Dear Lazy Directors,
It’s time to stop ripping off Saving Private Ryan‘s simulation of tinnitus. If you don’t know what tinnitus is, it’s that ringing sound in the ear often encountered in the aftermath of a loud bang or explosion. There were a few films that simulated this before Saving Private Ryan. The sound drowned out and was replaced by a very high-pitched ringing. The idea is to immerse the audience in the subjective experience of a person caught in an explosion. It’s a cool idea, and Saving Private Ryan used it extremely effectively.
Unfortunately, since Private Ryan, the technique has been used over an over and over and over and over and over again. It shows up so often that these days I expect it every single time something explodes really close to the main character. It has gone from unique and effective sound effect in the premiere of Lost and the opening of Children of Men, to completely predictable and annoying.
justAtad 