrack and sound effects – they are responsible for conveying emotions. This fact is especially well reflected in the scene when the main characters are flying in space. The background melody is a mirror of the characters’ feelings, while the scene is even enhanced by details such as the low hum of the spaceship’s engines. This part of the film you can watch with closed eyes, since the audio perfectly conveys what is happening on the screen – it is easy to imagine the picture in your head.

Sound designer Ben Burtt was responsible for the sound in the film. It was he who at one time created the “voice” of the droid R2-D2 from “Star Wars”, blaster shots, Darth Vader’s breathing and other legendary sounds. It is interesting that it was in his processed voice that WALL-E eventually spoke. Although the team considered other options. At first, they wanted the robot to communicate using sound signals (like astrodroids), unlike human speech.

The choice of sounds to create background noise was also unusual. So, the rustle of the wind on the Earth generated based on audio recordings made near Niagara Falls. Clattering footsteps Hal’s cockroach is actually the clicks of the handcuffs.

In total, while working on WALL-I, the sound engineer team collected more than two thousand audio files. In comparison, Star Wars: A New Hope only used 800 audio files.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

What to watch: car chase scenes

The case when it is recommend film from start to finish [хотя в шоуруме хватит и отрезка в несколько минут]… Without surround sound, it is difficult to feel the desert atmosphere, which is penetrated by stormy winds and the roar of cars.

To work on the film were formed two divisions of sound engineers and sound editors at once – twenty people in Australia and fifteen more in the USA. They concentrated on creating unique audio samples… For example, harpoon soundthat hits the target is the processed groans of a whale, and the roar of engines is embellished with the roar of bears and the roar of a flying swarm of bees. In a scene with an explosion huge truck The furios noisemakers used animal screams to raise the emotional bar.

Photo: Erik Witsoe.  Source: Unsplash.com
Photo: Erik Witsoe. Source: Unsplash.com

In addition to sound effects, it is worth paying attention, of course, to the musical accompaniment. The furious soundtrack consists of the thunder of drums, propelling the chase to maximum speed, and the riffs of a mad guitarist, whose instrument bursts into flames. The music for the film was written Junkie xl… He worked on it for a year and a half, which, according to the composer himself, unheard of. But in the end, the audience received an almost modern rock opera, where each melody complements what is happening on the screen. Interestingly, Junkie XL recently confirmed, who writes the music for a spin-off dedicated to Furiosa. So maybe soon we will have another movie with amazing sound and soundtrack.

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

What to watch: Queen performance scene at Wembley Stadium in 1985.

The main achievement of sound engineers is the revival of the sound of Freddie Mercury. In film used archival recordings of Queen frontman. Several fragments were prepared by a Canadian rock artist Mark Martelwhose voice is very similar to that of a British music icon. At the same time, the performer of the main role – Rami Malek – also had to sing songs live. He laid out so that almost lost my voice during filming. Rami’s recorded vocals were combined with recordings by Mercury and Mark Martel during editing.

The sound engineering team focused on more than just the lead actor. They tried to convey the atmosphere of the performance at the stadium. The filmmakers replayed Queen’s tracks and recorded the sound using dozens of microphones placed around the stage and in the stands to achieve an immersive and authentic sound experience.

The hum of the crowd singing along at the concert was also recorded live. Initially, 600 people participated in the recording, but already in post-production, Fox launched a special application. There everyone could record their performance of Bohemian Rhapsody. As a result, the sound engineers had tens of thousands of voices at their disposal, from which they collected the sound of a singing stadium.


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