Sound Oscar Nominees From ‘Wicked’ to ‘Emilia Perez’ Created Emotion

Soundtracks of Cinema: A Look at This Year’s Oscar Nominees

This year’s nominees for the Academy Award for Best Sound offer a fascinating glimpse into the diverse and innovative ways that sound design shapes cinematic experiences. From the soaring vocals of stage-to-screen adaptations to the gritty realism of genre-bending dramas, the nominees demonstrate the power of sound to transport audiences and amplify emotions.

The Power of Live Sound: Musicals Take Center Stage

Several nominees, including “Wicked,” “A Complete Unknown,” and “Emilia Perez,” highlight the artistry and impact of live sound recordings in contemporary films. For “Wicked,” supervising sound editor and designer John Marquis emphasized the filmmakers’ commitment to capturing the immediacy and emotional resonance of live singing.”Primarily, the edict was to do live,” Marquis explains, noting the meticulous mic placement by production sound mixer Simon Hayes.

Even in films with a strong musical component, such as “Wicked,” sound engineers often blend live recordings with other vocal tracks for technical reasons and to enhance the sonic tapestry. Rerecording mixer Andy Nelson states, “We wanted to go with [live recordings of the singing] wherever possible, as of the immediacy and the connection you get to the actors.”

Sound as an instrument: Creating Worlds Through Sonic Landscapes

Sound design extends beyond simply replicating everyday noises; it becomes an instrument in shaping the emotional and thematic contours of a film. In “Wicked,” supervising sound editor Nancy Nugent Title meticulously coordinated with every department to ensure seamless integration of sound with visuals, including the placement of microphones on each actor.This collaborative approach resulted in a sonic experiance that is deeply immersive and evocative.

Similarly, in “Emilia Perez,” Cyril Holtz, supervising sound editor and rerecording mixer, sought to blur the lines between music, sound effects, dialog, and songs, creating a unique soundscape that reflects the film’s genre-defying nature. He explains, “I always wanted us to totally get rid of boundaries between music and sound effects, between dialog and songs.”

From Deserts to Festivals: capturing the Essence of Place

“Dune: Part Two” sought to create a realistic and immersive soundscape for the fictional planet Arrakis. Supervising sound editor and designer richard King describes how director Denis Villeneuve envisioned the sound design as “documentary-like,” aiming to capture the feeling of actual recordings from a fantastical world.

This commitment to authenticity extended to recording sounds on location in the desert and utilizing various audio techniques to build a complex and believable sonic world. For the climactic worm-riding sequence, King and his team meticulously crafted a soundscape that mirrors Paul Atreides’ emotional journey from fear and vulnerability to confidence and control.

Animating Sound: Breathing Life into Machines

“The Wild Robot,” a rare animated feature nominated in the category,showcases the ingenuity of sound designers in breathing life into non-human characters. Randy Thom, supervising sound designer, aimed to avoid stereotypical robot sounds, rather creating a unique soundscape for the titular robot Roz.

Thom’s innovative approach involved recording the sounds of pneumatic and hydraulic systems and experimenting with synchronizing human breath with Roz’s movements.This technique resulted in a believable and emotionally resonant soundscape for Roz, adding another layer of depth to her character.

This year’s nominees for Best Sound demonstrate the profound impact of sound design on our cinematic experiences. From capturing the raw emotion of live singing to crafting immersive soundscapes that transport us to other worlds, these sound artists consistently push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.

What techniques were used to capture the live vocals in “Wicked” to ensure the immediacy and emotional resonance of the performances?

Archyde News: A Conversation with Sound Design Innovators

This year’s Academy Award nominees for Best Sound offer a engaging exploration into the art of sound design and its profound impact on our cinematic experiences. Archyde News had the possibility to speak with some of the talented professionals behind these nominations, delving into their creative processes and the power of sound in storytelling.

the Power of Live Sound: musicals Take Center Stage

Archyde News (AN): Several nominees this year, like “Wicked” and “A Complete Unknown,” emphasize the art of live sound recordings. Can you tell us about the approach to capturing live vocals in these films?

john Marquis, Supervising Sound Editor & Designer, Wicked: Absolutely. For “Wicked,” we were committed to capturing the immediacy and emotional resonance of live singing. Our production sound mixer, Simon Hayes, placed microphones meticulously to ensure we captured every nuance of the actors’ performances.

AN: Even with a strong musical component, live recordings aren’t always used exclusively. Why is that?

Andy Nelson, Rerecording Mixer, Wicked: While we wanted to use live recordings whenever possible, there are technical reasons why we might blend them with other vocal tracks. But our goal was always to maintain that connection to the actors and the raw emotion of their performances.

Sound as an Instrument: Creating Worlds Through Sonic Landscapes

AN: sound design isn’t just about replicating everyday noises. How do you use sound to shape the emotional and thematic contours of a film?

Nancy Nugent Title, Supervising Sound Editor, Wicked: For “wicked,” we worked collaboratively with every department to ensure seamless integration of sound with visuals. This included placing microphones on each actor to capture their unique sonic signatures. The result is a deeply immersive and evocative sonic experience.

AN: That’s fascinating. In “Emilia Perez,” Cyril Holtz sought to blur the lines between music, sound effects, dialog, and songs. Can you tell us more about that approach?

Cyril holtz, Supervising Sound Editor & Rerecording Mixer, Emilia Perez: I always wanted us to totally get rid of boundaries between these diffrent elements. By blurring the lines, we created a unique soundscape that reflects the film’s genre-defying nature and amplifies its emotional impact.

From Deserts to Festivals: Capturing the Essence of Place

AN: “Dune: Part Two” aimed to create a realistic and immersive soundscape for the fictional planet Arrakis.How did you approach this challenge, Richard King?

Richard King, Supervising Sound Editor & Designer, Dune: Part Two: Director Denis Villeneuve envisioned the sound design as “documentary-like,” aiming to capture the feeling of actual recordings from a fantastical world.We recorded sounds on location in the desert and used various audio techniques to build a complex and believable sonic world.

animating Sound: Breathing Life into Machines

AN: “The Wild Robot” showcases the ingenuity of sound designers in bringing non-human characters to life. Can you tell us about your approach to creating Roz’s unique soundscape,Randy Thom?

Randy Thom,Supervising Sound Designer,The Wild Robot: I wanted to avoid stereotypical robot sounds. Instead, we recorded the sounds of pneumatic and hydraulic systems and experimented with synchronizing human breath with Roz’s movements. This resulted in a believable and emotionally resonant soundscape for Roz.

AN: That’s truly innovative. How do you think sound design will continue to evolve in the future?

Marquis: I believe we’ll see even more integration of sound design with other aspects of filmmaking, like AI-driven sound generation and more immersive audio experiences. But at its core, sound design will always be about telling stories and enhancing our emotional connection to those stories.

This year’s nominees for Best Sound demonstrate the profound impact of sound design on our cinematic experiences. From capturing the raw emotion of live singing to crafting immersive soundscapes that transport us to other worlds, these sound artists consistently push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.