"Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound" A masterpiece documentary directed by the sound editor himself Interview with director Midge Costin [Director's Interview Vol.85]

``Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound'', which is currently being screened nationwide, is an excellent documentary that explains the history, development, and importance of sound in movies.

There are many different elements that make up movie sound. Lines that guide the story, sound effects that make the work more powerful, and music that heightens the emotions. In addition to the specialists involved in this work, we also interview legendary sound designers and famous directors. Citing clips from all kinds of masterpieces, old and new, as concrete examples, the role and emotional power of sound will be clarified through the process of actual production and discovery.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Midge Costin, the director of this high-quality guide film, by email. In order to differentiate this article from previous articles published by other media, I ask for your understanding that the text is long and I ask very detailed questions from beginning to end. At the same time, I would like to express my great gratitude to the director for patiently answering such troublesome questions and providing polite and valuable answers.

Index

• Unestablishment of fair use, which became a barrier to documentary production
• Gary Rydstrom, who is the key to the creation of this work
• The shock of sound design brought to you by “Eraserhead”
• Dolby's entry into the movie business and Barbra Streisand's accomplishments
• On the rise of outstanding female sound designers
• Why does Christopher Nolan remain stuck on 5.1ch?
• As more and more people watch movies outside of theaters, sound becomes even more important.
• Movies recommended by director Midge Costin

Unestablishment of fair use, which became a barrier to documentary production

Q: First of all, please tell us your motivation for working on this work.

Director Midge Costin: I'm very passionate about sound, but it wasn't always that way. When I was studying in the film department at USC (University of Southern California) in the 1980s, I avoided sound because I thought it was a technical thing, and I didn't realize its role in helping tell a story. I didn't know how to use sound to create mood and tone and reflect character.

After The Graduate, I wanted to become a video editor, so I started working as an editing assistant. However, I still had to edit the film for my graduation thesis, and needed funds to cover the cost. Fortunately, a friend of mine was working at a sound company and asked me to help edit the sound for a 16mm film, so I accepted the job because I needed money. A friend taught me how to edit sound effects, and this was the beginning of my love for sound.

I learned how sound can shape mood and tone, convey story points, and define characters. As a result, I became a sound editor for action and adventure blockbusters that required powerful sound. After that, I took on the position of teaching students at my alma mater how important sound is and how to use it effectively.

Actually, I wanted to make ``Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound'' in 2002, but it was difficult to make it happen because fair use laws had not yet been established at that time. Fair use allows users to use parts of a film without having to pay huge royalties to the original rights holders, such as major studios. Regarding the film clips you use, you can use them as long as you are not just trying to appeal to people with the footage, but are trying to use the clips to talk about or express something else.

This was not a problem for our film because we used clips to talk about the sound of the film. However, some lawyers often came to check it out and make sure there were no legal problems.

Gary Rydstrom, who is the key to the creation of this work