Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1544300
68 M PS E . O R G The funny thing about working with Joachim is that you need to be more dynamic. To be bold in those moments, you need to find spaces where there is kind of no sound at all. You need to get the rest so the audience can feel the textures when the sound returns." The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross introduced another layer of complexity. Their music spans an enormous sonic spectrum—from deep bass textures to shimmering electronic highs. When the score first entered the soundtrack, some sound design elements initially disappeared beneath the music. Ringnes continues, "For me, when we do sound for films, it's all about storytelling and emotions. We want to keep the audience. This film was a different approach because we had Nine Inch Nails music, they wanted to do something totally different. We had lots of meetings that we really wanted to make the experience different for the audience. They showed us some music they've done, and it was quite loud but they wanted to have it like a concept. And we felt that it was a really great approach, but we can't tire the audience. We need to have the audience onboard and that they're inside a roller coaster." Integrating that music into the film required constant collaboration between departments. In many productions, temporary music guides the editorial process. But Reznor and Ross prefer not to provide early temp music, which meant the sound team initially designed scenes around placeholder tracks. When the final compositions arrived, the sonic balance of the film changed dramatically. Ringnes explains, "When we got music from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, their palette goes from the lowest bass to the highest frequency. So, for us it was like, okay, the great light cycle I created—I could only hear the high frequency because everything else was covered by the music." The solution required redesigning parts of the sonic palette so the score and effects could coexist rather than compete for space. Designers adjusted tonal layers and repositioned elements within the immersive mix so that each component could occupy its own spectral territory. "Recording new sounds is the fun part. That's where creativity really happens," says Ringnes. Recording new sounds played a major role in building the film's sonic identity. Instead of relying entirely on existing libraries, Ringnes and his team spent time capturing unusual sources that could be transformed into futuristic elements. Electric vehicles, industrial machinery, and experimental equipment all provided useful raw material. One memorable session involved a laser rust-cleaning tool that produced an unpredictable electronic crackle that sounded almost "Dialogue is the king. If the audience cannot understand the dialogue, they lose the story." Baard H. Ingebretsen and Tormod Ringnes, temp mix 1/director cut mix at Disney stage C. Photo by Ron Bartlett