Quote Originally Posted by Ridge View Post
They used blanks during the shootout, with the intention of redubbing the sound in post production. Michael Mann liked the sound of the blanks and the echo off the surrounding buildings so much, he decided to keep those sounds in.
My favorite all time movie. I have about every copy made of it to include the one with 'the making' disc included. Mann is a crazy stickler for realism. He sent everyone to firearms training, actually made them do many of the scenes at the range with live ammo with a very high end firearms instructor. He also made them put on makeup and case the actual bank used for the scene after going through training with real bank robbers. The shootout scene was shot with full powder blanks to add to the realism and done in downtown LA on a closed set. The entire crew was shellshocked for days after shooting the scene, they said the actual sound and the reverb off of the skyscrapers was the most horrific thing they has all heard. After sound editing did the shooting special effects overlay, the entire production crew knew it was garbage and not even close to the horror the original shooting sounds. They used the full-blanks soundtrack.

So ya, Ridge is right. He just wasn't as wordy as I was.