Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1535806
C I N E M A A U D I O S O C I E T Y. O R G 21 Bob's 'Masters of War,'" explains Massey. During the Newport Folk Festival, he enhanced the intensity of songs like "Maggie's Farm" without overwhelming the cinema audience: "Jim wanted the first electric song to be the loudest song in the film up to that point, but it had to maintain its intensity afterward to ensure the concert didn't flatline. So, throughout the following two electric songs, I increased the bass elements, added extra compression to the rhythm section, emphasized the character of the PA with reverbs and delays, and generally heightened the intensity by altering the richness, perspectives, and colors of the instruments and vocals within each song until the final downbeat." Another invaluable aspect of perceived realism—and a hallmark of Mangold films—is the strategic use of Foley. Kevin Schultz, lead Foley mixer, reveals, "We felt strongly that the Foley could be used to integrate the scenes and actions before and after the musical performances, so the transitions would feel seamless. We endeavored to record the Foley to match the sound of the production track so that the actions before and after the music performances would be able to be blended as seamlessly as possible. The interior scenes gave us the most opportunity to match the acoustic qualities of the Foley to the production sound. Thereby delivering a track that could be mixed to create the effect that you're right there in the room with Bob." Giammarco confirms the success of Schultz's efforts and Foley's importance in the transitional moments: "Foley is always so important to any project, and certainly for our director, Jim Mangold. He appreciates complexity and nuance in all aspects of sound, and that includes the way a character walks, moves, and handles things. We used Foley to enhance the instrument and microphone handling; however, once performances started, we stayed out and let the songs play. Because the songs were performed live on set, we also benefited from the production track 'Foley.'" To further help with transitions to musical numbers and any bleed, ADR mixer David Betancourt ensured clean transitional dialogue options. "Whenever I record dialogue lines leading into a musical number, I set the usual ADR mics [shotgun and lav] and whatever vocal mics were used or might best match what was used in production. This project was no different. When it came to matching dialogue, I simply listened to the scene and used what I felt would give me the best chance. There was a lot of music bleed [under] backstage dialogue that we had to cover to be safe. Those were tricky, but Paul and Dave did a fantastic job in the end," explains Betancourt. Re-recording mixers David Giammarco and Paul Massey balanced the careful "Meritage" of sources on the dub stages, creating a growth of audience responses and musical complexity throughout the film that mirrors Dylan's overall narrative of humble beginnings to widespread integration into popular culture. "In Newport '65, the crowds build to a feverish pitch. This also happens throughout the film as Dylan's audience grows from first performances in clubs and churches to arenas and festivals. What starts as admiration for the young artist builds into legions of devoted fans in a very short period of time," explains Giammarco. Baxter concurs with the offering: "From reel one, the scale, size, and immersiveness of the film's sound slowly builds. There's a lot of restraint early on to make sure we never get too big too fast. Little bits of the band and electric instruments start to bubble up throughout the film, finally exploding during the final Newport sequence. This is possible only because of cooperation between all sound departments and a consistent vision from Jim [Mangold] from day one. It's intentionally built into the music recordings, performances, vocals, and the mix." The result was a feeling of inspiration and hopefulness that felt accurate to the period and historical experience of Dylan's rise to fame in the '60s. A Complete Unknown sets a very high standard for music biopics without using much of the typical technical workflows employed in many musical films. Maitland summarizes: "This is the only music film I have ever done without earwigs and with sound and music overlapping everything. It definitely takes a brave group to head into those waters. For us, we didn't know what we were really getting into." The film retains a commitment to authenticity over perfection and reminds us of the beauty in the nuance of human craftsmanship. Baxter concludes: "This film is a great example of what's possible with a consistent vision and fearless/bold mandate from a great director. It empowers and inspires the cast and crew to go all in and take risks. It also reminds us that the good stuff is in the 'imperfections.' The soul and spirit of the music is in its grit, rough edges, and texture." Ultimately, A Complete Unknown offers an experience that is historically resonant, emotionally compelling, and worthy of the Cinema Audio Society Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Motion Pictures – Live Action.