Sound Mix - Dialogue Drowned Out?

Steve K

From the "Ask Marilyn" column in "Parade": "When watching current television shows and recent movies, I have a hard time understanding what the actors say ... this uncomfortable phenomenon is the fault of modern directors. They sometimes behave as though complex special effects and music, etc., are just as important as the dialogue ... So it’s not you, readers! No, you’re not dull-witted nor growing deaf. Try watching an old film for reassurance."  I have been irritated by this, e.g. "Mr. Robot", and have been using English subtitles ... if they are available.  C'mon, directors, your music and sound isn't that important.

starboard

Steve,

I have been complaining about this for quite a while. I can listen to movies made in the 1930's and have no trouble understanding the dialoge despite how primitive their recording abilities were at that time.  Today we have lavalier and shotgun mics that woud have made these old time gaffers drool in envy.. and what do many of the present movie makers produce... mushy sound. With audio software that allows sound manipulation and clean up not even dreamt about  in the nineteen thirties  and fourties.. they can't even clean up their own mess to equal what was done inthe past.  

Part of the problem is the sound engineering indifference or incompetence of a growing number in the field., but it goes deeper than that...they mix in as your post points out muddying amounts of background sound and special effects.. and possiblly background music.  But there is another problem...and that is the quality of the sound produced by the actors themselves. The old time actors , many coming from the stage, took pride in projecting their voices and speaking clearly. They also spoke for the most part more  slowly than most actors of today.  Have you noticed how fast many milleniums talk.. It is a firehose torrent of verbal assault . And then there is the mumbleing school of acting...almost whisper dialog... I don't know which is worse....  All I know is that I am missing large amounts of the movie due to lack of professionalism.  

I don't know a lot about diction..but I believe that it takes a little time for the mind to  create its inner picture of the words it hears.. Words have meaning and subtle flavors of meaning.  Speak too  fast and most of the words don't register..it is like going through an art museum on a speeding motorscooter..its a blur with a few quick glimpses....

Of course there are some really good sound engineers out there and they produce excellent crisp sound. It is a plsure to listen to their sound art. Its just that there is an increasing number of movies, and TV programs being made that  has bad sound.. and there is no excuse for that.

Steve K

starboard said:

..  But there is another problem...and that is the quality of the sound produced by the actors themselves. The old time actors , many coming from the stage, took pride in projecting their voices and speaking clearly. They also spoke for the most part more  slowly than most actors of today.  Have you noticed how fast many milleniums talk.. It is a firehose torrent of verbal assault . And then there is the mumbleing school of acting...almost whisper dialog... I don't know which is worse....  All I know is that I am missing large amounts of the movie due to lack of professionalism.  

I don't know a lot about diction..but I believe that it takes a little time for the mind to  create its inner picture of the words it hears.. Words have meaning and subtle flavors of meaning.  Speak too  fast and most of the words don't register..it is like going through an art museum on a speeding motorscooter..its a blur with a few quick glimpses....

Yes, now that I think about it, the actors verbal performance was probably as much of the problem as the sound mix, e.g. "Mr. Robot".  I felt like much of the time I was inferring what was said based on context and body language.  But I'm sure I missed some key dialogue.  Thankfully the AV Club website had some good explanations of each episode, necessary even if I did hear the dialogue with such surreal plots.