no I read something about this recently!
it is a combination of:
projectionists used to well trained union workers now they are mostly some guy who works in the cinema and hits play without adjusting any levels
boom operators aren’t allowed to get in as close as they used to and miking performers well isn’t routinely done
directors don’t appreciate setting up and getting good sound on the day sound on the day assuming everything can be fixed in post (it can’t)
sound operators who say ‘hey actually we need one more take of that for sound’ are routinely ignored
tight turnaround and schedules means that the noisier equipment (generators etc) is set up closer and closer to where they’re filming so mixers have to try hide the sound of noisy diesel engines etc that the mics are picking up
a mumble style of delivery is increasingly popular among actors who want to appear naturalistic on screen
film and television is very much considered a visual medium so directors are trained to think of visuals first when filming and sound last
Sorry, I had to say some things about this post. I don't think it's their fault, it just seems like they're relaying what they read somewhere, so I'll share what I know.
“boom operators aren’t allowed to get in as close as they used to and miking performers well isn’t routinely done”
That’s not the case. They absolutely get in, and when they can't get in, actors get mic'd. Sometimes they'll get mic'd and the boom op will still work.
"directors don’t appreciate setting up and getting good sound on the day sound on the day assuming everything can be fixed in post (it can’t)"
Also not the case, production is anal af about sound on the day. I have seen PAs sent to next door construction sites(!!!) to ask them to maybe stop drilling/banging/working for a few hours or at least not while cameras are rolling. Yes the construction people are generally paid money for the inconvenience. Even adjacent productions can sometimes yell at each other with noise complaints if they're sharing a stage complex.
"sound operators who say ‘hey actually we need one more take of that for sound’ are routinely ignored"
I've maybe only ever seen that happen once because they were running out of time. Additional takes are absolutely done if sound is terrible. In fact things will even sometimes stop so that mics can be fixed on actors to correct bad sound.
"tight turnaround and schedules means that the noisier equipment (generators etc) is set up closer and closer to where they’re filming so mixers have to try hide the sound of noisy diesel engines etc that the mics are picking up"
That's not the case. Gennies are set up down the block or even around the corner from shooting. If, god forbid, they are still being heard they will absolutely be moved, but the set Electricians are almost always more professional than that.
"a mumble style of delivery is increasingly popular among actors who want to appear naturalistic on screen"
That's between the actor, the director, and god tbh
"film and television is very much considered a visual medium so directors are trained to think of visuals first when filming and sound last"
Not really- part of their job is to ensure the whole package. If a director actively disregards sound or the requests from sound, the opinion of the director amongst the crew generally falls a bit. There is usually good communication and accommodation between departments on sets.
I can't comment on movie theatre projectionists- I don't know enough about it. During post production, part of the director and producers' jobs is to make sure the sound mixing comes out well and is done properly. The sound media is there, but if those people decide to do something weird with it? Well.....
But ime it's not generally an on-set issue, it's what they do with everything during post production. so the places and people involved in that are where you're gonna wanna look probably.
"we prioritized sound by asking the guys next door to stop jackhammering" is like saying "we prioritized cinematography by not putting a blindfold on the DP"
It costs money and cooperation, neither of which a worksite has to accept, to ask people to stop working, so it's not some small "simple" thing.
literally everything in film production costs money and cooperation. what i'm saying is, it is required. it is baseline. it does not constitute "being anal af about sound"
The points you seem to be, intentionally or not, missing are:
1. People out on the street can do whatever they want and don't have to take money to be quiet. It's not a guarantee, it's a goal. That's the tradeoff of working outside, therefore it is impossible to "require" something uncontrollable.
2. Mixing exists. Most of the problems people complain about in theatres are due to poor mixing in post.
Tell your husband I said hi.
the point i am making, and you are avoiding, is that you have only the most cursory understanding of what decent sound requires. your observations of absolutely basic accommodations for sound do not mean sound is valued equal to photography on set. the sound pros quoted in that article are right and you are wrong.
