Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1490686
metal sound when the machetes hit a sword, which is thin and tingy. They also had knives and wooden spears with iron tips, ropes, and chains, all the different weapons of the Agojie and Oyo tribes that fought against them. Our heroes are the Agojie and we needed to capture the precise sounds of what they were doing in the foreground, as well as the secondary sounds of the ongoing battles with voices in the background. I was very particular about how it would sound and feel. Each of our heroes had specific sounds for their actions, whether it was jumping or diving, or throwing themselves into the battle. I was also particular about the Foley in the dancing sequence during the battle dance, with the close-up on the feet and the grit sound of the dirt. We introduced the grit earlier because there was a lot of wind on the set in South Africa and we wanted to add our own wind with the grit sound. You could see the grit and dust flying through the air and hear it. I just love all the detail. We had a PG-13 rating, so we needed to keep it appropriate. We needed to hear the brutality of the war, but there wasn't a lot of bloodletting on camera. I cut all the vocals for everyone who was killed or in battle and did some loop group, but mostly just a collection of things that I've collected over the years of dying sounds and what's the right sound for each injury. Each person had their own vocal and the layers of the battle, with the machete having multiple clangs for the impacts. We also had the gore sound for the bloodletting, so you could hear the spear going into the chest or hitting bone or the machete hacking off an arm with a squishy blood sound, even though you didn't see it on camera. The audience hears the brutality and imagines what's happening even though they might not be seeing it. MA: The number of films you worked on a year is quite impressive, especially with a family. How did you keep it together? BS: I was pretty busy. I had a family and husband and two kids, and I worked very hard to keep a balance in my life. It can be hard to have a real life outside of the film business, but I worked hard to give my kids a good life with their mom, even if I was always on a sound stage. I did a movie called The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor where we were working at 3 a.m. on a Fourth of July weekend. My husband dropped the kids off at the stage and said they could hang out there, and the director was fine with it. I've done so many films with Rob Cohen and my kids have grown up in the industry. We were all growing up in the industry together. We were mixing at Todd-AO Lantana. There were two big stages. We were mixing on Stage 1. In Stage 2, we had Guitar Hero set up and my two daughters, who were probably 10 and 12, were playing it on one of the biggest stages in Hollywood. Keeping a marriage and family going was super important to me and it can be done. It just takes effort. I had a very patient and understanding husband who understood what I did and the time it took, and he knew that I loved it. He definitely took on a lead role in picking the kids up from school and doing certain things like that. I always took my children to school in the morning, unless I had to be on set early. I always got my kids to school by 7:30 a.m. and had breakfast with them. I had a great relationship with them growing up and now as adults, we have a fantastic relationship. My one daughter has gone on to become a post-production supervisor while my other one has gone on to teach theater. I had breast cancer in 2010 and my family and sound community rallied around me. A few years ago, my husband passed away and again I found great support from my crew. It has all been a great adventure. MA: Becky It's been an absolute pleasure talking with you today. BS: Thank you so much. It's so cool to talk to you. The Woman King (2022), Cary Grant Mix Stage Sony Studios, July 2022. L-R: Supervising sound editor Becky Sullivan, re-recording mixer Kevin O'Connell, director Gina Prince-Bythewood, actor Thuso Mbedu, picture editor Terilyn A. Shropshire, re-recording mixer Tony Lamberti.