Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/462877
33 WINTER 2015 / CINEMONTAGE extraordinary life of Olympian war hero Louis Zamperini, takes place in his home town of Torrance, California, as well as at the Berlin Olympics, during aerial combat, at sea, in the jungle, and in desert and mountain regions of Japan. "To add to that, each location represents a very different aspect of Louis' emotional journey as he went from national hero to castaway to prisoner subjected to horrific abuse, and back again, according to the film's nominated supervising sound editors, Becky Sullivan, MPSE, and Andrew DeCristofaro, who responded by e-mail. "We were equal parts daunted and thrilled to tackle the challenge of creating so many unique soundscapes." The team also received MPSE nominations for Sound Effects/Foley and Dialogue/ADR for the film. "Director Angelina Jolie wanted Unbroken to sound authentic and realistic," the sound editors say. "She gave us an emotional road map for what each chapter of the film should convey. She wanted the audience to experience what Louis Zamperini did and convey those emotions with sound. With that, she gave us a great deal of creative space." Throughout the film, the sound editors built layer upon layer of sound, often in very subtle ways, to help the director accomplish her goal. "We created just about everything from scratch to get things exactly right," they explain. "We acquired one of the only vintage, unmodified WWII- era B-24s that is still air-worthy and then recorded every compartment, every switch, every nook and cranny of that plane, along with the massive engines. We used Foley, effects, backgrounds and ADR to replace almost every sound when Louis, Mac and Phil are adrift on the open ocean. For the jungle, we researched each bird, insect and animal sound to be accurate to time and location. Every single punch Louis took in prison was realistic and unique." For Sullivan, Unbroken represents the highlight of her career. "To bring Louis' story of resilience, survival and redemption to life through sound was a challenge and also a labor of love," she claims. "Unbroken is an experience that will stay with me always." Likewise, DeCristofaro, who has been mentored by Sullivan, counts Unbroken as the most important film on which he has worked. "I had not read Laura Hillenbrand's book prior to taking on the project, but I grew up in the South Bay area of Los Angeles, driving past Zamperini Air Field and, as a USC alumnus, I've walked through Zamperini Plaza on my way to football games," he says. "Unbroken gave me the opportunity to know and appreciate Louis on a whole new level. "We would like to think that as the [Sound Branch] members watched Unbroken, they experienced the sound from Louis' point of view; that they felt his emotional journey as they listened," the sound editors posit. "There may have been particular sequences that caught their attention, but we hope the experience of the whole track kept them engaged. Whatever it was they saw, we are profoundly grateful that they chose to nominate Unbroken." f Aaron Glascock. Richard King. Photo by Martin Cohen