Go in-depth with top sound artists and creative teams to find out how they bring films to life.
New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Available everywhere you get your podcasts and on YouTube.
Latest Episode
Mixing Live Sports in Dolby Atmos, with Glenn Stilwell
Multiple Emmy® Award-winning A1 audio mixer Glenn Stilwell joins us for an in-depth discussion on mixing live sports in Dolby Atmos®. As one of the first to adopt this immersive audio technology for sports, Glenn shares his journey into the high-pressure world of live sports audio, where he has worked on everything from the Olympics to Apple’s Friday Night Baseball.
Special thanks to Major League Baseball and Apple for this week’s episode.
Mixing Live Sports in Dolby Atmos, with Glenn Stilwell
Multiple Emmy® Award-winning A1 audio mixer Glenn Stilwell joins us for an in-depth discussion on mixing live sports in Dolby Atmos®. As one of the first to adopt this immersive audio technology for sports, Glenn shares his journey into the high-pressure world of live sports audio, where he has worked on everything from the Olympics to Apple’s Friday Night Baseball.
Special thanks to Major League Baseball and Apple for this week’s episode.
The Art of Pitching, Hosted by Carlos López Estrada
The art of pitching is a high-stakes, nerve-wracking aspect of filmmaking, where ideas transform from concepts into potential projects. Joining us to help demystify the pitching process is Dolby Institute Fellowship winner Carlos López Estrada, hosting another insightful Satellite Session from April 2024. Carlos gathers an exceptional panel featuring film and television creators, each sharing personal insights and practical tips on crafting pitches, to offer invaluable wisdom on what it takes to pitch a project and navigate the journey from idea to production.
Inside the Hollywood Writer’s Room, hosted by Carlos López E…
You have probably heard about the Hollywood writer’s room, but what, exactly, goes on inside one? Joining us once again to demystify yet another filmmaking topic is our good friend — and Dolby Creator Lab Grant recipient — Carlos López Estrada, with another of his excellent Satellite Sessions — this one from March 2024. Carlos welcomes an impressive and diverse panel of film and television writers to share their experiences, break down how these rooms come together, and discuss how collaboration drives storytelling from inception to screen.
The Sound and LEGO Animation of Piece by Piece, with Directo…
Pharrell Williams has had a remarkable life and career in music, which are chronicled in the film Piece By Piece, a uniquely animated documentary made entirely out of LEGO. Joining today’s discussion is Director Morgan Neville, Supervising Sound Editor Al Nelson, and Re-recording Mixer Pete Horner, to talk how Pharrell’s creative vision for using LEGO opened up exciting storytelling possibilities, the film’s imaginative sound design and immersive audio mix, and how they brought Pharrell’s experience with synesthesia to life through sound and animation.
Be sure to check out Piece by Piece, now in theaters and Dolby Cinemas in stunning Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos®.
The Music of Joker: Folie à Deux, with Composer Hildur Guðna…
Academy Award®-winning composer Hildur Guðnadóttir and executive music producer Jason Ruder join our guest host, music journalist Jon Burlingame, to discuss their extraordinary work on Joker: Folie à Deux. The sequel to 2019’s Oscar-winning Joker comes with high expectations, and Hildur and Jason talk about the challenge of evolving the sound of the Joker universe, while incorporating new elements like live-recorded songs and experimental instruments. They discuss how the music helps define the tone of the movie, blurring the lines between score and song to create an immersive experience. Be sure to check out “Joker: Folie à Deux,” now in theaters, in Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos®.
The Sound of The Outrun, with Director Nora Fingscheidt
Director and co-writer Nora Fingscheidt joins her sound team to discuss their extraordinary work on the new film The Outrun — a moving portrayal of one woman’s struggle with sobriety and memories of a traumatic childhood, using sound design to explore the emotional landscape of its main character, Rona, played by the extraordinary Saoirse Ronan. From the quiet, wind-swept expanses of the Orkney Islands to the bustling streets of London, the team reveals how they crafted distinct sonic environments that reflect Rona’s turbulent emotional journey. The film was a standout at this past year’s Sundance Film Festival and is a masterclass in how to use sound design to tell a compelling, layered story. Joining today’s discussion:
- Nora Fingscheidt - Director and Co-Writer
- Gregor Bonse - Re-Recording Mixer
- Dominik Leube - Supervising Sound Editor & Sound Mixer
- Oscar Stiebitz - Sound Designer & Sound Mixer
Be sure to check out The Outrun now in theaters, in stunning Dolby Atmos®.
The Sound of The Wild Robot, with Writer/Director Chris Sand…
Legendary filmmaker, animator, writer, and voice actor Chris Sanders (you may know him as Stitch) joins his sound team — including our first-ever guest on this podcast, Randy Thom — to talk about their stunning work on the latest animated adventure/tearjerker from DreamWorks Animation, The Wild Robot. A truly visual spectacle, the film has an appropriately spectacular soundtrack, which Chris and the team relished in crafting its richness and complexity for over two years. Joining today’s discussion:
- Chris Sanders - Writer and Director
- Randy Thom - Sound Designer
- Gary Rizzo - Re-recording Mixer
- Leff Lefferts - Re-recording Mixer & Supervising Sound Editor
Be sure to check out The Wild Robot in stunning Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos®.
David Bowie in Dolby Atmos® - Reimagining the Classics
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is the first David Bowie studio album to be released in Dolby Atmos® and joining us today is Ken Scott, the original co-producer of the album (and many others from Bowie), as well as Dolby Atmos mix engineer, Emre Ramazanoglu. Ken Scott is a legend in the world of music production and engineering, and he takes our guest host, Ben Givarz, inside the studio with David Bowie to explore the production of the original album and discusses how he wanted to create a new experience for listeners in Dolby Atmos, which also led him to the creation of brand new stereo mixes. This interview is part of our new series, Reimagining the Classics. You can listen to these and many other classic and contemporary albums in Dolby Atmos, on enabled streaming services.
Many thanks to Mike Exeter for the B-roll of Ken and Emre in the mixing studio. The full video can be viewed here.
Interested in creating content in Dolby Atmos? Check out our free resources to give you a jump start!
Reimagining Indie Financing: The Sing Sing Case Study
Sing Sing — an independent feature film now in theaters — made a big splash at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by Greg Kwedar, the film is notable for its unique casting approach, blending actors such as Colman Domingo with real-life, formally incarcerated individuals. It’s set in the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York, focusing on the prison’s theater troupe. But one of the most interesting aspects of the production was how it was financed. And in particular how it used a profit-sharing model where all crew members, including those non-professional actors, received a share of the film's profits. This discussion details how exactly that financing strategy worked, as well as the inspiring journey to getting the film made.
Joining the discussion:
- Carlos López Estrada - Moderator
- Valerie Bush - Moderator
- Greg Kwedar - Producer, Director, and Writer, Sing Sing
- Clint Bentley - Producer and Writer, Sing Sing
- Monique Walton - Producer, Sing Sing
Rush in Dolby Atmos® - Reimagining the Classics
Multi-platinum mixer and engineer Richard Chycki has been at the forefront of immersive audio with his Dolby Atmos® mixes of Rush classics like Moving Pictures, and Signals, building upon his original surround mixes. In this conversation with guest host Ben Givarz, Richard shares his process for respecting the creative intent of these timeless tracks while adapting them to Dolby Atmos, ensuring an immersive experience that translates seamlessly across various playback systems. Plus, he offers his insights into the future of music mixing, and his excitement for new, original compositions being created in Dolby Atmos from the ground up. This interview is part of our new series, Reimagining the Classics. You can listen to these and many other classic and contemporary albums in Dolby Atmos, on enabled streaming services.
Interested in creating content in Dolby Atmos? Check out our free resources to give you a jump start!
Tom Petty in Dolby Atmos® - Reimagining the Classics
Mix engineer Ryan Ulyate joins guest host Ben Givarz to dive deep into his work with the late, great Tom Petty, including his Dolby Atmos® mixes of Petty's Highway Companion solo album, Wildflowers & All The Rest Deluxe Edition, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Greatest Hits, and the iconic Live at the Fillmore 1997. Ryan shares his journey of sifting through hours of multi-track tapes to create those incredible new immersive mixes, as well as his theories, best practices, and the creative process behind bringing a fully immersive experience to life in Dolby Atmos. This interview is part of our new series, Reimagining the Classics. You can listen to these and many other classic and contemporary albums in Dolby Atmos, on enabled streaming services.
Be sure to check out Ryan Ulyate’s Grammy Award®-nominated album Act 3, in Dolby Atmos:
Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music in Dolby Atmos® - Reimagining the…
Bob Clearmountain and Rhett Davies, legends in the world of music recording, production, and engineering, join guest host Ben Givarz to delve into the process of transforming Roxy Music's iconic album Avalon and Bryan Ferry's platinum record Boys and Girls into Dolby Atmos®. This interview is part of our new series, Reimagining the Classics. You can listen to these and many other classic and contemporary albums in Dolby Atmos, on enabled streaming services.
Interested in creating content in Dolby Atmos? Check out our free resources to give you a jump start!
The Emmy-nominated sound work of Ripley
Nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards®, Ripley, the new Netflix limited series from creator Steven Zaillian, is a masterclass in filmmaking and the art of sound. So it’s no wonder that two of those nominations are for Outstanding Sound Editing and Sound Mixing. And it’s clear why the sound team was given so much creative freedom to explore the sonic possibilities of the show, as many of those details and nuances were written directly into the scripts, and overseen by a showrunner with a sharp attention to detail.
Understanding the Hollywood studio, hosted by Carlos López E…
How Hollywood studios work and operate can be mystifying, especially for emerging filmmakers. Luckily, Dolby Institute Fellowship winner Carlos Lopez Estrada returns for another of his excellent Satellite Sessions (this one from December), featuring executives from some of the biggest studios in the entertainment industry, all to help de-mystify how they, and the studios, find, develop, and produce their projects.
The Music of Star Wars: The Acolyte
Pulitzer Prize-winning and Emmy- and Grammy-nominated composer Michael Abels joins our guest host, music journalist Jon Burlingame, to discuss the music of Star Wars: The Acolyte.
The music for the series was a massive undertaking, made even more formidable by the knowledge that every cue would be compared to the work of legendary composer John Williams. But as a longtime fan of Star Wars, Abels jumped into the project eagerly.
Be sure to check out Star Wars: The Acolyte, now streaming on Disney+.
How Sundance-award winner "Dìdi (弟弟)" became a reality
Academy Award®-nominated director (Raya and the Last Dragon) — and Dolby Institute Fellowship winner — Carlos López Estrada brings together another exciting panel of film professionals. As one of the producers, Carlos joins fellow Academy Award®-nominated director (Nai Nai & Wài Pó) Sean Wang, along with members of the cast and crew, to discuss the herculean task of bringing their independent film Dìdi (弟弟) to life. Be sure to check out Dìdi (弟弟) in theaters Friday, July 26, 2024! Wide release on August 16th.
A-List colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld
Perhaps the top colorist in his field, Stefan Sonnenfeld joins us for our 200th episode! If you aren’t aware of Stefan, you’ve almost certainly seen his work. Some of his recent projects include Top Gun: Maverick, The White Lotus, and Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3. His credit list includes some of the biggest franchises in our business, including Star Wars, Star Trek, Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean, Transformers, and many more. Just a few of the A-List directors and producers he has worked with are: Tony Scott, Ridley Scott, Michael Mann, Martin Scorsese, Zack Snyder, Tom Cruise, Michael Bay, Bradley Cooper, Steven Zaillian, Spike Jonze, Gore Verbinski, Tim Burton, Matt Reeves, JJ Abrams, George Clooney, Tony Gilroy, and Judd Apatow.
So what does it take to be a top colorist in Hollywood, working for some of the biggest personalities in the business?
Blending fantasy with reality in HBO’s Ren Faire
Documentary filmmaker Lance Oppenheim, as well as sound supervisor and re-recording mixer Paul Hsu, join us to discuss their new HBO documentary limited-series, Ren Faire. This conversation was recorded in-person, in front of a live audience at Dolby’s screening room in mid-town Manhattan, as part of our ongoing collaboration with the Artist Academy and Film at Lincoln Center. Ren Faire details the Succession-like power struggle atop The Texas Renaissance Festival, amid its founder’s impending retirement. It was filmed in an appropriately over-the-top theatrical style, and features some incredible sonic world-building, which cleverly mixes real and fantastical elements.
Be sure to check out Ren Faire, with all three episodes now streaming on Max.
Artificial intelligence in filmmaking, hosted by Carlos Lópe…
Academy Award®-nominated director (Raya and the Last Dragon) — and Dolby Institute Fellowship winner — Carlos López Estrada brings together another panel of working filmmakers and creatives, this time to discuss the hot button issue of AI in Filmmaking. Joining the discussion are:
- Jorge R. Gutierrez (Filmmaker - The Book of Life, Maya and the Three)
- Isa Mazzei (Filmmaker - Cam, How to Blow Up a Pipeline)
- Paul Trillo (Filmmaker, Visual Artist - The Hardest Part music video for Washed Out)
- Dave A. Liu (Producer/Financier - Dìdi (弟弟), Sasquatch Sunset)
- Dave Clark (Filmmaker, Futurist, Educator)
- Joe Penna (Filmmaker - Stowaway)
Be sure to check out Paul Trillo’s controversial Sora-generated music video for Washed Out, The Hardest Part.
The star-studded audio dramatization of George Orwell’s 1984
Andrew Garfield, Cynthia Erivo, Andrew Scott, and Tom Hardy are just a few of the celebrity voice actors in the new Audible Original adaptation of “George Orwell’s 1984.” But this adaptation is unique in that it is audio-only — not unlike a radio play. In doing so, writer Joe White had to translate the novel, which was written from a third-person perspective, and put the audience completely into Winston’s POV. And the creative team needed to rely purely on audio to do all the world-building, without the advantages of visuals or an omniscient narrator.
You can experience George Orwell’s 1984 on Audible in Dolby Atmos®, which fully immerses the listener into this chilling, dystopian world.
The Music of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Blockbuster film composer Tom Holkenborg — aka Junkie XL — returns to George Miller’s post-apocalyptic dystopian world with his latest installment, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
Regular guest host Jon Burlingame joins the podcast to discuss Holkenborg’s hands-on approach to crafting the music for this film, which included an unusual addition to his typical job of composer — re-recording mixer!
The Immersive Sound of Baldur’s Gate 3
One of the reasons behind the immense popularity of this hit multiplayer roleplaying game is its incredible soundtrack. In this episode, we are joined by the Audio Director of Larian Studios — the makers of Baldur’s Gate 3 — Stefan Randelshofer, along with our guest host, Dolby’s Senior Game Developer Relations Manager, Alistair Hirst, in a live discussion from this year’s Game Developers Conference, to discuss what went into creating the rich, sonic atmosphere of the video game.
3 Body Problem - Adapting the “Unadaptable”
Showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff — co-creators of Game of Thrones — and Alexander Woo (True Blood) join us to talk about their epic new science fiction series: 3 Body Problem on Netflix. The show is based on a series of bestselling books by Liu Cixin — which, famously, have been described as “unadaptable” to film & TV, due to the complexities of particle physics, which are at the heart of the premise of the story. Rounding out the discussion are:
-
Director of Photography Jonathan Freeman
-
Sound Designer Paula Fairfield
-
Supervising Sound Editor Tim Kimmel
-
Editor Michael Ruscio
Filming The American Society of Magical Negroes
The collaboration between director and cinematographer is arguably the most important dynamic on any film shoot. Here to discuss that are Director Kobi Libii and Director of Photography Doug Emmett, with their satirical comedy, The American Society of Magical Negroes. The film was also a winner of the Dolby Institute Fellowship, which grants independent films with the funds to finish in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and we were very proud to finally watch the completed film when it premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival before it was released in theaters by Focus Features.
This conversation was a live webinar as part of the Dolby Institute’s partnership with Sundance Collab, the digital platform from the Sundance Institute designed for filmmakers, with exclusive webinars, curated resources, and free educational videos.
The Making of Masters of the Air
This week we discuss the sound, music, and cinematography of Masters of the Air, the epic WWII limited series from Apple TV+. With so many films and shows about World War II over the past several decades, one of the biggest challenges of the series was keeping things fresh. So the creative teams took some ingenious approaches to give every episode and action sequence a unique look, sound, and feel.
Joining our conversation:
- Supervising Sound Editor Jack Whittaker
- Re-recording Mixer Duncan McRae
- Re-recording Mixer Michael Minkler
- Composer Blake Neeley
- Cinematographer Jac Fitzgerald
Is “No Budget Filmmaking” a fantasy? Hosted by Carlos López…
Recorded live at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Academy Award®-nominated director (Raya and the Last Dragon) — and Dolby Institute Fellowship winner — Carlos López Estrada brings together another all-star panel of Hollywood talent, this time posing the question: Is “No Budget Filmmaking” even possible in this day and age? The panel includes independent filmmakers: Bao Nguyen (The Greatest Night in Pop, Be Water); Rishi Rajani (The Chi, Being Mary Tyler Moore, A Thousand and One); Justin Simien (Dear White People, Bad Hair, Hollywood Black)
Hans Zimmer and the score of Dune: Part Two
2-time Academy Award®-winning composer Hans Zimmer joins us on the podcast to discuss his work on Dune: Part Two, after winning an Oscar for his score to the first installment of the sci-fi franchise, directed by Denis Villeneuve. And like Denis, Hans had been dreaming about working on these films since he was a boy. And he also knew he wanted to take them in a less traditional direction, sonically.
Greig Fraser and the cinematography of Dune: Part Two
Academy Award®-winning Director of Photography Greig Fraser, ACS, ASC, returns to the podcast to discuss his work on Dune: Part Two. The film is a stunning achievement, from both the technical and artistic standpoints, which benefitted greatly from being a continuation of his work from part one.
Best Cinematography nominees: Academy Awards 2024
Table of Contents:
01:28 - El Conde - Edward Lachman, ASC
12:53 - Killers of the Flower Moon - Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC
24:12 - Oppenheimer - Hoyte Van Hoytema, ASC, FSF, NSC
33:29 - Poor Things - Robbie Ryan, BSC, ISC
Welcome to our continuing coverage of this year's Academy Awards®. We have compiled interviews from the nominees in the Best Cinematography category. So, if you are an Oscar voter — either as an Academy member or as a fan participating in your annual office pool — you'll have a much better idea of what to watch (and listen) for as you get to this category on your ballot!
NOTE: As always, all nominees are invited to join our conversations. Unfortunately, due to scheduling, Matthew Libatique (Maestro) was not able to join us.
Best Sound nominees: Academy Awards 2024
Table of Contents:
01:30 - The Creator
12:26 - Maestro
23:13 - Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
33:55 - Oppenheimer
44:36 - The Zone of Interest
Welcome to our continuing coverage of this year's Academy Awards®. We have compiled interviews from the nominees in the Best Sound category. So, if you are an Oscar voter — either as an Academy member or as a fan participating in your annual office pool — you'll have a much better idea of what to watch (and listen) for as you get to this category on your ballot!
Best Original Score nominees: Academy Awards 2024
Table of Contents:
01:55 - American Fiction - Laura Karpman
13:45 - Oppenheimer - Ludwig Göransson
25:48 - Poor Things - Jerskin Fendrix
Welcome to our continuing coverage of this year's Academy Awards®. We have compiled interviews from the nominees in the Best Original Score category. So, if you are an Oscar voter — either as an Academy member or as a fan participating in your annual office pool — you'll have a much better idea of what to watch (and listen) for as you get to this category on your ballot!
NOTE: As always, all nominees are invited to join our conversations. Unfortunately, due to scheduling, John Williams (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) was not able to join us in conversation. And as you may know, Robbie Robertson (Killers of the Flower Moon) sadly passed away this past summer at the age of 80.
Director Gareth Edwards and the Oscar-Nominated VFX of The C…
The Academy Award®-nominated VFX team joins our returning guest, director Gareth Edwards, to discuss how they created such a visually stunning, effects-heavy science-fiction film with a comparatively minuscule budget, for The Creator. Rather than utilizing extensive previz, green screen studios, and fully-rendered CGI environments, The Creator was filmed on-location in Asia, documentary-style, with a very small crew, completely upending the usual methods of shooting for VFX.
Today’s panel:
- Gareth Edwards, Director, Producer, and Co-writer.
- Oren Soffer, Director of Photography.
- Jay Cooper, Visual Effects Supervisor: Industrial Light & Magic.
- Andrew Roberts, Visual Effects On-Set Supervisor: Industrial Light & Magic.
Be sure to check out The Creator, in Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos® (where available)
The Oscar-Nominated sound team behind Bradley Cooper's Maest…
Continuing our coverage of the 2024 Academy Awards®, we have another all-star team of sound artists whose work on Maestro is nominated in the Best Sound category:
- Richard King, Sound Designer & Supervising Sound Editor.
- Tom Ozanich, Re-recording Mixer.
- Dean A. Zupancic, Re-recording Mixer.
- Steven Morrow, Production Sound Mixer.
Maestro is a highly stylized yet intimate film about Leonard Bernstein: his fraught marriage, his affairs, his family, and - of course - his storied career. This gave director Bradley Cooper an amazing opportunity to conduct extensive recreations of some of the composer’s famous concerts, all recorded live on set — including that unforgettable concert at Ely Cathedral.
Be sure to check out “Maestro,” now streaming on Netflix in Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos®.
The cinematography of El Conde, with DP Edward Lachman
Legendary cinematographer Edward Lachman, ASC, joins us to discuss his Academy Award®-nominated cinematography for El Conde, Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín’s satirical horror-comedy which reimagines Augusto Pinochet as a 250-year old vampire. The film features stunning black & white photography, which required the invention of a new kind of camera sensor in order to capture the unique look and feel of the film. Edward discusses that, his use of vintage glass, the advantages of having his director as camera operator, and more.
The Cinematography of Poor Things, with DP Robbie Ryan
Our coverage of the 2024 Oscars continues in this episode with our guest, Robbie Ryan, BSC, ISC. Robbie is a two-time Academy Award® nominee for Cinematography.
In today’s episode, he discusses his second collaboration with director Yorgos Lanthimos on the film Poor Things. This year, Poor Things boasts 11 Academy Award nominations, including Best Director for Lanthimos and Best Picture. In this wide-ranging conversation, Robbie explains how he crafted the film’s unique, almost dreamlike look, which was mostly captured in-camera, and on film, without post-production effects.
The cinematography of Killers of the Flower Moon, with DP Ro…
With our continuing Oscars coverage, today we are joined by Academy Award®-nominated cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, ASC, AMC. He discusses how he got his start in the film business, working with legendary director Martin Scorsese, the challenges of shooting Killers of the Flower Moon, as well as how his research into Osage traditions and rituals became directly woven into his photography for the film.
The Oscar-Nominated sound team behind Oppenheimer
We have an all-star team of sound artists whose work on Oppenheimer is nominated for a 2024 Academy Award®. They are certainly no strangers to that award show, as they already have NINE Oscars between them!
- Richard King - Sound Designer and Supervising Sound Editor
- Gary A. Rizzo - Re-recording Mixer
- Kevin O’Connell - Re-recording Mixer
- Willie D. Burton - Production Sound Mixer
We discussed how they approached getting inside the head of the brilliant but troubled “Father of the Atomic Bomb,” J. Robert Oppenheimer, as well as working with the brilliant, and very particular director Christopher Nolan, who used some unconventional methods to record the dialogue.
The cinematography of Oppenheimer, with DP Hoyte Van Hoytema
As part of our continuing Oscars coverage, we are joined by Academy Award®-nominated cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema, ASC, FSF, NSC. He discusses how he got his start in the film business, working with Christopher Nolan, shooting Oppenheimer on film, how they did all those in-camera practical effects, and his fears about creating a dynamically visual film… with so much dialogue.
Oscar nominee Laura Karpman on the music of American Fiction
Five-time Emmy Award-winning composer Laura Karpman joins guest host Jon Burlingame to discuss her first Academy Award® nomination for the music of American Fiction. Karpman took a rather unique approach to composing this “jazzy” score, by thinking of the actors’ voices as musical instruments themselves.
First-Time Filmmakers at Sundance, Hosted by Carlos López Es…
Recorded live at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Academy Award nominated director — and Dolby Institute Fellowship winner — Carlos López Estrada (Raya and the Last Dragon) brings together five filmmakers, each with debut feature films in the US Dramatic Competition this year. So what does it take to get into the Sundance Film Festival, despite all of the challenges of being a first-time filmmaker? And how do you make the most of it once you do?
The music of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Academy Award-nominated composer Daniel Pemberton (The Trial of the Chicago 7) joins our guest host, music journalist Jon Burlingame, to discuss his score for the latest animated Spider-Man film. If you’ve seen it, then you already know it features incredible, cutting-edge animation. But it turns out Daniel’s approach to the score was equally “experimental.”
Demystifying Sundance, hosted by Carlos López Estrada
Director Carlos López Estrada (Raya and the Last Dragon) returns to The Dolby Institute Podcast for another panel discussion, this time with members of Sundance. More than just a film festival, The Sundance Institute offers a myriad of resources for emerging and independent filmmakers, but navigating them all can be overwhelming. So this very special podcast episode is designed to answer your essential questions about The Sundance Film Festival and Sundance Institute.
The music of The Color Purple
Director Blitz Bazawule joins his composer Kris Bowers to discuss their new adaptation of “The Color Purple.” You may remember the original filmed adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, directed by Steven Spielberg, from 1985. This version is actually an adaptation of the hit Broadway show, which won two Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical. Our guest host, music journalist Jon Burlingame, speaks with Kris and Blitz about their collaboration on the film, which began very early in the filmmaking process.
Director Jonathan Glazer and the sound of The Zone of Intere…
Jonathan Glazer joins us to discuss his latest film, “The Zone of Interest,” a searing drama about life just outside of the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp, which the director chose to have the audience hear, rather than see. Joining the discussion is Johnnie Burn, the film’s sound designer, supervising sound editor, and re-recording mixer, as well as producer James Wilson.
This conversation was recorded as a live panel discussion after a screening of the film at the New York Film Festival and was part of our support of the FLC Artist Academy program, where we bring conversations about the art and craft of filmmaking to the next generation of directors: https://www.filmlinc.org/academy-programs/artists-academy/
The making of Society of the Snow
Director J.A. Bayona discusses his latest film — and the country of Spain’s official submission to this year’s Academy Awards — “Society of the Snow.”
Director of Photography Pedro Luque and Sound Designer Oriol Tarragó also join us to discuss how they crafted this riveting retelling of the infamous 1972 Andes flight disaster, where a team of rugby players from Uraguay had to do the unthinkable to survive. Realism was big priority for Bayona, so the production was a challenging, sometimes even grueling experience.
The music of Poor Things
Composer Jerskin Fendrix joins us to discuss his first-ever film score — the latest from director Yorgos Lanthimos — “Poor Things.” It was an exciting experimental collaboration for both artists, as this was also the director’s first time working with an original score for one of his films.
Our guest host, music journalist Jon Burlingame, returns to the Dolby Institute Podcast to discuss Jerskin’s background, creative process, and what it was like to work with Lanthimos for the composer’s feature film debut.
Cinematographers and their first features, hosted by Carlos…
Director Carlos López Estrada (Raya and the Last Dragon) leads another all-star panel of Hollywood talent to discuss how they broke into the industry as professional cinematographers. And what better way to do that than by discussing their first feature films?
The panel includes Directors of Photography:
- Mandy Walker (Elvis, Mulan, Hidden Figures, Australia)
- Larry Fong (300, Batman V. Superman, Kong: Skull Island, the pilot of LOST)
- Lawrence Sher (Joker, the Hangover trilogy, Garden State)
- Oren Soffer (The Creator w/ Greig Fraser)
- Sandra Valde-Hansen (The Summer I Turned Pretty, The L Word: Generation Q)
- Karina Silva (No Man of God, the upcoming Which Brings Me to You)
The sound of Emerald Fennell’s wicked new film - Saltburn
Academy Award-winning writer and director Emerald Fennell joins us to discuss her latest dark comedy thriller, Saltburn. The film features an unflinchingly disturbing story, incredible performances, and an appropriately cutting-edge sound design, which was being experimented with up until the very end of post-production.
Joining the conversation with Fennell are supervising sound editors Nina Hartstone and Eilam Hoffman, production sound mixer Nina Rice, and re-recording mixers Adam Scrivener and Jasper Thorn.
Screenwriting for Change, Hosted by Carlos López Estrada
Director Carlos López Estrada (Raya and the Last Dragon) leads another all-star panel of Hollywood talent to discuss how they’ve navigated the industry as screenwriters, television writers, and showrunners. These talented writers have not only enjoyed enormous success in the industry, but have also brought their own fresh perspectives which have been missing for a long time in Hollywood.
Today’s panel includes writers: Carolina Paiz (Narcos, Grey’s Anatomy, Orange is The New Black), Dana Ledoux Miller (The Newsroom, Thai Cave Rescue, Disney’s Moana), Joanna Calo (Hacks, Beef, Bojack Horseman, The Bear), Charles Yu (Interior Chinatown, Westworld, American Born Chinese, Marvel’s Legion on FX)
Conversations with Colorists: Picture Shop
Our guest host Tom Graham — the Head of Dolby Vision® Content Enablement — returns for the second installment of our ongoing series, “Conversations with Colorists,” where he discusses the nitty gritty of working as a professional colorist, especially for projects that deliver in Dolby Vision®.
Joining the discussion are three of the top colorists working in film & television today — Tony D’Amore, Paul Westerbeck, and Frederik Bokkenhauser, all senior colorists at Picture Shop.
Producers searching for new voices, hosted by Carlos López E…
What exactly are movie producers looking for when searching for new creative voices? Director Carlos López Estrada returns with another all-star panel to discuss this very topic, with some of the top producers in the field. So if you are an aspiring filmmaker, screenwriter, director, or any of the above early in your career, this episode is filled with real-world advice for navigating the film industry as an emerging creative voice.
Joining Carlos are producers: Christina Oh, Producer, Minari, Poppy Hanks, Executive Producer, Judas and the Black Messiah, Michael Gottwald, Producer, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Andrew Hevia, Producer, Moonlight, Janet Yang, President of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences / Producer, The Joy Luck Club and Over the Moon.
The sound of The Creator with director Gareth Edwards
Director Gareth Edwards joins us to discuss his visionary new dystopian sci-fi film, The Creator. The movie features some incredible sound work — including a glorious Dolby Atmos® mix — but with some unconventional sound design choices for a science fiction film about artificial intelligence and fully autonomous robots. Joining the director to discuss all this and more are sound designers and supervising sound editors Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van Der Ryn, along with re-recording mixers Tom Ozanich and Dean A. Zupancic.
Creative sound design at Aspen Shortsfest 2023
What goes into building a soundtrack for a short film? And collaborating with a sound team when you’re dealing with a short time frame and limited budget?
Tune in as Glenn Kiser discusses these questions with a selection of filmmakers from this year’s Aspen Shortsfest — one of the best film festivals in the world for short films and short filmmakers:
- Madli Lääne, director, Dear Passengers
- Nikita Diakur, director, Backflip
- Luis Fernando Puente, director, I Have No Tears, and I Must Cry
Emmy & Academy Award®-winning composer Hildur Guðnadóttir —…
A Haunting in Venice, the latest cinematic adaptation featuring novelist Agatha Christie’s fictional detective Hercule Poirot, starring and directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh, includes another unforgettable score by multiple award-winning composer Hildur Guðnadóttir, in Dolby Atmos®. But unlike most of her other groundbreaking work, this score features a more “classical” approach — a creative decision stemming all the way back to Hildur’s childhood!
The Miracle of Making a First Film, Hosted by Carlos López E…
Director Carlos López Estrada (Raya and the Last Dragon) leads an all-star panel of independent filmmakers to discuss perhaps the biggest challenge of any director’s career: Making the first feature.
Joining Carlos are filmmakers: Sian Heder (CODA), Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard), Nikyatu Jusu (Nanny), Randall Park (Shortcomings)
This discussion was streamed live as part of Antigravity Academy’s new Satellite Sessions — “monthly conversations with incredibly exciting figures from the film and TV universe” — co-presented by CAPE USA (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment).
The sound of Neill Blomkamp’s Gran Turismo
Director Neill Blomkamp joins us to discuss his thrilling new racing film and biopic, chronicling GT Academy winner Jann Mardenborough’s rise into professional racing.
Joining the conversation are the film’s supervising sound editors, Kami Asgar and Erin Oakley, as well as re-recording mixer — and real-life race car driver — Beau Borders, who brought his personal experience from behind the wheel onto the mixing stage, to give audiences the most authentic experience possible.
The Emmy-nominated Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiositi…
SPOILER ALERT: Be sure to watch ep. 3 “The Autopsy” before watching this podcast!
Executive Producer and co-showrunner J. Miles Dale joins us on the podcast to discuss the horror anthology series Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, which was recently nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards. Joining the conversation are sound and cinematography nominees: Supervising Sound Editor Nelson Ferreira, MPSE, and Director of Photography Anastas Michos, ASC, GSC. Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities is currently streaming on Netflix in Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos®.
The making of Sundance hit The Pod Generation
Independent filmmaker Sophie Barthes joins us to discuss her breakout Sundance hit — and winner of this year’s Dolby Institute Fellowship Award — The Pod Generation. The film is a hilariously biting near-future sci-fi satire, starring Emilia Clark and Chiwetel Ejiofor as a young couple who turn to a corporate tech giant to help them carry their new baby — literally — to term.
The making of Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Academy Award®-winning sound supervisor and re-recording mixer Skip Lievsay returns to the podcast, along with Academy Award winning director Davis Guggenheim, to discuss their incredible new documentary, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie.
The Music of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Scottish composer Lorne Balfe joins us to discuss his incredible original score for the latest addition of the Mission: Impossible franchise. Guest host Jon Burlingame returns to delve into Lorne’s process — including some on-the-fly performances during his interview — and why he so badly wanted to record elements of the soundtrack in so many locations from around the world.
The music of Oppenheimer
Academy Award®-winning composer Ludwig Göransson returns to the Dolby Institute Podcast to discuss his latest collaboration with auteur filmmaker Christopher Nolan, with guest host Jon Burlingame. They discuss the composer’s process which, on this film, was anything but traditional, including why he composed over three hours of music before principal photography even began.
The sound of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
Fresh from their Academy Award®-winning work on Top Gun: Maverick, supervising sound editor James Mather and re-recording mixer Chris Burdon return to the Dolby Institute Podcast, along with picture editor Eddie Hamilton, to discuss the sound of the latest installment in the Mission: Impossible series.
Cinematographer Phedon Papamichael on the latest Indiana Jon…
A new, exclusive interview with Phedon Papamichael, the director of photography of the latest (and final?) installment of the Indiana Jones franchise. He and director James Mangold had to contend with a myriad of unique challenges on this film, including matching and updating the classic “Indy look,” filming more chase scenes than you can count, and working with cutting edge VFX to “de-age” Harrison Ford, making the 80-year old action star look the same age he was when he shot Raiders of the Lost Ark!
Why Disney and Pixar’s Elemental is their most ambitious mov…
Director and Co-Writer Peter Sohn and Director of Photography Jean-Claude Kalache join us this week to discuss Pixar’s famously demanding story development process, why this film took years just to get to an outline, how this film deals with some much more grown-up themes than the typical Pixar fare, and the unique challenges of animating two lead characters made up entirely of either a glowing, iridescent flame or a blob of translucent liquid.
Directing DAHMER with Paris Barclay
Former DGA president, and one of the most successful directors working in television, Paris Barclay joins us on the podcast to discuss his remarkable work on episodes six and ten of DAHMER, season one of Ryan Murphy’s series, “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.” But it was work we almost didn’t get to see, because he was initially very reluctant to take on the job.
The making of DAHMER
Key members of the team behind DAHMER, season one of Ryan Murphy’s hit series “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” join us this week to discuss the challenges of balancing this gripping portrayal of the notorious serial killer, and his impact on the communities he preyed upon, without glorifying or redeeming Jeffrey Dahmer’s horrific acts.
Directing advice for first-time filmmakers
For our 150th episode of The Dolby Institute Podcast we’re delighted to bring you filmmaking advice for first-time filmmakers… FROM first-time filmmakers. We have gathered a panel of emerging directors, fresh off the premieres of their very first films, to share their insights, triumphs, and challenges in this candid round-table discussion. What hard lessons did they learn? And what would they do differently next time?
Robert Rodriguez (and family) on the making of Hypnotic
Independent filmmaking legend Robert Rodriguez joins us this week, along with his composer and son Rebel Rodriguez, to discuss their mind-bending new action-thriller, Hypnotic, starring Ben Affleck. We discuss how they finally completed this film after years of Covid-related delays, why the director still prefers Austin over Hollywood (as his production hub), and how he’s made filmmaking a truly family affair.
Making the Sundance hit Polite Society
Polite Society had one of the biggest debuts at this year’s 2023 Sundance Film Festival and it’s easy to see why. The film is wild, fun, chaotic mashup of genre and style, everything from kung fu action to dark comedy to paranoid spy thriller to coming-of-age drama (and more!) is deftly mixed into this little firecracker of a movie, which was made with an astonishingly small budget during the height of the COVID-19 Omicron surge. Despite these challenges, the film is a masterclass in nailing tone and also turning that tone on a dime. But finding that right balance was no easy feat, requiring lots of trial and error.
The sound of Evil Dead Rise
Today we have an exclusive interview with the writer and director of Evil Dead Rise, Lee Cronin, along with sound designer and supervising sound editor Peter Albrechtsen. We discuss how they made this super fun addition to the Evil Dead franchise as well as their collaborative process in crafting one of the creepiest soundtracks you’re likely to experience this year.
How to make an indie film in 2023
Making an independent film today is even more challenging than it was in its heyday of the 1990s. So we’re bringing you a panel discussion with directors of two of the festival favorites at this year’s SXSW Film Festival. Directors Hannah Pearl Utt (“Cora Bora”) and Emma Westenberg (“You Sing Loud, I Sing Louder”) take a deep-dive into the state of the independent film industry and the challenges involved in making a film in 2023, including how to get the gig in the first place.
Craig Henighan on the Dolby Atmos® Remaster of Pi
6-time Emmy Award winning (Stranger Things, Love Death + Robots) sound designer, supervising sound editor, and re-recording mixer Craig Henighan has worked with director Darren Aronofsky since Requiem for a Dream. And with A24’s 25th anniversary re-release of Pi, Craig discusses the challenges of updating its original soundtrack. The indie film’s razor thin budget only allowed for a four day mix back in 1998, and as a result, Craig had his work cut out for him as he reconstructed and rebuilt the original soundtrack into its stunning new remaster and Dolby Atmos® mix.
The future of film festivals
It is a time of great disruption in both independent and studio cinema. Join us for a conversation on the evolving role of film festivals in this dramatically changing landscape. We delved into topics such as the role of streaming platforms and online vs in-person festivals. And tackle questions such as how festivals can develop the next generation of talent, and how exactly DOES one get a film into SXSW or Sundance?
Best Cinematography Nominees: Academy Awards 2023
We are thrilled to bring you these interviews with all five of the nominees in the Cinematography category for this year’s Academy Awards. The nominated Directors of Photography delve deep into the incredible cinematography of each film and explore what it takes to land a prestigious Oscar nomination.
Best Sound nominees: Academy Awards 2023
Welcome to this year’s coverage of the Academy Awards. Like last year, we have compiled interviews from each of the nominees in the Best Sound category. So, if you are an Oscar voter — either as an Academy member or as a fan participating in your annual office pool — you'll have a much better idea of what to watch for and (more importantly) what to listen for as you get to the Best Sound category on your ballot!
The sound of Babylon
Our coverage of the 2023 Academy Awards continues with another film on the Best Sound shortlist — Babylon. The work of director Damien Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash) is certainly no stranger to awards season, so this is definitely a film to watch out and, in this case, listen for. If you’ve seen the film then you already know it is a bombastic depiction of Hollywood decadence in the time of transition from the silent film era to “the talkies.” And from the what we’ve heard in today’s episode, the production was appropriately over-the-top as well.
The sound of Avatar: The Way of Water
As we continue our 2023 Awards coverage, today we are talking to the sound team behind another film on the Best Sound Academy Awards shortlist — Avatar: The Way of Water. As you’ll hear about in detail in this interview, every member of the sound and music teams needed to work very closely together, in a concerted effort, to make the sound of this film as clean and as clear as possible. Or as James Cameron would often put it, “clarity is king.”
The sound of All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
This week we sit down with the writer/director and sound team behind the harrowing new adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front. This film has been shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Sound, and as Edward Berger says in the interview, this team has a strong track record when it comes to winning sound awards in Germany. So this is definitely a film to keep an eye (and ear) on this awards season.
The sound of Nanny
The 2022 Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner was the first ever horror film to win the top award at the film festival. But before that, Nanny — the feature film debut from Nikyatu Jusu — was also the recipient of the 2022 Dolby Institute Fellowship, which awards a low-budget Sundance film with a post-production grant to finish the film in Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos®.
The sound of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Two-time Academy Award winning director Guillermo del Toro and his co-director Mark Gustafson join us to discuss their latest work — appropriately titled — Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. Despite being stop-motion animation, the film features a rich sound design and complex mix. One which the directors had to fight for.
Director Alejandro Iñárritu and the sound of BARDO
Multiple Academy Award winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu and his sound team joins us to discuss his latest work, the surreal, yet somehow pseudo-autobiographical film, BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths.
Ron Howard and the making of Thirteen Lives
Director Ron Howard joins us to discuss his thrilling new film, Thirteen Lives, a harrowing dramatization of the real-life rescue of thirteen young Thai soccer players who were trapped in a flooded cave in 2018.
Authenticity was the name of the game and the entire filmmaking team took great pains to make this film as historically accurate as possible.
Building Mars From the Ground Up: The Making of Good Night O…
Director Ryan White and Academy Award-winning sound designer Mark Mangini discuss the making of Good Night Oppy, the documentary that tells the story of the two Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, which were sent to Mars back in 2003 and survived for over 15 years on the red planet. Drawing from nearly a thousand hours of archival material from NASA, Mangini had to recreate what those machines might have sounded like on Mars… but without actual microphones on the rovers.
The sound of Top Gun: Maverick
Director Joseph Kosinski, re-recording mixers Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor, and supervising sound editors James Mather, Al Nelson, and Bjørn Schroeder discuss the unique challenges in their groundbreaking work on the hit sequel to the classic 80s film "Top Gun." With awards season fast approaching, this is certainly a film to look out for in the Best Sound category, and this episode offers insight into the process of crafting such a thrilling and dynamic mix.
The making of Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Director and co-writer Ryan Coogler joins us to discuss the making of the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe — Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Joining the discussion is the film’s composer Lugwig Görannson, supervising sound editor and re-recording mixer Steve Boeddeker, supervising sound editor Benjamin Burtt, and re-recording mixer Brandon Proctor.
Inside Pixar's revolutionary story & editorial process
In this special episode we take a peek behind the curtain to examine Pixar's unique editorial process. It's all outlined in a new book by authors Bill Kinder and Bobbie O'Steen, Making the Cut at Pixar: The Art of Editing Animation. Bill and Bobbie join us to discuss the history of editing at Pixar, and explain the origins of Pixar's groundbreaking editorial process.
The making of Marvel’s Werewolf by Night
NOTE: This episode contains spoilers.
Today we have the privilege to speak with Michael Giacchino, the director of Marvel’s Werewolf by Night, a super fun and spooky “television special” on Disney+, perfect for this Halloween season. Joining us for the discussion is most of his post-production team: re-recording mixer Juan Peralta, editor Jeff Ford, supervising sound editor Josh Gold, and dialogue and ADR supervisor Chris Gridley.
Dolby Atmos for Podcasts
NOTE: This episode features clips mixed in Dolby Atmos®. For best results, please listen to this episode with headphones!
Podcasts have exploded in popularity in recent years, and creators have been exploring new ways to create fully immersive experiences for their listeners. In today’s episode, we speak with a few of the companies that are on the cutting-edge of crafting cinematic experiences for audio storytelling, including QCODE and Wondery, the latter of which is now delivering podcasts in Dolby Atmos® via the Wondery+ app.
Thor: Love and Thunder and sound design for comedy
Creating a successful anthology TV series — LOVE DEATH + ROB…
The Duffer brothers and Stranger Things season 4
In this supersized episode of the podcast, we discuss the return of Stranger Things to Netflix with the creators of the show, Matt and Ross Duffer. Also joining are several key members of the post-production team to discuss the sound, music, and editorial processes behind this wildly successful series.
Colin Trevorrow and the sound of Jurassic World Dominion
Revisiting Jurassic Park’s groundbreaking sound design with…
Creating jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy 20 Years in the Making
Daniels and the music of Everything Everywhere All at Once
Daniels and the sound of Everything Everywhere All at Once
Conversations with colorists
Our guest host this week, Tom Graham, is joined by some of the industry’s top colorists for a roundtable discussion about HDR workflows and working in Dolby Vision®. This passionate, technical conversation highlights why so many of these artists are excited to be working with these newly available tools.
Best Animated Feature Film Nominees: Academy Awards 2022
In our continuing coverage of this year's Academy Awards, we present a compilation of interviews from the nominees in the Best Animated Feature Film category. So, if you’re an Oscar voter — either as an Academy member or as a fan participating in your annual office pool — this episode should give you some ideas!
Best Cinematography Nominees: Academy Awards 2022
Welcome to our continuing coverage of this year's Academy Awards®. We‘ve compiled interviews from the nominees in the Best Cinematography category. So, if you are an Oscar voter — either as an Academy member or as a fan participating in your annual office pool — you'll know what to watch for as you get to the Best Cinematography category on your ballot!
The cinematography of The Batman
The sound and music of The Batman
Best Sound Nominees: Academy Awards 2022
The sound of Steven Spielberg's West Side Story
Let's talk about the 2022 Academy Award Nominees
"One billion guns!” sound design for video game weaponry wit…
Leading with Sound in video game development with Rob Bridge…
How to work with A-list directors with sound designer Skip L…
Academy Award-winning sound artist Skip Lievsay has worked with some of the greatest filmmakers of the last several decades, including Martin Scorsese, Darren Aronofsky, Michael Moore, Alfonso Cuarón, and now, the Coen Brothers. In this interview, Skip discusses being brave enough to experiment, even if that leads to some awkward moments on the mix stage.
The sound of Ghost of Tsushima
The sound of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
The sound of Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley
Guillermo del Toro: A masterclass on sound and film
Jane Campion and the sound of The Power of the Dog
Sir Kenneth Branagh and the sound of Belfast
Lin-Manuel Miranda and the sound of tick, tick... Boom!
Embracing sonic nostalgia with Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Crafting action, pathos, and humor in No Time to Die
Edgar Wright and the sound and music of Last Night in Soho
Director Denis Villeneuve and his sound team discuss Dune
Come From Away
We chat with the creators of Come From Away, the Tony Award-winning Broadway show, and the latest to get a streaming release, this time on Apple TV+. Joining us are the creators and writers of the book, music, and lyrics, David Hein and Irene Sankoff, and director Christopher Ashley.
Deciphering the language of whales in Fathom
Dr. Michelle Fournet and Dr. Ellen Garland, the scientists featured in the new Apple TV+ documentary Fathom, believe the songs of the humpback whales to be perhaps the oldest form of verbal communication between intelligent life on planet Earth. A language and culture which may predate humans by millions of years.
WandaVision — A totally different kind of Marvel series
WandaVision mixes stylistic formats in some truly bizarre, but also satisfying, ways. At times it harkens back to the sitcoms of yesteryear — even filming part of an episode live in front of a studio audience, in order to capture an authentic laugh track — and other times like what one would expect from a series taking place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So how did the sound team pull all these disparate stylistic elements into such a cohesive and satisfying amalgamation? Well, we sat down with them to ask exactly that.
Sir David Attenborough's A Life on Our Planet
Sonic world-building on Love Death + Robots
Asking the big existential questions with Nine Days
The understated, tragic storytelling of The Crown
Sundance Film Festival: Summertime
Breaking In: How top industry pros got their start
We've asked some of the top professionals in the fields of cinematography, animation, sound, producing, and directing how they got their start and the answers were surprising even to us!
In the Heights – from stage to screen
Making chess exciting for viewers — The Queen's Gambit
In Netflix's The Queen's Gambit, the filmmakers manage to not only make chess exciting, but downright riveting. Learn how editor Michelle Tesoro, ACE, and sound designer Wylie Stateman successfully crafted such tense and thrilling scenes so that even a non-chess player could follow along and enjoy the thrill and strategy of the game.
Episode 87: An illuminating discussion with The Mosquito Coa…
Episode 86: Sound design as score in The Killing of Two Love…
Episode 85: Edgar Wright and Julian Slater rerelease Scott P…
Episode 84: Innovative Sound Design for Short Films
Episode 83: Best Animated Feature: Oscars 2021
Episode 82: Best Cinematography Nominees: Oscars 2021
Our 2021 Oscars® coverage continues with the nominees for Best Cinematography. Not everyone could make it, but we were pleased to speak with three inspiring cinematographers: Sean Bobbitt (Judas and the Black Messiah), Erik Messerschmidt (Mank), and Phedon Papamichael (The Trial of the Chicago 7.)
Episode 81: Best Sound Nominees: Oscars 2021
We begin our 2021 Oscars coverage with the nominees for Best Sound. For the first time, we've interviewed all the nominees for a category and edited them together into a single podcast.
Episode 80: The Best Sound Oscar Category, Explained
The Board of Governors from the Academy’s Sound Branch discuss the new Best Sound category and what it means for audiences watching the films at home.
Episode 79: Pixar's creative process: The making of Soul
Episode 78: The power of cinematic sound & images
Directors Rebecca Hall (Passing) and Natalia Almada (Users), recipients of the Dolby Institute Fellowship at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, discuss how their films use image and sound in intimate, almost personal ways.
Episode 77: David Fincher and Ren Klyce on the making of Man…
Acclaimed director and long-time collaborator and sound designer discuss the challenges of creating the film Mank in black and white, 1:33, and in mono, like an artifact from Hollywood's "Golden Age."
Episode 76: Sundance Film Festival in the time of COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic means this year’s Sundance Film Festival will be entirely virtual. But what exactly does a virtual film festival look like?
Episode 75: The sound of storytelling
Dolby recently co-presented a panel at the Television Academy Foundation with some of this year’s sound nominees. We’ve added some clips to the conversation.
Episode 74: Dolby Vision roundtable (Part 2)
Join us as we dive deeper into the actual process and tips for HDR and WCG color grading as well as the full Dolby Vision metadata creation and trim pass.
Episode 73: Sundance Co//ab: sound design for indie movies
The filmmakers discuss how to communicate the subjective experience of your main character using sound and tips for hiring and working with your sound team.
Episode 72: Dolby Vision roundtable (Part 1)
Learn about the origins of Dolby Vision and how Dolby helped change the game for immersive cinema and home entertainment.
Episode 71: The sound of Unorthodox
The sound team discusses making the ultra-Orthodox community feel authentic and using sound for flashbacks to reveal the details of Esty’s story.
Episode 70: The sound of Locke and Key
The sound team talks about creating the show's fantastic sounds, including a terrifying mirror room and whispering keys that only children can hear.
Episode 69: The sound of Ozark
The sound team takes us through creating the sonic environments of riverboat casinos and basement dungeons, and how they build tension throughout season 3.
Episode 68: The sound of Mindhunter
The sound team talks about setting the acoustic tone of the series, Fincher’s mix notes and unique approach to the sound of serial killer interrogation scene...
Episode 67: The sound of Hamilton
The creative team discusses adapting the live show into the cinematic world and how Dolby Atmos gives home audiences a transformative theatrical experience.
Episode 66: The sound of Westworld
The sound team discusses mixing the show natively in Dolby Atmos and the challenges of finishing post-production as the world went into COVID-19 lockdown.
Episode 65: The sound of The Mandalorian with Bonnie Wild
Bonnie Wild, rerecording mixer and sound effects editor of the Star Wars show from Disney+, talks about cinematic scale and production value on a TV budget.
Episode 64: A conversation with Mark Ulano
Academy Award-winning production sound mixer ( Ad Astra , Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood ) discusses how to keep your cool on a tense movie set.
Episode 63: The sound of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
The Oscar®-nominated sound team how they recreated 1969 Los Angeles and why Tarantino chooses to use songs rather than a traditional musical score.
Episode 62: The sound of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
The Oscar®-nominated sound editors discuss working with director J.J. Abrams, recording lines in Adam Driver’s closet, and working on previous Star Wars film...
Episode 61: The sound of Ad Astra with Gary Rydstrom
The seven-time Academy Award-winning sound designer discusses using subliminal ambiences, manipulated vocal loops, and strategically used distortion.
Episode 60: The sound of 1917
The Oscar®-winning sound team discusses ensuring that even background chatter is historically realistic and the importance of on-set sound for creating...
Episode 59: The sound of Ford v Ferrari
The Oscar®-winning sound team discusses how they made a long, race car sequence sound interesting and other challenges in the film which won Best Sound...
Episode 58: The sound of Joker
The Oscar®-winning sound team discusses how they used impressionistic sound design to get inside Arthur Fleck’s mind and capture a gritty 1970s Gotham City.
Episode 57: Conversations with sound artists – The Irishman
Sound collaborators Eugene Gearty and Tom Fleischman talk about working with Scorsese, de-aging the actors' voices, and the film’s minimalist soundtrack.
Episode 56: The visual design of Star Wars
Lucasfilm design supervisor James Clyne shares how J.J. Abrams reimagined the X-Wing fighter and how they researched and built various Death Star interiors.
Episode 55: Conversations with sound artists – Star Wars
Co-sound supervisors, Matthew Wood and David Acord, share nearly two decades of Star Wars experience including audio restorations of the original films.
Episode 54: Conversations with sound artists – Uncut Gems
The filmmakers, composer, and sound team discuss how they used sound design and music to create the perilous, uncomfortable world of Adam Sandler’s character.
Episode 53: Conversations with sound artists – Rocketman
The picture editor and sound team for the Elton John biopic, discuss the film’s unique blend of prerecorded music, live singing on set, and postrecorded songs.
Episode 52: The making of Ford v Ferrari
The sound team talks about carving out moments for internal character sounds to come through and tracking down the original cars to keep the film sounding real.
Episode 51: Conversations with sound artists – Carnival Row
The show’s sound mixers explain how they created the sound of faerie wings and why Dolby Atmos was part of the series’ sound concept right from the beginning.
Episode 50: The sound of Stranger Things 3
Join the sound team for a discussion about keeping creature sounds fresh and new, and delivering cinema-quality sound on an episodic schedule and budget.
Episode 49: Conversations with film sound legends
Find out why Wall-E’s voice made some people cry and about the role of subjective sound in creative storytelling in this talk with some film sound legends.
Episode 48: The sound of Ralph Breaks the Internet
The co-directors and producer discuss how the Oscar®-nominated team achieved the complex visual design of the film and the role of sound in their storytellin...
Episode 47: The Making of A Star Is Born
The Oscar®-nominated sound-mixing team discusses how doing impulse responses in each of the venues let them recreate the sound of the arenas in post-producti...
Episode 46: The Making of Roma
The writer/director and his Oscar®-nominated sound artists discuss the detailed work that went into re-creating the Mexico City of his 1970s childhood.
Episode 45: The sound of First Man (Part 2)
The Oscar®-nominated sound mixer talks about the complex system they devised to record dialogue inside the astronauts’ helmets in the cramped space capsule.
Episode 44: The sound of First Man (Part 1)
The Oscar®-nominated team discusses how the film’s documentary-look influenced the soundscape, and how the sound underpinned the danger of early space flight...
Episode 43: The sound of Bohemian Rhapsody
The Oscar®-winning sound team discusses how sound design helped to get inside Freddie Mercury’s head and recreate the famous 1985 Live-Aid concert.
Episode 42: The sound of A Quiet Place
The Oscar®-nominated sound artists discuss building the soundscape for a “silent” movie and creating a monster who hunts and navigates using only its hearing.
Episode 41: The making of Black Panther
The Oscar®-nominated sound artists talk about the influences behind the sound design of Wakanda technology and constructing the fight scenes in a waterfall.
Episode 40: The sound of Incredibles 2
The writer/director and producer of this Oscar®-nominated film discuss returning for the sequel and the fight scene between baby Jack-Jack and the raccoon.
Episode 39: The sound of Black Panther
Composer and supervising sound editor talk about integrating African music into a symphonic score and sound design for futuristic Wakanda technology.
Episode 38: The sound of A Star Is Born
The sound artists talk about grabbing crowd scenes between sets at music festivals, and how Bradley Cooper wasn’t your typical first-time director.
Episode 37: The sound of Mary Queen of Scots
Director Josie Rourke explains how the desire to tell “better versions of our history” gave her purpose with this story, and the importance of silence.
Episode 36: The sound of Roma with Skip Lievsay
Oscar®-winning sound artist, Skip Lievsay, talks about his work on Alfonso Cuarón’s epic black-and-white film about his own childhood in 1970s Mexico City.
Episode 35: Best moments with sound artists: 2018 Oscars®
In this compilation episode, we talk with the sound artists behind Baby Driver , Blade Runner 2049 , The Shape of Water , Star Wars: The Last Jedi , and...
Episode 34: The sound of Dunkirk
The Oscar®-winning sound team behind Christopher Nolan’s film, explain how the carefully engineered track builds and maintains tension for the entire movie.
Episode 33: The sound of Star Wars: The Last Jedi
The Oscar®-nominated sound artists talk about the challenges and opportunities of joining an already-established sound universe while adding their own spin.
Episode 32: The sound of The Shape of Water
The Academy Award®-nominated artists behind Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water share how the creature’s sound design evolves over the course of the film.
Episode 31: The sound of Blade Runner 2049
The Oscar®-nominated sound team behind Blade Runner 2049 talks about how they paid homage to the iconic original film while breaking new sonic ground.
Episode 30: The sound of Baby Driver
Oscar®-nominated sound artists discuss the challenges of mixing the crafted sound design and dialogue to blend with a driving music track in Baby Driver .
Episode 29: Creating sound for the Coen Brothers
Burwell and Lievsay talk about their 30-year collaboration with the Coen Brothers, spanning 17 films, including Raising Arizona and No Country for Old Men .
Episode 28: Collaborators - War for the Planet of the Apes
After a four-film collaboration ( Cloverfield , War for the Planet of the Apes ), the creative team discusses sound challenges in their work.
Episode 27: Collaborators Joe Wright and Craig Berkey
This creative pair ( Darkest Hour , The Soloist , Pan ) talk about using sound to build worlds, and Wright shares how London’s rave scene affected his use of...
Episode 26: Collaborators Darren Aronofsky & Craig Henighan
Join boundary-pushing director, Aronofsky with his longtime sound supervisor Henighan, discussing their work on Requiem for a Dream , Black Swan , and mother!
Episode 25: Sound Supervisor Richard King
Triple Oscar®-winner Richard King discusses his remarkable collaboration with Christopher Nolan, from The Prestige to Dunkirk .
Episode 24: Collaborators Edgar Wright and Julian Slater
Talented creative duo Wright and Slater chat about their remarkable five film collaboration, from Shawn of the Dead to Baby Driver .
Episode 23: 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi
This team of Oscar®-studded sound artists talk about working on Michael Bay’s film, nominated for Best Sound Mixing, including the film’s chaotic battle...
Episode 22: The sound of Sully with Alan Murray
Two-time Academy Award® winner Alan Murray (Best Sound Editing) discusses his 37th film collaboration with director Clint Eastwood.
Episode 21: The sound of La La Land
What does it take to create the sound for a contemporary movie musical? La La Land ’s Academy Award®-winning and nominated sound artists share their stories.
Episode 20: The sound of Hacksaw Ridge
Academy Award®-nominated sound artists discuss their work on Mel Gibson’s film including the challenges of using period-accurate weaponry.
Episode 19: The sound of Deepwater Horizon
Renée Tondelli (Academy Award® nominee for Best Sound Editing with Wylie Stateman) discusses the sound design of Peter Berg’s film.
Episode 18: The sound of Arrival
Sylvain Bellemare (Best Sound Editing) and Bernard Gariépy Strobl (Best Sound Mixing) discuss the unique challenges of building Arrival’s alien soundscapes.
Episode 17: Walter Murch: sound and film editing (Part 2)
Fellow sound designers Randy Thom and Chris Foster pose questions to Walter Murch, and we discuss the state of cinema sound before and after Apocalypse Now .
Episode 16: Walter Murch: sound and film editing (Part 1)
Triple Academy Award®-winner Walter Murch ( The Godfather , Apocalypse Now , The English Patient ) answers questions from fellow sound designers, Ren Klyce a...
Episode 15: Sound and music in Creed and Fruitvale Station
Writer/director Ryan Coogler, composer Ludwig Göransson, and sound designer Steve Boeddeker discuss their use of sound and music in Creed and Fruitvale Stati...
Episode 14: Jad Abumrad: The sound of Radiolab
Radiolab creator and co-host, Jad Abumrad, talks about how he uses music as a metaphor to explore abstract topics, and telling complex stories without words.
Episode 13: John Roesch: The art of Foley
Legendary Foley artist John Roesch ( E.T. , Back to the Future , Inception ) discusses his impressive career and why Foley can't come from an effects library.
Episode 12: Sound and visual art – creative collaboration
Visual artist Sophie Clements and her sound design/music collaborator Jo Wills discuss how they use sound and images to instill wonder, awe, and seduction.
Episode 11: Tim Gedemer: Sound for VR
Tim Gedemer, one of the most experienced virtual reality sound artists reveals why traditional filmmakers tend to stumble in their first VR experiences.
Episode 10: Nevin Steinberg: The sound of Hamilton
Leading Broadway sound designer Nevin Steinberg discusses his work on hit shows including Hamilton , Bright Star , The Full Monty , and Spamalot .
Episode 9: The sound of The Revenant
Academy Award® nominees Lon Bender and Martín Hernández discuss their BAFTA-winning work on The Revenant and recording Foley on real snow (with horses!).
Episode 8: The sound of Mad Max: Fury Road
Oscar®-nominated sound artists Mark Mangini and David White, talk about the challenges of managing such an epic production, and the use of silence in chaos.
Episode 7: The sound of Sicario with Alan Murray
Two-time Academy Award® winner Alan Murray, discusses how low-end sound can heighten tension and his 40-year collaboration with Clint Eastwood.
Episode 6: Daniel Colman: sound for Television
Emmy® award-winning sound designer Daniel Colman ( Battlestar Galactica and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ) shares why musicians make the best sound...
Episode 5: Gwen Yates Whittle: dialogue editing and ADR
Two-time Academy Award® nominee Gwen Yates Whittle reveals why director George Lucas thinks dialogue editing is one of the most important parts of the proces...
Episode 4: Anna Behlmer: The art of sound mixing
Ten-time Academy Award® nominee Anna Behlmer talks about being one of the first female mixers in the movie business and how to handle a nervous director.
Episode 3: Coll Anderson: Creative sound for documentaries
Sound designer/mixer Coll Anderson discusses the role that creative post-production sound can serve in telling non-narrative stories.
Episode 2: Video game sound design with Naughty Dog Studios
Explore gaming sound design with Rob Krekel and Phillip Kovats of Naughty Dog Studios, one of the world’s most successful video game production houses.
Episode 1: Randy Thom: Writing for sound
Skywalker Sound, director of sound design, shares how writers and directors can use sound to tell stories, and Apocalypse Now’s role in modern sound design.