Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1487666
74 W I N T E R 2 0 2 3 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y considering the swirl of chaos surrounding her 21-year-old self at the time. Where was the show mixed and using what equipment? How much ADR and Foley was recorded? How closely did you work with the composers and songwriters as it relates to final mix? The sound design on this film was groundbreaking—what was the most exciting scene to design? Please give a rundown of what a day in the life was like for you. GR: We mixed Titanic at Skywalker Ranch. Tom Bellfort headed up the ADR recording and cutting, and there was a lot, given the special effects on the sets. Robin Harlan and Sarah Monat performed the Foley, which was a massive job and obviously included a lot of water Foley. The composer, James Horner, came up to Skywalker several times to bring Jim music and check in on the production. He added scale and romance so effectively to the film. Not to mention a certain hit song for the end credits. Chris Boyes did the sound design and, as usual, pushed himself to record amazing sounds and a unique library of sounds. Cameron had an impressive ability to remember the names and effect numbers of key sounds Chris made, and would sometimes call out a specific sound in the mix, e.g., "put 'Creak 22' there!" This was our first mix on a fully digital console, the Neve Capricorn, and we made use of every bit of what a digital console gave us. EQ, panning—everything was fully automated, which was a revolution. For me, the standout scene for sound is the crashing into the iceberg, which uses massive contrast to imagine what this historic moment sounded like in different classes and parts of the big ship. TB: The entire sound job—editorial and mixing—was done at Skywalker Sound. It's now been 25 years, but I would guess that 70% of all principal dialogue was replaced. Looped. From the time the ship hits the iceberg through Rose and Jack floating on the door, all the voices, principal dialogue was looped. Added to that was the loop group which helped intensify the tragedy. Indeed, the sound design of the huge steam engines full speed ahead, reverse, water piercing through the hull, as Jim aptly stated is "awesome." [Plus] the ship breaking in two—giving weight, size, power, and sonic volume to the drama. Strangely, the actual delicacy of the man hitting the propeller, thus giving an accuracy of the height of the ship. After the ship breaks apart and chaos and terror reigns on the decks, we cut to a woman in first class opening her door and asking the steward why the ship has stopped—I think this is the dialogue. We only hear the dialogue and the footsteps of the steward. We do not hear all the screams from the deck. The woman in first class is so isolated—class distinction again—that she is immune from the tragedy unfolding on the decks. MU: Philosophically, we're here to contribute, not to compete. The stereotype of "score keeping" of ADR and Foley can often be a misleading indicator when frequently asked in context of the production sound, possibly the least understood of the cinema sound arts. I know that Jim Cameron, like many directors, prefers the original performances he chose on set, when possible. As filmmakers, our goal is always to make connection between the characters and the audience. I want the audience to invest and believe in the characters, the journey they're on, and the environment in which they travel that journey. In the case of Titanic, I trust the judgment of my post- production colleagues and Jim as to what choices best tell the story. We were very aggressive about locking down the set and partnering with Jim to maintain control of his shooting environment, preserving the sacred space between the director and his actors. The nuts-and-bolts ratios the three primary sound disciplines use to get them The set of Titanic Continued on page 79