By Shane Conto
In the expansive ocean of documentaries that come out every year, what makes the few stand tall amongst the rest? What are those IT factors that make a documentary worthy of awards attention? Here are five elements adding to the overall height of Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound directed by Midge Costin.
1. Movies About Movies
In the long history of the movies, what does Hollywood love most? A movie about movies! Even better? One that goes behind the curtain to show the labor of love that every filmmaker must go through to create their art. Making Wavestakes a truly insider look at one of the unsung aspects of the filmmaking process. Sound design, editing, and mixing are all so necessary to build the escapist nature of film but most film goers cannot tell you what each of them mean. That is where this documentary comes in. Not only is it about film but is a unique underdog story of the real MVP’s behind the technical aspects of the cinema. The nature of this informational story that details the forgotten members of the filmmaking committee lends itself to not only those who are deeply involved in film but also the everyday viewer. While the cinephiles in the audience can dig deep into the nitty gritty of the story, mainstream audiences can get lost in the discussions of some of their favorite films from Toy Story to Jurassic Park to The Godfather.
2. Recognizable Collaborators
How many films can boast that they feature the likes of Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Christopher Nolan, and so many more filmmakers? Not many but this one can! Something that really makes a good documentary stick out is the group of individuals that are interviewed and tasked with helping the audience connect to the proceedings. Midge Costin pulls out all of the stops with this one by getting a who’s who of famous filmmakers to line her film. Yes, the film does focus on the artists that create the famous sounds of our favorite films but another layer is introduced to really get the audience attached to this story. For a cinephile like myself it was exciting to make connections with those great sound artists that don’t get the recognition that they deserve. But what really stands out from this documentary are the big-name talent who are tasked with selling the work of these their unappreciated colleagues. What means more than hearing the story of a great talent like Ben Burtt? That same story being told by legendary filmmaker George Lucas. There are plenty of stories to really fill up the runtime of this documentary and every single one seems so special.
3. Great Hook
The film opens to a voice and visual graphic. This wouldn’t normally sound to interesting depending on how the subject of the film. Many films begin with a voiceover and such to paint a vivid picture for the audience. But what makes this one so special? Is it a memorable voice? Is it a crazy abstract graphic that draws you in so deeply? In the case of Making Waves, we get a stage set by the grander picture of the topic at the center of this film. A graphic representation is used to shake up the potentially boring footage of just people sitting and talking about how we hear sound. Slowly the layers are peeled back to reveal the real story that Costin wants to tell. What makes a documentary jump off the screen into the heads of the audience? A great hook! And Midge Costin is able to create one that is effective and memorable.
4. Multi-Layered Structure to Story Telling
Who wants to see a film that looks like someone rubbed two quarters together to make the whole budget? What is really going to make that story standout? A story structure that is logical, layered, and diverse. That’s what! It just so happens that Making Waves is able to balance each of these characteristics. What seems like it can be a straightforward and forgotten story is given a nicely structured spin as the film focuses on three major aspects of the history of sound in film. The first dimension is time. The documentary goes coast to coast when it comes to the incorporation of sound. The audience gets to experience so many checkpoints in the long history of film. The debut of the talky. The introduction of digital sound. The shift from stock sounds all around to ambitious and unique sounds that bring a dynamic layer to a film. But time isn’t everything. What about the incredible stories of the distinguished sound artists of cinema? And then there are the different aspects of sound too. The film dives into the voice, effects, and music of the cinema.
5. A Memorable Story
When it really comes down to it, what does story-telling, fancy filmmaking, great hooks, and big names mean for a film if it doesn’t tell a great story? In all honesty, nowhere near as much. Luckily for Midge Costin and the rest of her crew, they chose to tell the story of sound in film. It is layered, greatly impactful, and a story that not many people know. That is a recipe for something special. With all of the other points combined with this, Making Waves does indeed make big waves in the expansive ocean of documentaries to release in 2019. This is a story worth telling and sharing with through the great medium of film. In makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? Film is the only way to tell its own history.
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound premiers in theaters October 25th.