Thumper
Member
HERESY!!!!!
Why do movies never have realistic-sounding gunshots?
- Thread starter big inch
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HERESY!!!!!
Yeah, it's the same way that you always hear that 'schhhing!' sound whenever anyone draws a sword... films are most often fantasy, not reality... people want fun, not fact.
As for the sparking bullet hits- speaking as someone who has worked on low-budget films where we've had problems with that... we were using home-made 'squibs', the little charges used to set off bloodpacks or small bullet hits on scenery. Problem was the powder they were using when they made them was just too damn smokey and sparkey, so even through they had a condom full of fake blood and a layer of costume over them, they still often had visible smoke and/or sparks when they went off. That's what we get for not being able to buy the real stuff, I guess.
The other low budget alternative is using air pressure, but that has other problems- hiding the tubing, haveing a hole already in the costume, limit on how long the tether can be (lose air pressure over a longer tube), harder to do multiple hits, sometimes problems with premature leakage or a 'misting' effect instead of a nice juicy 'splurt'.
If ya want to know what I'm talking about, the trailer is online at www.bulletsthemovie.com
And yes, the director specifically requested things like the the guy flying over the car when hit by a shotgun blast, etc.
As for the sparking bullet hits- speaking as someone who has worked on low-budget films where we've had problems with that... we were using home-made 'squibs', the little charges used to set off bloodpacks or small bullet hits on scenery. Problem was the powder they were using when they made them was just too damn smokey and sparkey, so even through they had a condom full of fake blood and a layer of costume over them, they still often had visible smoke and/or sparks when they went off. That's what we get for not being able to buy the real stuff, I guess.
The other low budget alternative is using air pressure, but that has other problems- hiding the tubing, haveing a hole already in the costume, limit on how long the tether can be (lose air pressure over a longer tube), harder to do multiple hits, sometimes problems with premature leakage or a 'misting' effect instead of a nice juicy 'splurt'.
If ya want to know what I'm talking about, the trailer is online at www.bulletsthemovie.com
And yes, the director specifically requested things like the the guy flying over the car when hit by a shotgun blast, etc.
S Roper
Member
Sounds in movies are usually chosen to sound cool. Think about the unrealistic metallic screeching sound when swords are drawn in movies.
Fly320s
Member
... and when any handgun is drawn there is a sound of it being cocked or unsafed.
Gunshot Sound Effects
As I recall from an article that I read several years ago, recording actual live fire doesen't work any better than recording blanks...the recording equipment simply can't handle the range of sound, and the speakers can't reproduce it anyway. What we hear in the theater is a contrived audio effect designed to convince the audience that they are hearing gunfire, which is very different from the actual sound of gunfire. For one thing, if it was loud enough to be realistic, it would cause massive ear damage. If it sounds real to you, that means that the audio tecnicians created a good sound effect, not that they recorded real gunfire. Just my recollection, for what its worth.
As I recall from an article that I read several years ago, recording actual live fire doesen't work any better than recording blanks...the recording equipment simply can't handle the range of sound, and the speakers can't reproduce it anyway. What we hear in the theater is a contrived audio effect designed to convince the audience that they are hearing gunfire, which is very different from the actual sound of gunfire. For one thing, if it was loud enough to be realistic, it would cause massive ear damage. If it sounds real to you, that means that the audio tecnicians created a good sound effect, not that they recorded real gunfire. Just my recollection, for what its worth.
mbs357
Member
Spaghetti Westerns... ^.^
Feanaro
Member
Because realistic sounding shots in a movie would leave you deaf when you left. 
Black Snowman
Member
No realistic gun sounds in Equalibrium. Not much realistic anything, but a fun movie to be sure! I've seen it 5 times. 
Sunray
Member
As daft as it sounds, real gun shots don't sound real enough for movies. At least that's how it was explained to me by an SFX guy I knew long ago.
The worst movie sound effect is the click-click-click when an SMG or other FA or semi-auto firearm runs out of ammo.
A sword only makes the sound when being drawn from a metal scabbard. A sabre being drawn makes it, but medieval swords didn't have a metal scabbard. Their's were leather or wood. No noise at all.
The worst movie sound effect is the click-click-click when an SMG or other FA or semi-auto firearm runs out of ammo.
A sword only makes the sound when being drawn from a metal scabbard. A sabre being drawn makes it, but medieval swords didn't have a metal scabbard. Their's were leather or wood. No noise at all.
Phone Booth
Remind me of the movie Phone Booth where he works the bolt of his rifle and says something along the lines of "Why is it in movies just before he goes through the door the good guy cocks his gun? Why doesn't he already have it cocked? Because *that* sound is SCARY AS HELL!"
Speaking of Way of the Gun - Has anyone counted how many magazines the two guys go through with their .45s in teh shootout in the end - they sure seem to be carrying a *lot*.
Cheers,
Mike.
Remind me of the movie Phone Booth where he works the bolt of his rifle and says something along the lines of "Why is it in movies just before he goes through the door the good guy cocks his gun? Why doesn't he already have it cocked? Because *that* sound is SCARY AS HELL!"
Speaking of Way of the Gun - Has anyone counted how many magazines the two guys go through with their .45s in teh shootout in the end - they sure seem to be carrying a *lot*.
Cheers,
Mike.
Hawk
Member
To spare theater goers from having to rent ear protection.
2nd Amendment
member
On "sparks": A lot of things such as this, are required to direct the audience attention in various circumstances. You've got a fire fight and there are supposed to be bullets flying. How do you show this? Well, you can poke holes in cars, if you have the equipment and budget. But what about walls, pvmt, etc? Show some sparks. The audience automatically recognizes it as a hit and you've got the elevation of tension you wanted. A puff of dust might work, but maybe not. Sparks are sort of undeniable.
Yeah, ok, it's probably stupid reasoning but it's Hollweird, what can ya say.
Yeah, ok, it's probably stupid reasoning but it's Hollweird, what can ya say.
2t2 crash
Member
thats why I hate Enemy at the Gate. russian MG sounds like a .30 cal.
or when an MG42 sounds like a .30cal or slower rate of fire MG... COME ON PEOPLE! turn a 1200-1500 rpm mg into what sounds like at most 800 :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
or when an MG42 sounds like a .30cal or slower rate of fire MG... COME ON PEOPLE! turn a 1200-1500 rpm mg into what sounds like at most 800 :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
calzoom
Member
Movie fakes
Didn't you love it when tires squeal on dirt and sandy roads?
Didn't you love it when tires squeal on dirt and sandy roads?
calzoom
Member
Movie fakes
Didn't you love it when tires squeal on dirt and sandy roads?
Didn't you love it when tires squeal on dirt and sandy roads?
Yeah they even do this on World's Wildest Police Videos. They make you think all these sirens, squealing, and horns honking are part of the video but then you realize you are still hearing the squealing and honking on those dirt roads in the backwoods.
mcneill
Member
Watched Shane (DVD) recently with the headphones on. Was amazed at how loud/realistic the gunshots were. Recalled that it was like that in the movie theater, too.
Jim
Jim
sumpnz
Member
As hokey as some parts parts of The Bourne Identity were, I was actually impressed that in the scene where the top CIA dude gets killed at the end they got right the sound of the slide and the falling brass with the suppressed 9mm pistol.
I couldn't tell you what a realistic sounding gunshot sounds like...whenever I shoot without ear protection, I get an "earth shattering kaboom" ala Marvin the Martian, and a persistent ringing in the ears.
Personally, I'd rather hear the next five minutes of dialogue than have my head ring.
Personally, I'd rather hear the next five minutes of dialogue than have my head ring.
Smokey Joe
Member
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Log in another title...
with "real" sound: Master and Commander For the cannon fire, I understand they got a bunch of Civil War reenactors out to a Nat'l Guard cannon range, then put movie-grade sound recording gear at various distances downrange. So when the other ship fires on Aubrey's frigate, the firing you hear, and the nasty "swoosh" of cannonballs going over his crew's heads, is the real thing.
Heck of a good adventure story, too. And the books on which the movie is bases are even better if you like reading. Patrick O'Brian is the author, and any library or bookstore can sic you on them if you ask.
with "real" sound: Master and Commander For the cannon fire, I understand they got a bunch of Civil War reenactors out to a Nat'l Guard cannon range, then put movie-grade sound recording gear at various distances downrange. So when the other ship fires on Aubrey's frigate, the firing you hear, and the nasty "swoosh" of cannonballs going over his crew's heads, is the real thing.
Heck of a good adventure story, too. And the books on which the movie is bases are even better if you like reading. Patrick O'Brian is the author, and any library or bookstore can sic you on them if you ask.
And yet in the same movie there was a SMG that made a *clickclickclickclickclick* noise when it ran out of ammo. I like the move, but that bugs the heck out of me everytime I hear it. (its when the guy comes into Bournes apartment to kill him and they are struggling).
Zach S
Member
Hollywood generally doesnt care about us noticing all the gun mistakes and added drama. Generally, most people dont care or dont notice when someone get too many rounds off, screws up a tac reload by racking the slide, the cocking glock, or the rapid clicks when a MG runs out of ammo.
Even though it gets on our nerves, they still get paid.
Even though it gets on our nerves, they still get paid.
I noticed that in the hallway at the mall. And the elevator at the mental institution. I hate the fact they dont sound real at all.
mfree
Member
That'd be an interesting scene, wouldn't it? First-person view of someone walking around a house, top of gun just barely in view, threat arrives, you see gun come up, camera sees through sights, muzzle flash, extremely loud reports that get softer and softer, and then the audio is muffled for a while with a faint high-pitched ringing
Jeez, I mean, only time I fired a round of .22 super colibri out my kitchen window, in a 3.4" barreled semi and no protection my ears rang for a good minute, and that's like 30gr at 400fps.
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I can't remember the sounds, but I remember a scene from a movie, I think it was the movie version of the TV show "Aliens" or something, with the aliens that coexisted with us, were correded by salt water, etc... in the opening, I think it was a bad guy with an SAS-12 loaded with slugs shooting at a badly undergunned officer who decided to hide behind a car. They showed slugs passing all the way through the car with a little follower of smoke and a slight woosh. One found it's mark. Cover vs. concealment, effectively shown in a movie. Surprise!
EDIT: Alien Nation was the movie. Heh, talk about your immigration problems...
Jeez, I mean, only time I fired a round of .22 super colibri out my kitchen window, in a 3.4" barreled semi and no protection my ears rang for a good minute, and that's like 30gr at 400fps.
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I can't remember the sounds, but I remember a scene from a movie, I think it was the movie version of the TV show "Aliens" or something, with the aliens that coexisted with us, were correded by salt water, etc... in the opening, I think it was a bad guy with an SAS-12 loaded with slugs shooting at a badly undergunned officer who decided to hide behind a car. They showed slugs passing all the way through the car with a little follower of smoke and a slight woosh. One found it's mark. Cover vs. concealment, effectively shown in a movie. Surprise!
EDIT: Alien Nation was the movie. Heh, talk about your immigration problems...
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