Modern movie sound mixers strive to achieve a balanced and immersive audio experience for viewers. While it's true that dialogue is crucial for understanding the story, there are several reasons why background noises and music may sometimes have noticeable presence in the mix:
Realism and Immersion: Sound mixers aim to create a realistic and immersive auditory environment for the audience. In real life, our perception of sound is not solely focused on dialogue. Background noises, ambient sounds, and music play an important role in setting the scene, establishing the atmosphere, and enhancing the overall cinematic experience.
Emotional Impact: Music and sound effects are powerful tools for evoking emotions and enhancing storytelling. They help create tension, build suspense, heighten excitement, or convey a specific mood. By giving these elements appropriate emphasis in the mix, filmmakers can effectively engage the audience's emotions and enhance the impact of the narrative.
Artistic Expression: Sound mixing is an art form, and mixers often have creative freedom to shape the audio landscape of a film. They use their expertise and artistic judgment to strike a balance between various sonic elements, considering factors like pacing, dynamics, and overall aesthetic vision. This may involve giving certain sounds or music cues a deliberate emphasis to create a desired impact.
Technical Considerations: Different audio elements occupy different frequency ranges and dynamic ranges. Sound mixers must carefully balance these elements to avoid distortion or masking issues. Sometimes, boosting dialogue too much in relation to background sounds or music can result in an unnatural or unbalanced mix. Adjusting the levels to ensure clarity while maintaining a cohesive and enjoyable soundscape is a delicate process.
While dialogue intelligibility is a crucial aspect of sound mixing, it's important to strike a balance that serves the overall cinematic experience. Filmmakers and sound mixers aim to provide an immersive audiovisual experience where dialogue, background noises, and music work harmoniously to enhance storytelling and engage the audience.