The five greatest sound effect myths purported by Hollywood
Brace yourself; this may come as a shock. Movies do not reflect real life. Sure this is an incredibly obvious fact, and we know that the Galactic Empire of Star Wars does not indeed govern the cosmos, nor does Aquaman rule all marine life, even if it is dreamy to think so. But there are several myths that Hollywood has taught us over the years that have somehow made their way into the understanding of everyday life.
We’re here to break down exactly which of these myths you may not even be aware of, with pieces of movie magic working their way into the public consciousness. We blame those pesky watermelon-smashing foley sound designers and crafty editors who slip in strange sound effects and dazzling visual effects to make spectacular Hollywood moments even more bombastic.
So, join us on a voyage of remarkable discovery as we break down five surprising myths Hollywood has taught us over the years. Whilst this list might change your perception of the world around you, don’t blame us for such flagrant lies.
The five greatest sound effect myths purported by Hollywood
Space explosions
We get it; sometimes, real life just isn’t as exciting as the movies, with movie editors adding sound effects to cosmic explosions, even when such an audible ‘boom’ would never be heard in real life. Fans of Star Wars, or any other popular sci-fi for that matter, may not realise the truth behind this industry myth. Still, because space exists in a vacuum, it doesn’t have the necessary environment for sound to travel at all.
Ever the professional, typically the American filmmaker Stanley Kubrick was true to his perfectionism when he made sure to correct this Hollywood myth in his 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Swords don’t ‘schwing’
Fantasy fans, listen close and listen hard. That epic, smooth sound of a sword being removed from its sheath simply won’t happen in real life; we’re sorry. Indeed, the Hollywood elite has been lying to you for countless years, with epic genre tales of old using the sound effect as well as modern flicks such as House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power. But the use of this effect isn’t hurting anyone, right? Wrong.
Forcing this sound from a metal sword in real life would quickly become rusty, hurting the feelings of the poor mortal-slaying blade.
Tires do not always screech
We’re looking at you, Fast and Furious franchise. Apparently, according to this series, and many others like it, simply drive at high speeds and violently use the brakes, and you’ll perform a stylish screech that will make you look really cool in front of your mates or romantic interest.
Well, this isn’t exactly how it works. Occurring only on concrete streets, the surface has to be dry to achieve the desired sound, and unfortunately for the drivers, it’s a pretty dangerous thing to do. Where it will never work is on a dirt road. It’s just a fact.
Gun silencers block all sound
Every careful cinematic spy will have one of these in their back pocket. After all, if a gun silencer could block all sounds, then every criminal and soldier would use them. The reality isn’t all that similar, though, with a gun silencer only really muffling the pre-existing ‘bang’ of gunfire. Put it like this, you’d still want ear-defenders when shooting a suppressor-armed weapon, and we seriously wouldn’t recommend an espionage mission armed with one.
Despite the facts of the matter, we don’t think James Bond will be switching out his silencer anytime soon.
Bombs whistle on their way to the ground
This myth is frustrating, as there’s a ghostly presence at the sight of a destructive bomb heading to earth with no sound at all. But, of course, Hollywood had to ruin this. Popularised in cartoons, many mainstream war films will add a whistle to bombs as they are released from planes on their unsuspecting victims below. Still, real-life events contest with this fictionalised piece of movie meddling.
This myth gets things wrong on two grounds, bombs won’t whistle on their way to the ground, and neither will they decrease in frequency as they near the bottom.
