Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Veteran Hollywood sound editor Midge Costin makes her directorial debut with this immersive, informative and hugely enjoyable documentary exploring the extraordinary power of sound in cinema.

Sound designers, sound editors and Foley artists… These are the people who create that world of sound, that palette of exquisitely blended noise layers, which is perhaps the thing least consciously comprehended by movie audiences but which is indispensable for fabricating the world in which a film can live and breathe. From the silent era through to the present this fascinating documentary reveals the hidden power of sound in cinema by spotlighting the innovations of the unsung heroes who create it, as well as offering insights from legendary directors with whom they collaborate.

Featuring interviews with directors such as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, David Lynch, Barbra Streisand, Ang Lee, Sofia Coppola and Ryan Coogler, as well as sound design pioneers Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now), Ben Burtt (Star Wars), Ai Ling Lee (La La Land) and Gary Rydstrom (Saving Private Ryan), Making Waves lends a long-overdue ear to film’s audible magic, both breaking down the creative process and offering firsthand anecdotes about the making of several all-time classics.

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