DOLBY INSTITUTE FELLOWSHIP FILM
The Pod Generation follows a New York couple, Rachel (Emilia Clarke) and Alvy (Chiwetel Ejiofor) as they navigate pregnancy in a near-future where AI offers couples the chance to give birth by way of detachable artificial wombs called “pods.”
Written and directed by Sophie Barthes (Cold Souls, Madame Bovary), the film is a wry and insightful commentary on our obsessions with convenience, tech, and city-dwellers’ ever-tenuous relationship with nature.
Listen to this exclusive interview where filmmaker Sophie Barthes shares how Dolby Atmos helped make the technology in the film feel more organic and visceral.
The Pod Generation was awarded the Dolby Institute Fellowship in 2023 and premiered at Sundance where it won the Feature Film Prize given by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. This post-production grant allowed the filmmakers to finish the film in Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos® before its limited theatrical release.
Sophie Barthes on making sci-fi elements feel natural with Dolby Atmos
Recipient of the 2023 Dolby Institute Fellowship, The Pod Generation writer/director Sophie Barthes has created a unique and powerful film about parenthood, our relationship with technology, and the role nature plays in our lives. She recently met with director of the Dolby Institute, Glenn Kiser, to discuss how she used Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos to create a more intimate relationship between her characters and the technology they use.
Sophie Barthes on making sci-fi elements feel natural with Dolby Atmos
Recipient of the 2023 Dolby Institute Fellowship, The Pod Generation writer/director Sophie Barthes has created a unique and powerful film about parenthood, our relationship with technology, and the role nature plays in our lives. She recently met with director of the Dolby Institute, Glenn Kiser, to discuss how she used Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos to create a more intimate relationship between her characters and the technology they use.
Designing sound for the many uses of AI
Watch as writer/director Sophie Barthes discusses the way she used Dolby Atmos in her sound design to highlight the seductive and pervasive power of future technologies. In this insightful interview she talks about the danger of ceding our decision-making to AI — especially in the most intimate spaces of our lives
Designing sound for the many uses of AI
Watch as writer/director Sophie Barthes discusses the way she used Dolby Atmos in her sound design to highlight the seductive and pervasive power of future technologies. In this insightful interview she talks about the danger of ceding our decision-making to AI — especially in the most intimate spaces of our lives
I think if I write again about science fiction, artificial intelligence, or even a period film, I would keep in mind what the power of Atmos can do for dream scenes — in a very specific narrative way. I think it should be part of your writing process because screenwriters write mainly for the image and the storytelling.
Sophie Barthes, director
Dolby Creator Lab Grant
The Dolby Creator Lab Grant gives independent filmmakers support and access to cutting-edge Dolby tools to fully realize their creative vision. Partnerships with the Sundance Institute, SFFILM, Film Independent, and Chicken & Egg Pictures help films find wide audiences.
Other programs
The Ghetto Film School Challenge
Dolby Creator Lab and Ghetto Film School (GFS) are joining forces to give emerging filmmakers a brighter spotlight, access to Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos during production, and a chance to win a $25,000 production grant.
Dolby Creator Talks Podcast
Grow your knowledge and be inspired by the industry's leading experts in film, TV, gaming, and music. New episodes every other Tuesday. Available everywhere you get your podcasts.