After trolling JWSound and other sound-focused corners of the web (along with *gasp* real-life conversations), it seems to me nearly everyone agrees that production sound- and even sound overall- is gradually being respected less and less by those above and below the line on many productions. Many long-time production sound mixers on this forum hearken back to the "good ol' days" where the production sound team was actually given deference instead of snide remarks or just ignored altogether, a tragic degradation of the profession. Of course, every production is different and some are far worse than others, but there does seem to be a trend in most areas of the film and video industry, regardless of budget. What are some of the causes of this? Is there any hope for "reclaiming our honor", so to speak?One thing that confuses me is how the most prolific, respected, and successful directors are very open about treating sound (both production and post) the way it's supposed to be treated- as inextricable from and equally important as picture- yet this mindset has not trickled down to the rest of the industry. Surely aspiring (aka the bottom 99%) filmmakers would want to emulate what the best-of-the-best are doing in ALL aspects of movie making, not just the flashy camera stuff? Those of you who have been in the industry for a long time, what has changed? Is it simply the faulty "anything can be fixed in post" mindset, or is there more to it?Lastly, what can people like myself, people more recently entering the sound field, do to keep the perception of sound from degrading further? How can we improve things for future generations?Looking forward to hearing all your thoughts!
-Siegen