Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1504731
62 M PS E . O R G collaborated with him on Shadow in 2016 and have worked on six films together. Zhang Yimou focuses on finding a distinct sonic identity for each film. In Shadow, some of his direction for us included 'ancient' and 'round outside, square inside.' JY: 'Ancient' means that all sounds should have a sense of antiquity, evoking imagination and creating a historical atmosphere for the audience. For example, the traditional whoosh sound was intentionally removed before the impact of two swords clashing in a fight-training scene between a general and his son in order to highlight the weight of ancient weapons. Zhang Yimou believed that only the people who had great strength to wield heavier weapons could be considered skilled warriors in that era. 'Round outside, square inside' is a Chinese phrase used to describe someone who appears very amiable and accommodating on the outside, but possesses a strict and fair nature on the inside. It refers to the concept that sound should be 'smooth and slick.' In the film, continuous raining sounds and the collision sound of accessories on characters should sound 'gentle' and 'mellow.' It's challenging to find the right words to describe the emotions in these sounds. But we made each rain scene have its own unique expression and character to serve the conflicts and emotions of the storyline. Zhang Yimou has helped us establish a good approach for each film. It's important for us to remember the simple-yet-effective principle of 'Art Goes First.' EM: There are some great gun battles in this film, and a few epic deaths. The gunshots definitely Supervising sound editor Nan Zhao, direc- tor Zhang Yimou and supervising sound editor Jiang Yang on the final mix stage for Shadow (2018).