Why The Batman's Sound is Different

[@noahsong3865]

The whole movie, I was obsessed with the sound that Batman’s boots make when he’s walking in the rain. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a cooler sound in a movie than that.

[@oswiroa4973]

Yeah that was pretty cool

[@jackievds1776]

It reminds me of how affecting it was hearing Kylo Ren's boots for the first time - the power and presence he had (before that all obviously went downhill in the next movies)

[@Despair505]

I loved how they added those cowboy boots vibes

[@yaelcarrasquillo1675]

I'm still obsessed

[@joewilson340]

Blade runner 2049, too

[@CollinThomasEverett]

When the batmobile appears, I was not expecting the sounds that came with it. I had the largest grin from ear to ear. SO affecting.

[@SackSmasher]

In the theater that bass hit and you could feel it in the seats and I sat there in absolute amazement

[@sribk02]

I felt that too

[@aryanahuja2477]

But I didn't understand why the Batmobile moved a little ahead and then just stopped? All that hype felt like it got wasted. It was like Batman waited for Penguin to get in his vehicle and run away, why would he do that?

[@logiknotlogic6586]

@@aryanahuja2477 to find out in which direction the penguin would go in

[@logiknotlogic6586]

@@aryanahuja2477 also he cudv come earlier but the goons with the guns were there and the only way to make em stop in an open area is to kill em which Batman doesn’t do since he doesn’t kill

[@lachlanrussell18]

As a sound engineer of 5+ years, this is the first truly good video essay on sound I’ve seen that gets everything right and actually explains things right. There’s a LOT of misconceptions about sound design on the internet, and a lot of very shallow videos that credit small things with doing much more work than they’re actually doing, or making overarching statements. Would genuinely show this in a class if I taught one. Well done Tom!

[@dylanfarnum4121]

That's very perceptive of you, you're right; a lot of people don't even really understand sound design, even if they are interested in it. It's similar to cinematography in that it can completely make or break a film, it can elevate a good film to a great one. Although sound design is heard rather than seen so its even more difficult to comprehend and understand.

[@amancalleddaniel1544]

My GF doesn't have any formal training yet, but she has a great ear and talent for sound design, and is looking into being a sound engineer, so she definitely believes sound makes or breaks it for her. She hated West Side Story because the sound was distractingly off in a lot of respects, and when we were watching The Batman, she turned to me a ways in and said, "I'm liking this so far.... Oh, and the sound design is excellent."

[@LeBeautiful]

Thanks Lachlan!!

[@bluebomber875]

@@amancalleddaniel1544 Yeah I also noticed almost all of the audio in WSS sounds like ADR, it’s too perfect sounding and lacks ambience. Which I understand it’s because the music is the focus point but it definitely makes it feel very off.

[@pawelkapica5363]

The thing with sound and hence sound design is that perception is subjective. I get what you are saying, but even if the intention of the sound desiner is something else, the listeners internal reaction can not be predicted 100%. That's why the interpreteion is never entirely wrong. If that sound had this effect on this particular viewer, so be it. I much rather think it's very interesting how differnt people interpret it differently than thinking they are wrong.

[@kyletheguyle5857]

The film making in the batman was such a breath of fresh air. I feel like the insane inflation of super hero movies we get in a year wouldn't be as big of a problem if they had half craftsmanship of the batman

[@kyletheguyle5857]

@kshamwhizzle barely visible is kinda exaggerated. It has a very shallow depth of vision on purpose, the movie is too long but a lot of the best moments imo are in the last act. The movie is far from self aggrandizing and can be pretty goofy at times and a lot of that stems from the pulpy detective style it has. Even if I thought it was just ok, which i don't, it's a of fresh air to see a film that clearly has some artistic intent and personality. It's so entirely not what we typically see in the genre and I appreciate it a lot for that

[@quantumvideoscz2052]

@kshamwhizzle About the tool, the carpet tucker. The whole point is Bruce, who has never held something like that before in his life, didn't know what it is. It fits thematically with the rest of the movie.

[@leolizard3152]

@kshamwhizzle If that’s what it is, then yes, I want more. Haven’t had a superhero movie this good in ages

[@galactic85]

Completely agree. Plus most of those superhero movies are marvel films which all kind of inevitably wing up feeling the same despite the fact that they try to market them as different by saying things like "this one is more of a political thriller."

[@SixXGaming]

The way I read this comment, I didn’t think the commenter meant every film hast to be just like the Batman relative to motifs or themes. I just thought they meant they wanted every hero movie to have as much passion time and actual filmmaking and craftsmanship implemented into it. From psychology of every aspect to the technical hands on choices the filmmakers make. For example other super hero movies rarely have a particular choice for the lens on the camera or the camera to shoot with. Because they need heavy vfx and they often times end up looking generic. The movie here for example, the DOP chose so particularly what lens he wanted to use because of its characteristics and properties and how that would impact the story. Over all I think that’s what the comment meant. Not that every movie has to look like the Batman. Because if that’s what they meant they would contradict themselves because every movie would end up looking the same. Which is not what some people want. I’m sorry some people didn’t like this movie so much because it wasn’t fast and exposition Like other films we see recently. But I comment to simply agree. There needs to be some more genuine movies from now on. No more factory assembly line movies.

[@andrewheaney4874]

YES. The Batman’s sound design is absolutely incredible.

[@JangidSumit]

In theatre, The Batmobile sounded like Mecha Godzilla type beast that came alive ready to pounce and obliterate everything in it's way and that it did.

[@keokihiga8462]

The way I’ve seen some people build this movie up made me have some pretty high expectations, but the sound is the one thing that exceeded what I expected going in.

[@yoshimitsu8643]

When Batman comes out of the dark alley to reveal himself to the thugs- where he says “I’m vengeance” Leading up to that scene the music was absolutely awesome. I was high and my enhanced senses picked up on the slightest of notes. It’s was like a bat trip

[@JangidSumit]

@@J.PC.Designs And that's music to my ears

[@R3TR0J4N]

tldr of this video essay lmao

[@AronBagel]

Another very subtle auditory moment I absolutely loved was the diegetic use of “Something In The Way” when Bruce is first returning to the Batcave. Hearing music go from soundtrack to Bruce’s own background music of choice tells so much about this character, and it’s all made clear simply through Bruce turning down the music when the news talks about his parents.

[@cascade9584]

I mean, the narration alone is a giveaway that we are now inside Bruce's head imo(like audio POV) but I think this film does a great job of blurring the lines between diegetic and non-diegetic sound (I mean, the whole 'club within the club' scene alone where Selina wears the contact lens cameras and we're hearing her voice as spoken into our ears but they are also Bruce's ears and we're looking through Bruce's eyes looking at a feed of what Selina's eyes are seeing I mean that part alone blew my freaking mind)

[@peculiarpig]

after a 3rd rewatch that's when i noticed he was listening to nirvana

[@TomWright91]

I actually don't think he was listening to Nirvana. I did initially. But then noticed on my 4th watch there was sound coming from the recording his contact lense made whilst he was at the crime scene. He was turning that down to hear the TV. The music going down was, from my perspective, a clever creative choice.

[@umjammerlammy9993]

I know people can write it off as cheesy but I actually do love that he's a Nirvana fan. He's listening through angry and sombre punk rock, he has a bass guitar, he has faded band shirts. Pattinson described him as a reclusive rock star and quirks like that help make him feel like a more human person.

[@ilynachooo]

I was just thinking about this yesterday, it made it that much more immersive, really making us be in Bruce’s subjective mind.

[@nakulgopal4180]

My mind hurts when I realise the amount of hardwork and art are designed to be stay hidden in the movie and audience can only feel them subconsciously......this department of the batman will stay underrated.

[@giokarp]

+1

[@roysudhir2610]

They're the batmen and batwomen of this batman film

[@justingordon2456]

Here’s an extra piece of fun, regarding that truck/train example from the beginning of the video. It’s a hint as to where The Batman actually is lurking, which is revealed later. He’s not near the truck, so we don’t hear the truck. We hear the subway.

[@cascade9584]

could be read that way, interestingly enough this exact use of mismatch betw. audio/image happens again when they cut from the mayor's garage to the exterior of the Iceberg Lounge (although in that case, even though the car passing L-R is the focal point of the image, the shadow of the train passing overhead *can* be seen in the top of the frame in a way that is more implied the first time this happens) and this second time, Batman is on the ground. Train is louder than car though.

[@viridian5maureen853]

With the part of Queens, NYC I live in, I immediately figured it was an elevated train line's sound so it didn't seem odd at all to me.

[@BenChanNYC]

An elevated subway would be louder than a truck driving by anyway. It's also a departing train rather than an arriving train. You can see people walking down the stairs departing the station - nice attention to detail.

[@multipass113]

I also LOVE how we can hear the crinkling of Batman and Selina’s suits during certain scenes. It really creates and adds such intimacy to the visual experience. Thanks for another informative video.

[@cascade9584]

Dude and the sound of Batman's boots!

[@ajtaylor8750]

The Batman has this overlaying cloud of mist surrounding it, almost like someone walking through a dark forest not knowing what lies in the distance. The sound design adds to that by being the crickets you would hear while walking through that forest, and there's a weird intimacy throughout while also having a very heavy weight of sound in scenes like the Batmobile chase. It's the one aspect to this film that deserves a ton of appreciation and love.

[@zunaidparker]

I'm sure you must have seen this video already but posting it anyway: The Batman - Make the Frame Dirty kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYXcn3-iYpd5p7c It's a great look at how the cinematography was done.

[@neomuneochicken4585]

I loved how we as the audience could experience Batman's voice in Selena's earphone, it sounded SO COOL idk how to describe it, but if you watched it in a theater you probably know what I mean

[@cascade9584]

also sounds great in over-ear headphones!

[@Astraeul]

Seeing the bits of car parts, the engine being rebuilt, the car as just a husk in multiple shots, it built a huge expectation for when I would finally see the bat mobile in action. The build up and reveal was a top 3 moment in the movie for me. The sounds. The colors. I remember just saying wow over and over, amazing section of the movie.

[@The8merp]

Before watching the movie, when I saw the trailer for it and it ends with that car chase sequence followed by the upside down shot of Batman walking towards the penguin, I thought it's a shame that they used such a cool shot in the trailer as it would become less impactful when I see the same scene in the movie now. Boy was I wrong, that entire chase sequence was even more impactful when I saw the movie in the theatre

[@javid53]

When Batman was chasing the Penguin in the batmobile, a handful of times the Penguin seemed to lose Batman or gain an advantage, and everytime Batman appeared back on his tail the Batman leitmotif plaued. It really did a great job portraying The Batman as relentless and unstoppable - really good stuff.

[@Biosynchro]

Batman's leitmotif sounded too much like Darth Vader's. I didn't appreciate that.

[@deeplander]

This is gonna sound weird but I really love the movie’s use of crowds of people screaming, drowned out by a loud noise (the first Iceberg Lounge fight, at the mayor’s memorial when the guests notice Colson’s bomb, when Batman is being pursued by almost the entire GCPD, I believe this was also heard in the third act when the new mayor was shot). It was an interesting choice of sound to focus on but an incredible one

[@sarahbearbabygirl]

i loved the crowd noises too!! i think it was super important because the public perception of each figure in the movie, the acceptance or rejection of the “crowd”, is incredibly important to the emotional states of the characters and plays a roles in determining whether or not they can do what they want to do when embodying that persona. especially because the whole movie takes place during an important election, starting with the mayor’s murder, because politics is the pinnacle of a figure relying on how the public views them. everyone in the movie represents different ideologies and approaches, but the way they carry them out and the consequences of those choices of course define the people as individuals but moreso defines their persona and the ideals that they champion (such as the batman stopping selina from murdering falcone, because she’s “paid enough” in this life and shouldn’t go to jail for rightfully executing a man who’s lived his life getting away with evil. she wanted him dead and was so mad that she didn’t care about the consequences, but bruce at least subconsciously knew falcone would be dead one way or another soon, and knew that selina didn’t deserve to go down for that after all she’d been through). sorry kinda a rant but TLDR i agree that i love how the crowd sounds were incorporated and it’s not weird at all to love that, i think it is just another thing this movie did with intention and mastery that goes above and beyond to deliver on the central message of the film.

[@Hoodie_HD]

Yep, it made the church feel so claustrophobic.

[@Saravanan-bu9uu]

​@@sarahbearbabygirl You put your thoughts so beautifully.🌟

[@batnerd5648]

One aspect of the sound/music I really liked was this bell motif. Usually in key moments bell tolls start playing (ex: Carmine’s death, when Batman sees the electric cable) The bells indicate key moments for Batman in the story. It follows the subjective style the movie, which I just adore.

[@skriisi]

I couldn't take the entire film's soundscape seriously because Batman's theme is the first two notes of the imperial march/Darth Vader theme of the original star wars trilogy and it kept playing in my head throughout. Dun dun dun dun-du dun, dun-du dun

[@drdj2626]

@@skriisi I could swear those two notes were from Nirvana's Something in The Way.

[@skriisi]

@@drdj2626 sure, they propably are. They still spell dun dun dun dun-du dun, dun-du dun to me

[@ogrimzyz8643]

@@skriisi I believe the composer for the Batman was taught by the guy who did the imperial march.

[@cascade9584]

oh and it's all over the film too, whenever batman does practically anything the brass or low strings will hint at it

[@richardthompson7838]

2 more noteworthy sounds that are equally amazing: When the Riddler kills the mayor, the sound of the strip of masking tape being pulled blends into a rumble of thunder across Gotham - brilliant. Similarly, Selena's scream in Falcone's office fades into a power outage. I hope you can do another video or find a way to include these two ingenious orchestrations.

[@cascade9584]

there's some history to this: in The Dark Knight (2008), when Two-Face shoots one of the corrupt cops inside a pub (character's name is Wuertz), the sound of the gun going off blends into the swirling noise coming from Batman's surveillance computer system in the folding shot (smash cut). Probably just a trick of the trade and not necessarily Batman-specific thought but cool that there's some lineage!

[@Felixfiefdom]

That "underwater" soundscape when Batman is confronted with Riddler, I always associate it with the sound of blood rushing in your ears, muffling everything. Your heart hammering, and the sound of your blood pressure rising because you are in such a heightened state of alarm or fear. And yeah, it's very telling that that sound of anxious tension is missing after Batman has unmasked Riddler. I love how immersive it is and it helps show us the emotions of characters.

[@spunkymaniac9312]

This guaranteed two oscar nominations atleast: Best cinematography Best sound

[@ddebnath11]

sadly it didn't get nomination for best cinematography.

[@ViN-EzL]

@@ddebnath11 which is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen. What a hoax.

[@DoctorXander]

The Academy fucked up so bad Roger Deakins called them out on it

[@deathtrap5556]

This is why I love films like The Batman. All this detail is there, and the audience isn't spoonfed it. The audience isn't considered dumb.

[@LuisSierra42]

It is the kind of thing that marvel should do, in fact it is what Eternals should have been

[@damiantirado9616]

This movie the audience is indeed considered dumb. This movie has very bad writing and it’s proof that superheroes are indeed ruining cinema.

[@mrbluesky4838]

@@damiantirado9616 how was the writing bad? And proof? No, films like morbius are what you call bad superhero films. The batman is pure cinema in almost every aspect, just look at how many people consider it to be unlike other comic book films. But no, the film isn’t good because you say so.

[@damiantirado9616]

@@mrbluesky4838 hahah I got proof bro. Morbiius was awful but the Batman had bad writing. See you superhero fans have terrible taste in movies, and when you see a superhero movie that full of jokes like most marvel films you assume it’s good even if the writing is bad. You’re like Zack Snyder fans (this movie is slow and dark that means it’s good). That’s how your brain interprets it because you’re so used to seen comedy superhero films that a dark one makes you think it’s better when it isn’t. The Batman has a weak script because the entire point of the Batman is that he is supposed to be a detective. This movie is not a good detective film. A good neo noir detective story has lots of twist and turns. The Batman doesn’t. What is the plot twist in the Batman?? That Falcone controls Gotham? That’s not a twist everyone already knew that. Catwoman is falcones father? Okay but how does that move the plot forward? This movie doesn’t have good revelations. Batman never uncovers any mystery only in the end when he finds out riddler wants to flood Gotham but that scene is flawed in itself. The riddler wanting to flood Gotham doesn’t make any sense and it pretty much ruins his character. The riddler established clearly that he only wants to punish the elites because of what they have done to the orphanages however at the end he does a 180 and wants to flood Gotham, even tho all the poor people are probably the ones dying in the flood. The riddler is not a good villain he is badly written. Just like the rest of this film. Don’t forget catwoman pretty much has no reason to be in this film. The whole subplot between catwoman and Falcone is technically useless. Like seriously it doesn’t really add anything to the story at all. Batman and catwoman fell in love too quickly, they barely have any scenes together it’s super stupid and unrealistic. Batman barely does detective work. The only thing he does is solve riddler syphers but that’s boring and uninteresting. He does more detective work in Batman begins. Most of this movie is just Batman being told what happens in Gotham by catwoman and James Gordon. If you truly believe Batman is a detective in this film then you haven’t seen any detective neo noir movies because that’s not how detectives act or how they try to find criminals. There’s the proof kid. The Batman was very disappointing due to the weak and uninspired cliche script.

[@fivegangster4602]

@@damiantirado9616 in my personal opinion we did not need a new trilogy this quick it was unnecessary. We have had 3 Batman including The Batman 2022 in the last decade and due to this Matt Reeves couldn’t make another origin story. And I agree that there are too many superhero films and they are slowly ruining the movie industry. But I still enjoyed this movie This film truly shows how corrupt Gotham is and Batman admits that it might be hopeless but he still has to try. Yes the Batman is supposed to be one of the greatest detectives which he is developing into. And in this movie Batman is too reckless he thinks that the only way to help this city is by being Batman. This film shows that Batman needs the Bruce Wayne persona and by the end he realizes that due to the flood. I agree with you about him not being a good detective but you have to understand that this Batman has no formal training as a detective and it takes more than two years to become a proper detective The movie dosent have a weak script. The movie tries to introduce all of the villains and shows how corrupt Gotham is by telling us abt the drops drug and how the city officials faked the drug bust for money. And i despise the fact that u compared this to a zack Snyder movie.Zack Snyder films were too long I agree the Batman could have 2 hours 45 mins but when Matt Reeves screen tested the 2hr 30 min version it got bad reviews so he went with 3 hour version. The twist in the Batman movie is that the riddler bombs the Gotham harbor and the reason he does that is because it was made by the one percent and he goes after Bruce Wayne because he is downright jealous of him because when Thomas Wayne created the orphanage he was part of it but once he and Martha died the orphanage shut down and while all of this was happening Bruce Wayne was the one who got all the attention it may be childlike but that’s who the riddler is he is mentally ill. And another reason he brought it to the ground wasn’t because he hates Gotham it’s because he dosent trust the one percent and dosent believe anyone who wants to bring a change to it that’s why he attempts to kill the mayor. He also exposes Gotham because it’s the most valuable thing to do and that’s how he got followers..And another reason he floods Gotham is because it is run by the elites. He dosent want to kill the civilians but he wants to bring down the one percent more than that by taking down Gotham. I think it is an overall good movie. I’d give it a 7/10 . Don’t get me wrong I thoroughly enjoyed but in my opinion it is a movie that Is made in for as part of a trilogy

[@TheMrGiannisgr]

The sound design in the film is next level. The immersion I had watching this film was so satisfying.

[@sarahbearbabygirl]

the experience of watching this film is what i imagine most people mean when they talk about getting “tingles” from ASMR. though this movie is packed with action, it’s still somehow so soothing in its atmosphere - it’s one of my comfort movies now because of this.

[@johnjoseph6874]

@@sarahbearbabygirl I wouldn’t say this movie is packed with action. “Packed with action” is the feeling you get from a Marvel movie or the John Wick franchise. There are of course action scenes in The Batman, specifically 4 of them. (Batmobile car chase, Batman/Selina in Falcone’s tower, the stadium fight sequence, and the gliding scene which was very short) But throughout this 3 hour movie, they were separated with alot of space in between them. And during those in-between moments, they let the dialogue do the heavy lifting when it came to the storytelling. To me, its not just the number of action scenes that make a movie feel action heavy, but instead how long they are and where they’re placed. And I agree about the ASMR feeling lol

[@PhilletPhish]

Nothing beats hearing the Batmobile startup scene in theatres, the atmosphere was so intense.

[@TheMinnowman1]

Hi, film composer here! I find that composers/sound designers, myself included use that “underwater drone” sound as a near-universal motif of tension. My hypothesis is that it is similar to the “thunder” sound that some people experience when clenching their jaw or yawning - things that come from strong emotion and/or literal tensing of musculature which is audible as a low rumble. This specific muscle tension also removes some higher frequencies from your audible range, hence the “underwater” sound. This is just my theory though, but I use it frequently as metaphoric for tension in this way. Thought I could share for others to think about/use

[@stevedobbsphoto]

I try to describe the sound in my head of when I squeeze my eyes shut hard. That far off thunder sound. No-one else in my family got it...

[@powerhouse-64]

I get literal shivers thinking about that car warming up and the sound that it emits. If their intention was to personify the meaning of vengeance in sound form, then they absolutely perfected it right here. The look on Penguins face, his reaction while he's being rammed, the ramp explosion, the upside down walk shot with the Spanish guitar chord. It's one of my favourite things to ever happen in my life in all honesty

[@ThatGuySquippy]

The Batman's Batmobile introduction and car chase was one of the most impactful scenes I've ever witnessed, solely due to the sound design. It gave me chills when I saw it in theaters. Sometimes I log on HBO Max just to rewatch that one scene because it scratches my itch for grungy/heavy/brutal sound design.

[@jamesgoforth3802]

watching this in theaters was absolutely incredible, I don’t remember the last time I was this impressed and moved by sound design

[@rhaegartargaryen9315]

I would’ve never thought that this would happen, but Pats Batman is my favourite now. At the moment, I’d dare even say that this is the best Batman movie, trumping even Dark Knight.

[@LanceVanceDance84]

It's easily the best on both counts and there's no shame in admitting it. What came before with TDK was great in its own special way, but in all honesty this one is in another league entirely.

[@myelo7324]

this and Lego Batman are the best ones

[@infernusblack9924]

Man I was thinking you're talking of the TDK and I was so confused. Due to the meme I think of Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman. Stupid me

[@theapplenut2299]

It absolutely hands down is the best batman film. Very unexpected, but undeniable.

[@rjmacready9828]

Not even close, recency bias is real everyone

[@allan-viana]

The best scence in The Batman is where Batman is trying to catch Penguin in a car chase. We hear the batmobile getting closer and closer, as the same time we watch the scene as Penguin, so we feel his scary, we can't see the car aproaching, but the sound make it very realistic.

[@ramijkhan9038]

I was expecting the batman to win oscar for the best background score. I was slightly disappointed when it got the nomination but didn't win. For me it deserves the award, this movie is a masterpiece fr.

[@gustavoclarindo101]

I love how everything in this movie was done on purpose to create a specific feel or communicate something. You don't see that a lot in the super hero genre, it's so easy to just throw some cgi into every scene

[@lukedavis6157]

Didn't realized that it rained in most scenes. First film that I watched in cinemas after the pandemic closed the theaters and the sound was just amazing (made me realize more how watching Dune in the big screen is way better)

[@toaster917]

Having epic sound is what makes seeing a movie at the theater a more profound experience!

[@cascade9584]

after going over the film, it actually doesn't rain in *most* scenes because most of them are indoors. but in the important scenes yes for sure I mean the first appearance of batman scene, the first Iceberg Lounge scene, the first Selina scene, the bat mobile sequence etc. for sure. Not so much when they're just standing outside talking though

[@step2807]

I love, absolutely love the sound for the punches. It sunds more realistic compared to other films to the point where I am sure they made their own punching sound

[@soirema]

9:19 amazing touch that you took the time and effort and included names from credits people forget that behind the company stand individuals

[@sk8mafia214]

You forgot about Blade Runner also being a film that use rain a lot as well.

[@LanceVanceDance84]

Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 (which just came out in 2017), although that one features a lot of snow in addition to the rain. Both are actually what came to mind rather than Seven when I initially saw all the rain in this. Which is a good thing--much like those, this film is incredible.

[@Thedudemannn]

Good look ! Can’t forget a masterpiece like Blade Runner !

[@rabirajbanerjee3872]

I just can't help but admire how the team gave Gotham City life , the sound, the atmosphere , everything was so great.

[@matthewschoen9827]

I think the reason that the club scene feels more intense with quieter punches is because it doesn't clearly tell you that Batman is winning. His hit's are landing at the same level as everyone else. When they are much louder it lets you know his hits are real hits, and the goon's can't stop him.

[@mitjellk2186]

The Batman had an interesting atmosphere if anything. This video does a good job of explaining a great deal as to why that is.

[@ruukaoz]

it feels kind of counter intuitive to emphasize the punches by bringing their volume down in the club-fight scene, but it works exactly because it subverts our expectations based on previous movie experiences. punches become more real, exactly because they are quieter. This reminds me of the first John Wick movie, where the punches sounded more like slaps, that also subverted our expectations, because what we were used to, based on prior action movies. Punches sounded like hard hitting crushes that are way more punchy, but unrealistic. subduing them and making them more like slaps (what they would actually sound like, i guess) made them more realistic and more painful. But maybe: subversion of expectations bring more attention to certain sounds, rather than realism. So i'm still a bit confused but even more amazed by the subjectivity of perception (sound and vision). Great video! Thank you!

[@cascade9584]

The Dark Knight does this also in its club fight scene!

[@PhilM_Jr]

This makes sense when you are watching this movie in the theaters and you feel absolutely engulfed in the action of the film. It doesn't feel like a movie playing AT you but rather one that is surrounding you.

[@JustinStarrPhotography]

Wonderful video! A couple of things I’d like to add: • Regarding that first scene with the truck driving by but hearing the train: yes, you it is true that you don’t hear a train. However, to my New Yorker eyes, it’s very apparent that they are underneath an elevated trains. There are stairs to the left of the corner store with people going up/done to/from the elevated platform. It’s very Queens. So even though you can’t see the train, you know it’s there. • Not only is the actual Ave Maria a recurring them throughout the film but there’s a modified, creepy instrumental version in some sort of minor-sounding mode (Locrian? Phrygian? I don’t know, something with a flat-2, but also a raised 7). It’s a fantastic way of the music telling you about the Riddler’s identity without you actually realizing it until it has been revealed. Like, wow, the music was telling us all along, like the leitmotifs of opera. Again, great video about a great film! 🤩

[@cascade9584]

also, the omission of lyrics in the Riddler's motif helps to add to its incognito status -- you retain its timbre (human voice, classical tenor) but strip away its direct lineage to the original Ave Maria except for the direction and inner relationships of the melodic gesture.

[@X363]

A few other clever things they did with the sound in the movie was when Oz screams as he hit the brakes in front of the truck while being chased by Batman is how his scream blends with the tires screeching, his scream becomes the tire screech actually. And another beautiful one is how the Batmobile "nitro" sound when Batman boosts it to hit the truck ramp sounds exactly like the rising synth sound from the music playing at the Icerberg Lounge, the song Tesla by Corvad at 3:30 specifically

[@luedriver]

a good movie immerses you in such a way that you don't even think about sound or what is going on, it's almost intuitive how much you can understand even without thinking too much about it

[@davidettel5788]

I joined this Channel about 2 Months ago and I’m glad I did. This Video is the perfect example why film enthusiasts are exactly right here. Keep up the good work.

[@Nr4747]

The high-pitched strings of Batman's first appearence in this movie caught me completely by surprise because I was - ostensibly - watching a super hero blockbuster that had a psycho thriller soundtrack. Absolute masterclass !

[@lacrimatorium]

Excellent examination of sound. I have noticed that it was David Lynch's use of sound in Eraserhead, The Elephant Man and Blue Velvet that later became the new use, sometimes over use, of sound by the 90s. And can we all agree that The Batman score is one of the best in years?

[@blurryface616]

Some of the best sound design I've ever seen in a film. The feel and the atmosphere it creates it truly remarkable.

[@itsjustkudi]

The Batman boots reminded me of cowboy boots, like a sheriff finally catching up to the criminal or when the batmobile appears, it reminded me of a supercharged whine like a SRT and seeing how it was a old charger model (a beautiful one) it genuinely made me happy asf

[@beny7160]

The sound, lighting / general cinematography were so unexpected. I enjoyed this film on so many levels that I didn't expect. This was a masterful journey you took me on into the sound design of the movie. Amazing content.

[@forcestrong1448]

The way they seamlessly transitioned between diegetic and non-diegetic music in some scenes (i.e. Nirvana's Something In The Way). Left me in awe.

[@megasaurus]

This movie has made me extremely nostalgic, even though I watched it only months prior. I'm not sure if the sound, the unique aesthetic, the fact that I watched it with a dear friend, the cozy/warm feel, or maybe everything, is what attributed to making it feel like a movie I've watched for years. This video has made me realize a part of why I love it so much. It is miles different from all the more recent superhero movies, who all begun to feel the same and look the same, this has pleasantly surprised me.

[@johnboy20xx]

Great work as always, Thomas! I was really hoping that you'd do an essay on The Batman and this is perfect. I loved the sound design of this film and you certainly did it justice in highlighting it.

[@ker7743]

Shot in Glasgow . Reeves wanted the city to be a character in his movie . This city lives and breathes and you can actually hear it . Without saying too much for those who haven't watched it , the last part gets you deep in the very core of the scottish metropolis , which explains the occurence of sub bass sounds

[@PomiDarQu]

Batmobile engine sound was a jackpot. I felt like a kid who saw one heck of a cool hotwheels toy. Wide grin with pure joy.

[@rdablock]

"slowed and reverb" is truly the holy grail of audio. it instantly makes everything better

[@mss11235]

It is not the "holy grail" in music. But it can be useful in cinema, yes.

[@faithh884]

I'm so glad I found this video. My first thought into the movie was the sound mixing was beautiful. I know everyone loves the startup of the batmobile, but it was absolutely hair raising. Sitting in my seat, feeling the anticipation, suspense, dread, and excitement of that whine was extraordinary. The titular score pumping in, introducing us to this new Gotham and it's gritty undertone set the stage for me and it was just absolutely, gorgeously done. The sound mixing and score in this movie were characters of their own. Batman, surprisingly, made movies feel like movies again.

[@xenopis7862]

the entire Batmobile sound just gives me chills. THAT, is what a Batmobile should sound like.

[@ideologybot4592]

That slowed-down Bieber song was used differently, but still beautifully, in Dredd during the use of the slo-mo drug. I don't know what it is about that rising tone that works so well, but it's probably becoming a standard tool in the sound engineer's kit.

[@BenChanNYC]

I like how the constant rain as secondary soundtrack pays off in the third act as the city becomes consumed by water - the water that had been building up the entire time.

[@gabrielkale]

The set design of Batman borrows visual influences of elevated trains in NY in order to make Gotham seem more grounded and Urban. Those pillars resemble both the 7 train in Queens and the 2, 4, and 5 trains in the Bronx. So a train 'could have' been in that shot; it just would be above the frame. Hence, the sound of the train would signify it leaving, which corresponds to the people walking down the steps since passengers would have had time to leave the train before its departure. Which, interestingly enough, kinda borrows from the Joker's (the movie) set and location design, since a lot of their filming happened on the 4 train by Yankee Stadium (the iconic shot of him on the steps--Yankee Stadium).

[@cascade9584]

this phenomenon repeats later, when we first cut to exterior of the Iceberg Lounge after the 'thumb drive' scene. Car drives by L-R center frame, yet a train passing L-R is heard. Difference is in that shot, you can actually see signs of the train passing over at the top of the frame

[@Joy-hk3iv]

7:04 the diegetic thing also happened in Joker 2019, where Arthur is Applying colour to his hair and dancing while " That's life " Is playing in the background. Cut to the last scene Arthur starts singing along with that song idk if t's that much of a detail cos we can literally see and hear him singing that song.

[@jordanhedington2421]

I’m so happy this got reuploaded! When I saw the thumbnail I was so keen and saw that it had been taken down. Congratulations!

[@jimmyryan5880]

I think this is the first design where I got what sound design is beyond music and Foley. It's creating the subjecting audio experience the same way a director creates a subjective visual experience.

[@FLOW_Jam]

I already thought this film was a masterpiece. But this honestly cemented it in. It really is crazy how much is thought about for films like this

[@reverb992]

The sound of the train when the truck passes through the frame is on the one hand cool and innovative, but still very grounded in reality. Although we don’t see the train in the shot, we DO see large pillars. If you’ve lived in NYC, Chicago, or another big city, you know that those pillars are supporting elevated train tracks above the street. So the sound of the train is both interesting and unexpected, but also very realistic and plausible. And that’s really brilliant.

[@jabarak1]

I generally liked the Batman. It was solid and enjoyable. However, the sound mixing was the best I've ever experienced in any movie ever. And I don't think its close.

[@iRekishi]

Thomas i just want you to know you make absolutely phenomenal content. You give great insight to stuff i hadnt noticed and explain eloquently what i fail to adequately put together. Also i love that the batmobile is sheer, violent, and angry. Its not sleek or high tech. It itself is a physical manifestation and extension of Bruce’s anger and rage against crime. His vengeance as machine

[@Abhi-wh3ik]

Great work. I think the music design in this movie was impeccable. It so easily captures your attention without diverting you from the story, and helps set up the vibe of the film to perfection as it should be. The amount of detailing and creativity needed for it was an achievement itself.

[@JustSomeCanadianGuy]

The way the movie used Volume LED effects to create the city in shots and the way they use sound effects in the movie, brings to mind what I read Kubrick would say about movies. “Real is good, interesting is better.”

[@UserIsMad]

You keep making one incredible video after the other and even tho i watched/read everything possible about the batman you still found a way to make a specific and interesting video that opened my eye ( or shall i say ear ) to something I didn’t notice even after watching the movie more than 3 times Kudos thomas

[@JohnDoe-go3kv]

For the train bit, there are people currently walking down the subway stairs meaning there was a train there very recently so I never associated the truck with the sound of a train but the platform above.

[@rebeccamichelson5642]

The sound design and score made this film -- I keep wanting to rewatch the movie just to experience the sound again

[@jonathanbyron4785]

Really love your videos. I always wanted to study film and now I am almost 50... you're lucky you're so young and doing what you love. Keep it up; you're a very bright young guy and completely understand film.

[@richardmorganart2320]

Love this! Although in the reference to the truck piece (train sound) the visual cues are there for the train. It's the beams of the overhead train that the truck drives through - but yes totally unexpected sound - perfect!! Loving your essays.

[@PolarisBanks]

Exactly, and you see people on the left walking down the stairs from the platform. So a train has to have just dropped them off and is picking up speed again. I would've found it odd if there WASN'T a train sound included with those visual cues

[@bladetc]

The word that comes to mind for movie like Batman, Blade Runner 2049 and Dune is "Immersive". Very few movies can actually draw you into their world for that 2 hours like these masterpieces

[@justthinkingoutloud2538]

Glad you were able to get the video back up! This movie really is a masterpiece in filmmaking with its incredibly nuanced attention to detail in all forms of production. It does not deserve all the hate it’s getting.

[@athenajaxon2397]

I haven't seen The Batman get any hate just overwhelming praise

[@LuisSierra42]

@@athenajaxon2397 Some people like to hate on things a lot of people love

[@justthinkingoutloud2538]

@@athenajaxon2397 Probably because the haters aren’t articulate enough to make essays on their own tearing it apart, but they fill comments sections.

[@dancooke8811]

When watching the movie I noticed something similar...but with the use of colours not sounds. Lighting, different colours or tones/hues being used to express emotions and feelings or lack of them linked to either external settings or internal plot points.

[@Doofwarrior88]

The Batmobile is a great character in the film. It comes alive like a monster charging up its breath weapon before unleashing its wrath.

[@theresaivy7045]

Speaking of sound Thomas, you have one of the best voices I've heard in a while for narration. It's extremely smooth with hints of nuanced restrained emotions. It invites a sharing of something that I can't quite put my finger on. Is it the participation of our collective experience of film or a hypnotic way of bringing us into your version of the world. I love it. Hoped I haven't creeped you out.

[@baalzhebut]

regarding the punches in the club, i think they are impactful because we know how loud it would be in the club, and we can still hear them

[@hexagonshorts2186]

From the rain dropping on the suit to his gauntlet activating This move had some of the best ASMR sounds

[@texasranger9599]

The Batman sound editors: we tried to make the most unique sound experience in a comic movie of all time. Oscars: Ha ha planes go bbbrrrrrrr

[@kenny5466]

Very insightful. I'm an amateur/novice sound designer. What you touch upon is something that dominates my experience as a sound designer. There is a finite amount of information that fits into a specific dynamic range of sound. For example, the deep sound of the punches fall into the low end catagory. There isn't enough room in the mix to have them resonate while having club music play together. That's an incrediblly astute observation. Subscribed!!!

[@LokiDWolf-im7jg]

I really do appreciate you bringing attention to so much when it comes to sound of a movie. I'm an actor and I must express that I LOVE EVERYTHING about a good movie. I felt The Batman was so good in so many ways. Yet, you bringing light to sound (heh) just makes me fall in love with the movie all over again. Even moreso! Thank you! Cheers!

[@kkat42069]

I’ve been waiting for someone to do proper batman asmr cause even though the movie is loud and action packed I got asmr a couple times the sound design was so good and I hope it gets some sort of award for it

[@iamgoingtodeckyoutwo5966]

Terry Gilliam was the first director I'd ever heard that rejected a score pulling out emotions. Made me think about things a bit deeper. I think he'd appreciate this. Never sure though.

[@JadedeaJade]

8:24 That queue for Batman's emotional response to the Riddler is exactly how my anxiety sounds, and feels. :( Which is why when that sound pops up I got just as anxious as he did.

[@EarthworksAudio]

I keep meaning to catch The Batman, and this video might just be the push I needed to actually check it out. Excellent work! You sound great on that ETHOS too :)

[@rbagas3457]

thank you for pointing this details to us. It help us as audience to recognize and appreciate more their works on film!

[@matthewduka7710]

0:18 im about to blooooww

[@cheese4g]

When this movie was nominated for best Sound Design at the Oscars, I, as well as what I'm sure is thousands of more people, thought about the scene with the Batmobile and thought "yep, that makes sense" and didn't think on it any further. The examples brought up in this video didn't even register to me when I first saw the movie, or any of the following five or six times I saw it, and I'd like to thank you for pointing them out here.

[@ina00203]

Mind-blowing and deep analysis of sound design in Batman. love your channel bro. Thank you so much for sharing the knowledge.

[@TomWright91]

I never noticed the song playing at the funeral. Bloody hell that's good.

[@00HoODBoy]

batman is an audiovisual masterclass ion my opinion.

[@negvey]

i luved that club scene and you showing the A/B versions of the punches makes me appreciate the sound design that much more, I remember watching and thinking damn this really does feel like a club, like im actually there and I think having the punch sound being low in volume compare to the background is the key to that, thanks for pointing that out

[@thekillbox3183]

I’ve been a Batman fanboy since I was 5 and fell in love with the 1989 Michael Keaton.. as far as a Batman movie goes, this is easily the best one since 1989. Dark knight was only amazing Bc of Heath Ledgers’ Joker. It was more like a Joker movie, featuring Batman. Beautifully made.

[@darrenwendroff3441]

2:54 what you do right here is incredible, it was so subtle but you had sound come in as you were talking about the effect of sound and by modulating it you created all these different type of effects at once. I had never noticed that movies before, that is really cool. Great videos, I absolutely love your stuff

[@hohei9846]

It was a very unique experience watch The Batman in the theather.

[@nemtudom5074]

Oh my god, the sound design in this movie was so good! I just love the effects of him walking around with those thick sole boots, and the sounds of papers rustling, and its just SO GOOD!

[@Albanolopolis]

Just was waiting for this! Good Job Thomas!

[@TejasThakare]

this was a brilliant video. you've given me one more reason to love this movie even more!

[@khele]

the more I learn about this film the better it becomes