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1. Re: Movie soundscapes

Subject: 1. Re: Movie soundscapes
From: "Dennis Hysom"
Date: Sun Aug 12, 2007 10:36 am ((PDT))
on 8/7/07 4:35 AM, [dhysom] at [compozarts.com] wrote:

   I agree with you Marc. I provided many of the rainforest ambiences and
individual vocalizations for Apocalypto. All the sounds I provided were all
accurate to the general area, if not the specific ecosystem. I think there
were a couple of dry forest birds that I heard in a rainforest scene. For
the most part, the residents animals were accurate.  The sound designers
didn't want to use standard library recordings. I didn't always agree with
the way the sounds were processed (howler recordings drenched in reverb and
mixed waaayyy in the background), however, the result was effective and in
the service of the story. And I thought the film told a very good story,
historical accuracy=B9s aside,  absolutely along the lines of Campbell's id=
ea
of the archetypical hero.
   I think that all elements of a non-documentary film, including sound, ar=
e
at the service of the storyteller, within limits. Using grossly inaccurate
vocalizations, ie South American bird calls in a film set in Africa, is
indeed lazy, especially given the fact that there are so many available and
reasonable resources out there for filmmakers.

Dennis Hysom

http://www.dennishysom.com/
http://www.wooleycat.com/
707-824-0652
Sebastopol, Ca









I sympathize. I just finished reading a back issue of Archeology where they
savaged Mel Gibson's Apocalypto for hijacking Meso American culture to make
a Hollywood movie. But I think those of us who care about the accuracy of
what we're seeing or hearing miss the point a little. The essential part of
most Hollywood stories is some retelling of an archetypical hero myth. More
in keeping with Joseph Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces than biology o=
r
archeology. In that context anything that makes the struggles of the hero
seem most true are what works. In Apocolypto Gibson went out of his way to
be accurate in the dress but entirely failed to reflect what's known about
the culture.
Using the most familiar "jungle" sounds might not only have been the
easiest, it probably provides an auditory shortcut so that most of the
audience understands instantly the context of what they're watching and
hearing. More like hanging a cardboard moon over the set so we all know it'=
s
night.
Darn little forest left in West Africa incidentally. I'm working with
satellite maps at the moment. Pretty depressing.




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