Subtitles On: Why is movie dialogue so hard to understand?

Twenty Thousand Hertz

Dallas Taylor

Music, Design, Arts, Music Commentary

4.8 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 20 September 2023

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In recent years, the dialogue in movies and TV shows has gotten harder and harder to understand. No one seems to agree on who or what the main culprit is, much less how to fix the problem. In this episode, we wade into the murky waters of The Great Dialogue Debate, and maybe, just maybe, find a solution. Featuring Production Sound Mixer Tom Curley and Slashfilm Senior Writer Ben Pearson. Follow Dallas on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn. Watch our video shorts on YouTube, and join the discussion on Reddit and Facebook. Sign up for Twenty Thousand Hertz+ to get our entire catalog ad-free. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org Go to indeed.com/hertz to start hiring today. Find the right doctor, right now with at zocdoc.com/20k. Visit babbel.com/20k to get 55% off your subscription. Visit shopify.com/20k and sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period. Support us by supporting our sponsors at 20k.org/sponsors. Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/subtitleson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	It's a new year and many of us are committing to exercising and eating healthier.
0:04.8	But another crucial part of staying healthy is keeping on top of your doctor appointments.
0:09.8	That's where Zoc Doc comes in.
0:12.0	Stop putting off those doctors appointments and go to Zocdoch.com slash Hertz to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today.
0:19.7	That's Z-O-C-D-O-C.com slash H-E-R-T-Z.
0:24.1	Zock.com slash Hertz.
0:30.5	You're listening to 20,000 Hertz.
0:34.0	What you're hearing is a clip from Terminator 2.
0:39.3	Back in the early 90s, it won the Oscar for Best Sound.
0:43.3	In the scene, Sarah Connor is escaping from a hospital.
0:47.3	Then, she runs into the Terminator, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, and she is terrified.
0:53.3	But I want you to focus on the soundtrack.
0:55.8	No! No! On her screams, you can hear some added reverb.
1:02.7	There's also some Foley as Sarah scuffles with the hospital staff. There's some dialogue.
1:09.8	Help her! Wait here.
1:11.6	Hurry up!
1:12.6	And there's some punchy sound effects once Arnie starts throwing people through windows.
1:20.6	By today's standards, this sound mix is actually pretty tame.
1:25.6	Nothing feels overpowering, and the music is kept fairly low.
1:31.2	I don't find myself thinking about the sound at all. I'm just completely lost in the story.
1:36.4	Come with me if you want to live.
1:38.6	But lately, it seems like any time I watch a movie or a TV show at home, I have to
	...

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