Phil Lord and Christopher Miller recorded a first-of-its-kind synchronized director’s commentary for Project Hail Mary
Back in the day, if people liked a movie, it wasn’t uncommon for them to see it in theaters more than once. In 1997, I saw The Fifth Element five times in my local theater, and in 1992, I saw Disney’s Aladdin seven times. Nowadays, going to the movies is hella expensive, and it takes something truly special to get people to show up for theatrical screenings more than once. However, TheaterEars, the leading mobile audio platform for the theatrical exhibition industry, today announced the launch of The Director’s Experience, a first-of-its-kind real-time director’s commentary available to audiences during theatrical screenings. The inaugural title features acclaimed filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The LEGO Movie, 21 Jump Street) providing commentary for their new film, Project Hail Mary, now playing in theaters nationwide.
How does TheaterEars work?
According to TheaterEars, the Director’s Experience is available for free through the TheaterEars app (iOS and Android) at any theater screening of Project Hail Mary. When the film begins, TheaterEars syncs with your experience, so Lord and Miller’s commentary plays alongside the movie in real time. If you’re concerned about missing out on the film’s dynamic audio, fear not! TheaterEars blends the commentary with the film’s audio, letting you experience both without interruptions. Lord and Miller’s commentary is professionally mixed and mastered for personal listening devices, timed to complement the film’s visual storytelling during moments between dialogue. The result is the experience of having the filmmakers in the seat next to you, sharing the creative decisions, near-misses, and stories behind every scene—available exclusively in the theater, exclusively through TheaterEars.
TheaterEars CEO talks on the Project Hail Mary collaboration
“The theatrical experience is the most powerful way to watch a film, and The Director’s Experience makes it even more powerful,” said Dan Mangru, CEO of TheaterEars. “For the first time, audiences can hear the filmmakers’ creative process in real time, in the theater, on the biggest screen possible. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are the perfect filmmakers to launch this platform—they’re brilliant storytellers, genuinely funny, and they’ve recorded a commentary that gives you things you cannot get anywhere else. This is not a bonus feature. It’s a new way to experience cinema.”
This marriage of film and audio commentary sounds awesome! The use of headphones in the theater could confuse some audience members, but engaging with TheaterEars sounds unobtrusive to me. Hell, my wife, who wears headphones 24/7 due to her autism diagnosis, wears headphones to the theater all the time, and no one says a word. For people who love getting the details and secrets behind a movie’s inspiration or production, the TheaterEars app could be a great choice, especially if the commentary syncs with a movie as epic as Project Hail Mary. As long as the commentary doesn’t conflict with the film’s audio and I’ve already seen the movie, I’d be willing to give this a try. How about you? Let us know in the comments section below.
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