Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/855478
36 CINEMONTAGE / Q3 2017 The directors wanted the sound to be of the period, "but with more of a contemporary polish, while still sounding authentic. In terms of dialogue and ADR, they wanted it layered as in Robert Altman's early films," says Iatrou, who watched numerous Altman films as preparation. "Altman layered the dialogue in the foreground and background. So any time there was a group of actors in a scene, we would create foreground and background conversations by adding ADR and using production dialogue outtakes." Most of the dialogue in the film was production-recorded on the set, with ADR used to add additional dialogue. "Lisa Pinero did a great job as a production mixer; every actor was mic'd with a personal mic and sometimes a boom," Iatrou states. "There were up to 13 production tracks in some scenes, and this was very useful to help achieve the layering of dialogue and a lively and naturalistic atmosphere. It was fun to add layer upon layer of sound." The movie was edited and mixed in 7.1 surround sound. To create authentic sound effects from the era, Lee bought several wooden and aluminum tennis rackets, strung them with the kind of gut strings used at that time, and then recorded all kinds of tennis ball hits. "It had a slightly different tone than present-day graphite," she says. Because she often brings her recorder to sporting events, Lee already had a number of recordings of crowds. "It turns out my husband and I went to the US Open and recorded the tennis crowds, and I started building a library of sounds," she adds. She also went to the Vermont Canyon tennis courts in Griffith Park. "We picked 2:00 p.m. on a hot summer day, because we figured not as many people Top: Ai-Ling Lee recording the subliminal sound effect called AMSR (autonomous sensory meridian response) for Billie Jean King's haircut. Photo by Chad Strawderman