Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1500728
34 PRODUCTION SOUND & VIDEO – Summer 2023 by James Delhauer Obi-Wan Kenobi by Julian Howarth In a galaxy, far, far away and back in January 2021, I first got the call about a new Lucasfilm series to be made at Manhattan Beach Studios. I can remember how excited I was and the rush of being asked to work on a Star Wars project. This was the reason I wanted to work in film in the first place. I couldn't believe that this might happen. Would the Force be with me? This series would also showcase Industrial Light & Magic's (ILM) virtual production platform, StageCraft, to help bring the worlds of Star Wars to life. I immediately knew I had to glean what information and tips I could from fellow Production Sound Mixer, Shawn Holden, in terms of methodology and how to cope with the excessive reverb we would face on this type of stage. This is a circular LED volume surrounding the set, a very reflective surface around and above us at all times. Shawn had been working on The Mandalorian for the last two years, and I wanted to emulate her work as best as possible. Shawn was incredibly open, and as I've learned over the few years I've been in the US, our sound community is utterly supportive, helpful, encouraging, and just downright lovely. First thing was to make sure we had the same sound baffles that we could deploy in ILM's volume, and after that, it came down to a negotiation with Chung-hoon Chung, our