Quote:
Originally Posted by dreams
I really, really, really, hate that some TV programs play loud music for extended periods while the program has no dialog.
I had just finally got use to the beautiful regulation that commercials were at the same volume as the program I was watching. Now it seems like there are more and more periods of no dialog in TV programs just so the music can be played loudly. It's beginning to feel like advertising for the music track. Plus, the higher volume of the music requires a quick grab for the remote to turn it down. Then, when the music is over, you have to turn the volume back up to be able to hear the dialog once again!
Although commercials have had to lower their volume, I am starting to note that some commercials have started to be louder again. Has anyone else noted this in the US?
|
+1. I'd +1,000 it if I could.
I'm just sick to death of the whole "let's play uber-loud music so that we can distract from the issue that we have a crappy, tired, retread plot with dialogue a 4th-grader would find trite" mindset. I posted here on MR some time ago that I actually had to turn Inspector Lewis' last season OFF, because Barrington Pheloung's music was
so incredibly loud I just couldn't have it playing and hear dialogue at the same time--to hear the dialogue, we had to blast ourselves out of the room; to not get blasted, we couldn't hear the dialogue. We tried everything--rebalancing the speakers, the system, you-name-it...just couldn't get it to be workable, and we couldn't just turn it up/down for dialogue, because the damned music was over/under the dialogue.
We don't have some el-cheapo system; we have a very good TV/receiver/amp/surround-sound system, with better-than-good quality speakers and the like. I mean, do we have 100K USD audiophile type setups?
No, but we've got
quite a bit invested in our sound system, put together carefully over time, not counting the TV, the Roku and the DVR's. I know that there are some conversion issues between UK shows/movies and US shows/movies--I'm no expert on this, but, man, they really need to pay more attention when converting shows for across the pond, in both directions. Tweak it and get it right--don't just put "auto-convert" on and leave it while you go have a snack.
I admire a good score as much as the next person, but truth be told, I'm rather fond of movies from the 30's-40's, in which they didn't actually feel the need to fill
every single second with NOISE. The type of normal silences in conversations, or during bits or action were okay, and allowed to be silent. It's extremely aggravating, all-round, IMHO, that my ears feel like I need a break when I'm done watching almost anything.
BTW, for those of you that don't know this bit of trivia, good, adult (I mean, grown-up, not "adult" in terms of erotica) filmmaking can actually earn
QUITE good numbers--
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was made for a pittance (seriously--something like $10M), and in terms of percentages, has been a runaway hit, earning back oodles for its producers and backers. (Over $130M, if memory serves, before being released to DVD, PPV, etc.) I'm hoping that this makes other filmmakers think about
stories with substance. Not necessarily all made with 'crones,'--that's not what I'm saying, but stories that don't have to have an explosion every 10 seconds, or some ungodly trite and ridiculous formulaic comedy, etc. Just good old-fashioned, creative,
remotely original storytelling. With dialogue you can hear, too, over the soundtrack, if that's not too much to ask.
I know, I know...I'm a hopeless, foolish dreamer. Anyone here who wants to slap me with a "slap" emoty, feel free. Obviously, I must be out of my mind tonight/this morning. ;-)
Hitch