Work that goes unnoticed

Start of the series in which I will be pointing out the detail that we sound editors go into, in our work, but which rarely goes noticed.

The Wire

The still frame above is from around the 24th minute mark in the first episode of "The Wire" Season 3 (Supervising Sound Editor: Jennifer Ralston). Look again and you can just about make out the edges of two huge faces to the far left and right in the frame. The camera looks beyond that table to focus on the characters.

A subtle start to councilman Tommy Carcetti's run for mayor in this scene, but for me the most interesting detail (plot aside) was in the pauses of the chat: you can actually hear the blurry faces on each side of the shot, having a conversation in the far stereo end, close and clear, just very quiet.

All in the name of realism.