Noise fills in the silence as one prioritizes ambient sounds to create a relaxed and focused environment.

Ambient films are unique in their creation as they prioritize an atmospheric immersion that is authentic and natural without being overly distracting. The setting plays a key role in creating the ambiance and experience a film is trying to recreate and convey.  For example, “Lost in Translation” (2003), uses sounds of busy streets, whereas a scenic film like “Into the Wild” (2007) focuses on the organic sounds of nature like wind and rain.

Ambient films have grown increasingly popular among news sources and online publications like Screen Rant and Reddit, where lists of movies compatible with the interest of filling the silence have been compiled.

According to Professor Lisa Elliott, professor of mass communication at El Paso Community College (EPCC), there is an intimacy in choosing a film that corresponds with your desires. Selecting an ambient medium is considered to be a deep and intentional process.

“Ambience is something that you’re curating yourself and choosing to put on to give additional stimulation to your environment, whether that’s to make you feel more focused or drown out other noises,” Elliott said. “What’s interesting about them is they offer a different kind of engagement. You could use them to engage visually and in a meditative state.”

Even as background noise, there is an intricacy involved in selecting what film you would like to fill the space, whether that be to enhance organic sounds or drown undesirable ones. The craftsmanship behind an ambient film’s soundscape lies in its use of authentic sounds that can be maneuvered by the viewer.

Background noise has been an essential part of some students’ routines to ensure maximum productivity. By searching for a film that complements the atmosphere, they are trying to create a sacred practice that is curated by the intimate process of selecting the perfect film.

Anthony Quezada, a physical therapist major at EPCC, utilizes film as a consistent stimulant that both comforts and encourages him. Depending on the assignment, Quezada will choose a film that complements the homework and aligns with the environment he deems appropriate.

“I look for something comforting and familiar. If it’s a creative assignment like a poem, short story, or art piece, I will try to pair it with a movie or TV show that has a similar feeling I want to draw from. It can’t be too stimulating or something to really pay attention to too much,” Quezada said.

With the presence of televisions in the household and the introduction of streaming services, concerns have sprouted about how the film landscape could shift and how the prioritization of audio can trump the visual aspects of film.

“I think to contextualize there are positives and negatives. I think one of the positives is you can have a film and watch it a lot of times,” Elliott said.

As media consumption continues to evolve, concerns over the decline of attentive viewership have emerged. With access to multiple devices, viewers are engaging in entertainment in fragmented ways.

“I am so used to the additional stimulation that I have caught myself wanting to have background noise for when I am just watching a movie or video,” Quezada said. “I’ve even had the impulse to watch two TV shows at once.”

Ambient films face a dilemma—can they be considered a legitimate art form if they cater to the masses by capitalizing on those with short attention span? Can they integrate themselves into the mainstream space of Hollywood?

Film theorists have come to the defense of ambient films as a legitimate and valuable form of film. Film, as we currently know it, has only been in production since the early 20th century, deeming it a new form of art that is still searching for meaning and is continuously evolving.

“When you look at an ambient film, it has the three-act structure just in a less traditional way. It expands what it means to use photo narrative in the film which is great because there is that traditional mode of storytelling, but it gives an alternative to that structure that is so ingrained in America and in Hollywood,” Elliott said.

As the landscape of entertainment evolves, ambient films offer a glimpse into the future of cinema—where atmosphere, sound and environment take precedence, and the traditional boundaries of storytelling continue to expand.

Jazmine Gracia is a writing contributor for The Prospector and can be reached at [email protected].