In the latest Dolby Creator Talks Podcast, they sit down with the Oscar-nominated sound team behind Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” to explore the film’s epic and deeply expressive soundtrack.
Key topics discussed
- Working with Guillermo del Toro– The sound team highlights del Toro’s collaborative approach, his desire to “flesh out scenes” early in the process, and his openness to “happy accidents” in sound. They often work closely with picture editors and are given “marching orders” for “juicier” scenes, while filling in the blanks for others.
- Sound and Visual Effects– They explain how early involvement in the film’s development, before visual effects are finalized, can actually make their job easier by allowing them to be more creative. They cite the challenge and creativity involved in designing sounds for scenes where visual elements, like the creature or wolves, were not yet fully realized.
- Mixing Process– Brad Zoern discusses the pre-dub and final mix process, noting the luxury of having four weeks for effects pre-dubs. He explains that del Toro would provide notes on reels remotely from Los Angeles before coming in person for the final weeks of mixing.
- Opening Sequence Sound Design– The team discusses creating the sound for the opening sequence with the Danish sailors trapped in ice, emphasizing the challenges and techniques used to make the ice sound “cold.”
- On-Set Capture Challenges– Greg Chapman talks about the difficulties of capturing sound on the massive outdoor set of the ship, dealing with elements like wind and large machinery.
- Creature Vocalizations and Dynamics– They delve into the evolution of the creature’s voice, starting as animalistic and transitioning to more naturalistic. They also discuss the dynamic use of sound in the mix, particularly in scenes like the creature’s fall from the waterworks tower, where sound is stripped away to highlight breathing.
- Creature Voice Evolution– Nathan Robitaille explains their artistic choice to make the creature sound like “something” initially and then evolve into “someone” by the end of the film, using various animal sounds and Jacob Elordi’s performance.
- Bake-Off Reel Selection– The team discusses their decision to submit a single, continuous 10-minute sequence for the Oscar bake-off, focusing on the creation scene. They highlight how this sequence showcased all aspects of their sound work, including production tracks, sound effects, and music.
- Waterworks Factory Sound– They explain how the shift in editing style for the waterworks sequence influenced their sound design, incorporating “tonal moody elements” and “breathing” sounds to create a lived-in feel.
- Production Sound in Waterworks– Greg Chapman details the challenges of capturing production sound in the waterworks set, particularly dealing with real steam from boilers and del Toro’s “one camera” approach, which simplified booming.
- Foley Department and Dissection Scene– The team praises the Foley department’s work, especially on the dissection montage, highlighting the humor created by the juxtaposition of beautiful music and grizzly sounds.
- Dolby Atmos Usage– Brad Zoern expresses his enthusiasm for using Dolby Atmos, particularly in the creation scene with its “fly-through” of the body, emphasizing how it allowed them to fill the space and meet the visual standard with sound.
“Frankenstein” is now streaming on Netflix, in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos https://www.netflix.com/title/81507921
