The Consequences of Sound

The consequences of sound for cinema were not just generic. It affected the careers of actors and it also impacted on the narrative. When the spoken element came in, some actors did not survive and went out because their voice did not match up to their image; other actors with theatre experience left the boards and ascended on to the silver screen.

As for narrative, prior to the soundtrack, sounds had not been perceived as necessary nor as a crucial element to the registering of authentic reality. Since there could be dialogue, it was argued, there was greater space for social and psychological reality within the narrative. In the event, all critics had to admit that once sound was improved it could move the film's narrative along more speedily than it had been moved before with the silent films.

In its earliest days sounds was more of a regressive step for cinema because it severely limited camera movement. The new cameras fitted with sound recording systems were heavy bulky affairs and could not be moved around. Similarly at first, a single microphone was the only means of recording sounds, so actors could not move around. In both instances visual realism was lost, which is the reproduction of the physical environment. Once technology improved, there was renewed camera mobility and the boom microphone was developed and the quality of the sound films increased.

New Technology - Page Three

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