Film: Sonic Synchronicity
Ever since I was a small child I have loved the cinema, by which I mean the experience of visiting one. Lights dimming, excitement building, those creaky red chairs that somehow always catch my skirts, drinks with too much ice and plastic lids and long straws, food that we didn’t eat at any other time. There is something magical about sharing a film with a room full of other people, about laughing and gasping with others. It’s a beautiful, communal adventure that certainly cannot be matched.
When I started to lose my hearing as a teenager I worried that I might lose this marvelous experience; that I would be forever waiting for DVDs to come out so I could turn on the subtitles and discover exactly why the ‘comedy of the year’ was lauded for its witty script.
What on Earth are they mumbling about?
One can search around for a cinema showing a subtitled version of the film you want to see – these are usually once or twice a week, not generally new releases, and occasionally scheduled at pretty odd times. Of course, it isn’t only those with a registered hearing impairment who benefit from actually being able to see the dialogue on screen. Who hasn’t sat through an action flick and thought “this plot would make so much more sense if they weren’t explaining it WHILST the explosions are happening”, or a talky indie film, and mused; “what on Earth are they mumbling about?” The other option is to buy a ticket and hope for the T-Loop system in that particular screen to be working.
For those not in the know (don’t worry, it isn’t exactly common knowledge!), T-Loop or ‘hearing loop’ provides a magnetic, wireless signal that is picked up by the hearing aid when it is set to ‘T’ (Telecoil) setting. In banks, and many other buildings open to the public, this means a microphone hangs above the employee and if the hearing aid user standing right next to them switches on their T-Loop, the sound is played directly through their hearing aid into their ears.
Far more excitingly, in the cinema the audio for the film is played directly into my ears! I get the bangs, the musical swells … granted, sometimes things do go a little awry and occasionally I find myself watching one film but listening to another. Putting aside listening to the screen next door’s Harry Potter finale – only five minutes ahead of the one I was watching – the oddest incidence so far has to be Shrek’s voice coming out of Scarlett Johansson’s mouth!
If you have a film you would like included in FilmFest on 8, send an email with the heading ‘FilmFest’ to jessica@thelatest.tv
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