History Music / MakingMovies

''Making Movies'', released in 1980, is the third studio album by British rock band Music/DireStraits. The album marks a significant turning point in the band's style, introducing a greater degree of musical complexity and experimentation compared to the low-key roots rock style of their [[Music/DireStraitsAlbum self-titled debut]] and ''Communiqué'', born out of frontman Mark Knopfler's desire to push what the band were capable of artists. While not everyone was on-board with the idea, with Knopfler's younger brother David leaving the group due to CreativeDifferences, the band was in enough agreement with Knopfler to shift focus towards longer, more intricately-arranged songs influenced by the emerging NewWaveMusic scene and the waning ProgressiveRock scene without totally abandoning their BluesRock core. In particular, the band sought out Jimmy Iovine for production duties after hearing his work on Music/PattiSmith and Music/BruceSpringsteen's duet "Because the Night".

* CampGay: Explored sarcastically in "Les Boys".

* SurrealMusicVideo: The music video for "Tunnel of Love" literally adapts the song's lyrics, resulting in a cavalcade of offbeat, but thematically-related imagery. [[note]] There are two videos for "Tunnel of Love". One is part of a thematic video trilogy along with "Romeo and Juliet" and "Skateaway". While each video stands alone, they also blend together from song to song. The other is the one mentioned for this trope.[[/note]]

* NotChristianRock: Both the music and lyrics of "Solid Rock" sound incredibly churchy, but it doesn't have any specific Biblical or God-related references.

* SurrealMusicVideo: The music video for "Tunnel of Love" literally adapts the song's lyrics, resulting in a cavalcade of offbeat, but thematically-related imagery.

* MinimalisticCoverArt: Compared to the more elaborate artwork for the band's first two albums and last three, ''Making Movies'' sets itself apart with a stark red square with a notched turquoise strip on the side.

It resembles a box for a movie reel.

* LongestSongGoesLast: {{Inverted|Trope}}; the 8:11 "Tunnel of Love" opens the album.

* CelebrityBreakUpSong: "Romeo and Juliet", a song in which Mark Knopfler recalls his failed romantic relationship with fellow musician Holly Vincent, after he found out about an interview in which she described her time with him in a very blunt and offhanded way. Hence the line "now you just say, 'oh, Romeo, yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him.'"

The end result was positively received by fans and critics, who considered it a major step up from the SophomoreSlump of ''Communiqué'' and generally rank it to this day as one of their finest albums. The album was also a considerable commercial success, spending 252 consecutive weeks on the UK Albums chart, during which it peaked at No. 4, topping the charts in Italy and Norway, and peaking at No. 19 in the United States. The album was certified gold in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain, platinum in the United States, New Zealand, and Finland, and double-platinum in the band's native UK. Lead single "Romeo and Juliet" additionally peaked at No. 8 on the UK Singles chart, though the following two singles, "Skateaway" and "Tunnel of Love", were much more modest in sales. Along with ''Music/LoveOverGold'' and ''Music/BrothersInArms'', ''Making Movies'' is generally considered part of a major creative high point for the band, and these three albums are often considered the band's greatest work (which says quite a bit considering it makes up exactly half their studio album discography). As of 2020, ''WebSite/AcclaimedMusic'' lists the record at No. 1560 on [[UsefulNotes/AcclaimedMusicAllTimeTopAlbums its dynamic list]] of the 3000 most critically lauded albums.

The end result was positively received by fans and critics, who considered it a major step up from the SophomoreSlump of ''Communiqué'' and generally rank it to this day as one of their finest albums. The album was also a considerable commercial success, spending 252 consecutive weeks on the UK Albums chart, during which it peaked at No. 4, topping the charts in Italy and Norway, and peaking at No. 19 in the United States. The album was certified gold in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain, platinum in the United States, New Zealand, and Finland, and double-platinum in the band's native UK. Lead single "Romeo and Juliet" additionally peaked at No. 8 on the UK Singles chart, though the following two singles, "Skateaway" and "Tunnel of Love", were much more modest in sales. Along with ''Music/LoveOverGold'' and ''Music/BrothersInArms'', ''Making Movies'' is generally considered part of a major creative high point for the band, and these three albums are often considered the band's greatest work (which says quite a bit considering it makes up exactly half their studio album discography).

--> ''"Now you just say "Oh, Romeo. Yeah, I used to have a scene with him."''

''Making Movies'', released in 1980, is the third studio album by British rock band Music/DireStraits. The album marks a significant turning point in the band's style, introducing a greater degree of musical complexity and experimentation compared to the low-key roots rock style of their [[Music/DireStraitsAlbum self-titled debut]] and ''Communiqué'', born out of frontman Mark Knopfler's desire to push what the band were capable of artists. While not everyone was on-board with the idea, with Knopfler's younger brother David leaving the group due to creative differences, the band was in enough agreement with Knopfler to shift focus towards longer, more intricately-arranged songs influenced by the emerging NewWaveMusic scene and the waning ProgressiveRock scene without totally abandoning their BluesRock core. In particular, the band sought out Jimmy Iovine for production duties after hearing his work on Music/PattiSmith and Music/BruceSpringsteen's duet "Because the Night".

''Making Movies'', released in 1980, is the third studio album by British rock band Music/DireStraits. The album marks a significant turning point in the band's style, introducing a greater degree of musical complexity and experimentation compared to the low-key roots rock style of their [[Music/DireStraitsAlbum self-titled debut]] and ''Communiqué'', born out of frontman Mark Knopfler's desire to push what the band were capable of artists. While not everyone was on-board with the idea, with Knopfler's younger brother David leaving the group due to creative differences, the band was in enough agreement with Knopfler to shift focus towards longer, more intricately-arranged songs influenced by the emerging NewWaveMusic scene and the waning ProgressiveRock scene without totally abandoning their roots rock core. In particular, the band sought out Jimmy Iovine for production duties after hearing his work on Music/PattiSmith and Music/BruceSpringsteen's duet "Because the Night".