Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538144
M OT I O N P I CTU R E S O U N D E D I TO R S 93 how do you shift your mindset between micro-detail and big-picture storytelling? Mike Schapiro: I think they kind of go hand in hand! You want all the details to fit in nicely with the broader design of the project or the story. Things like UI sounds or a character on Trek typing on a pad—all those little things have to fit. I wouldn't use a big, rough, growly sound for a Federation UI, but I might for a Klingon one! I guess there's just not much of a mindset shift there—you're always trying to tell the story, from the big set pieces to the tiny nuances. Can you walk us through a moment or sequence from your career that you're especially proud of from a sound design perspective? Mike Schapiro: What comes immediately to mind is (spoilers for Star Trek: Picard!) the Enterprise-D juking and jiving through the inside of a gigantic Borg Cube in the Picard series finale. It was a wild sequence, lots of little details to get across (oh, so many phasers). I grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation during dinner often, so getting to play with and update some of those iconic sounds— phasers, shields, photon torpedoes— was a lot of fun. That segment always brings a smile to my face when watching it. But there's also been a number of moments where I'll find myself watching something I did and being pleasantly surprised like, "Wait, I did that? That can't be right..." Interactive vs. Linear Media How does your workflow differ between linear projects like film and TV versus interactive titles like Gears of War or Turtle Rock's Evolve? Mike Schapiro: Honestly, workflow is relatively similar—at least from a design perspective. If you're doing Field recording. Anukan "Everyone knows what a car sounds like, but nobody really knows what 'a flying car powered by cryohelium' sounds like!"