Which film genre saw a notable transformation due to the advent of sound technology?

The film genre that underwent a significant transformation with the introduction of sound technology is the musical. Before sound, musicals predominantly relied on visual spectacle, choreography, and the physicality of performance to captivate audiences. However, with the advent of synchronized sound, the genre evolved dramatically, allowing for the integration of music and dialogue in a way that enhanced storytelling.

Musicals could now feature intricate song and dance numbers that were not only entertaining but also pivotal to advancing the plot and developing characters. The success of early sound musicals, such as "The Jazz Singer," marked a turning point, leading to a flourishing of this genre in the subsequent years. This transformation emphasized the power of song as a narrative tool and increased the genre's popularity in both film and theatre.

Other genres like westerns, science fiction, and documentaries also adapted to sound, but the change was not as foundational or distinctive as it was for musicals, where the very nature of the genre relied on the interplay of music and dialogue that sound technology made possible.