Documentary Explores the Power of Cinematic Sound

Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, RoAnn Costin guides Wilderness Point Investments, LLC, as managing director. Among RoAnn Costin’s endeavors has been serving as executive producer of Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound. The award-winning 2019 documentary earned official entry in the prestigious Cannes and Tribeca film festivals.

In the documentary, director and longtime movie sound editor Midge Costin focuses on the often hidden role of sound within the cinematic experience. She combines insights from top directors such as Steven Spielberg and Sofia Coppola, with conversations with pioneers in sound design whose innovations stretch back decades.

An example of the impact of sound she explores in depth centers on a montage in Robert Altman’s film “Nashville.” A main character’s arrival at the airport is accompanied by a seemingly frenetic cavalcade of other characters, mixed in with random passing people and even a group of baton twirlers in formation. When the sequence is dissected, the visuals are not as chaotic as they appear on first impression. Rather, the soundtrack combines overlapping dialogue with marching band sounds, airplanes on the runway, a newscast, and other real life elements. The immersive end result is that the viewer has an impression of the scene being similar to what would be experienced in real life.