Wednesday, November 04, 2015
Lucasfilm's Skywalker Sound: Behind the scenes
Fortune: There are still seven weeks to go before the new Star Wars flick hits theatres, but already The Force Awakens is proving to be one of the most exciting movies in years. Trailers for the film have broken records. Demand for Star Wars-themed figurines and games have buoyed toy sales. And a surge of demand for presale tickets, which became available earlier in October, caused websites like Fandango to crash.
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While Dorothy's red ruby slippers or Batman's Batmobile are instantly recognizable as cultural symbols, the hum of a lightsaber-- while more elusive and harder to pin down-- is just as important to pop culture history as any costume or prop. I didn't realize that it had so many organic components, since it sounds like something fabricated entirely from technology and electronic sounds. The importance of sound and noise in films is a vast one, since music sets the mood for both specific scenes and the entire movie overall. The lightsaber hum is especially interesting in this case because it's a weapon instantly recognizable as belonging to the Star Wars world but can have so many connotations within that universe. In the hand of a Sith, it's a scary and foreboding thing. In the hand of a Jedi Knight, it brings a sense of protection and heroism. Creating a sound that could be associated with both good and evil is a unique challenge, and one that seems unique to the Star Wars world.
I don’t think I can possibly begin to explain how excited I am for the new Star Wars movies. Star Wars was honest to god one of my biggest childhood obsessions and it continues to be a passion of mine. Something about the movies captured my imagination and just had me eating up all things Star Wars I could get my hands on. I proceeded to read all of the books, and I mean ALL of the books. I couldn’t and still can’t get enough of Star Wars. It is good to see the passionate and talented people working at Skywalker ranch as they pretty much hold in their hands the future of one of my favorite universes. I know I will be seeing the movie opening night regardless of the outcome but I think we can all hold our breath and hope that this new expansion will be as amazing as we know it can be.
When I see work like that of these sound designers I am reminded just how much design goes into sound. This may seem perfectly obvious to those of us who work in the theatre industry, that of course the amount of artistry and tailoring that goes into getting that bell to ring just right constitutes design. However, with the Tony's cutting sound design as a category last year and the author of this very article putting distinct quotation marks around the title of sound "'designer'", I am reminded just how much ignorance our industry has surrounding this area of design. The human ear is so often taken for granted as a tool by which to create art. No one hesitates to call singing an art form, to praise a soprano for their talent when they belt that high F. But somehow we forget that the mixing, altering, reconfiguring and custom creation of specific sounds which never would have existed without that designer's creativity takes just as much talent, dedication, and skill. It is baffling to think that Jurassic Park's sound team started working a year and a half before the rest of the pre-production and actual filming of the movie began, and that the amount of work they did during that time in the field and in design preparation wasn't even half the process. I have such incredible respect for that dedication, that obvious passion for the art form which these designers must have to execute it well. I hope our community sees the error of its ways in how we treat sound designers sooner rather than later. To think that the Tony's argued sound to be a strictly technical category is shocking after spending just a few minutes observing the amazing talent at Skywalker.
Although its been acquired by Disney, which I personally find to be extremely concerning, I'm glad to hear that Skywalker Sound is still utilizing the same techniques, effects and expertise they always have. While I'm still nervous about how the new Star Wars film will fit into my preconceived notion of the Star Wars universe that I grew up with, its comforting to at least know that the men and women behind the technical aspects of the movie (which are really the best parts anyways,) are retaining the same process they used when George Lucas owned the company. What I respect most about Skywalker Sound is their tradition in utilizing all resources available to them. Besides hearing it from this video I would of never guessed the rampaging dinosaur in Jurassic World was actually the sounds of a howler monkey and a hungry sow. This creative experimentation and the use of traditional sound methods like foley are what really brings nuances to the technical side of Lucas Films work, allowing us to fully engage in the spectacular effects they create.
Before I got to CMU, I had no experience with sound, had no idea what went into it, or had put on a show with any complicated mixing at all. But, since going through the sound mini, and learning what it takes to mix and compose- I find it fascinating. The aural sense is so different compared to anything I've ever done since I'm design based. But it's incredible. The imagination that it takes to find the perfect sound for an imaginary creature- like the Indominous Rex is astounding.
Also- this year I learn about non-radio foley. I had no clue this still existed for film- but I think it's so... magical that there are people, like in this case, really running on gravel to create the sound in the studio. It takes so much innovation and thought. And it really adds so much to film. Imagine the new Jurassic Park film without the sound of the new dinosaur- it would have been completely different if the animals weren't correct. And speaking of Jurassic park film sounds- the sound of the raptors calling to each other has always been one of my favorite sounds in general- and an iconic sounds for the film. I wanted to know what made that noise after watching the new film- its turtles mating! Fun Facts!
Once again the intrigue of sound has been brought forth. Although as seeing that it talks about Star Wars helps its case, because who doesn’t like a little bit of a classic. Watching the video and seeing that even though we probably have every sound imaginable in the world with the amount of films over the years, but every movie is different, and every movie has its own unique sound. Learning that one of the dinosaurs in Jurassic World was used by a sow and a howler monkey. I mean who goes about thinking that that would be a good idea. By combining multiple sounds, we get what we want to hear. If lightsabers ever do come out, I would hate to be disappointed that they wouldn’t sound the same as the movie. It is a preconceived notion as to what we think it is going to sound like, but it’s not the way the world works.
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