Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1544300
M OT I O N P I CTU R E S O U N D E D I TO R S 69 otherworldly. Ringnes explains, "Joachim pushed us, do something out of the box. Go out and record and find this crazy synth guy or do something and challenge yourself. And so, we went out and we recorded a lot. We went to find this prototype of an electric race boat. We recorded electric bikes. Of course, we went to the track and recorded lots of engines. We had amazing, amazing recording sessions. From day one, we have recorded tons of different instruments. I am always in for finding something organic. I like recording new stuff instead of using a library and pulling out tons of plugins. I want to try to be creative. You have all of these sounds in your head, and I try to figure out how to find them. And of course, instruments are easy to try out." Even musical instruments were incorporated into the design process. Cellos were recorded and processed into mechanical tonal textures, giving certain machines an organic resonance that purely synthetic sounds sometimes lack. By blending acoustic recordings with electronic manipulation, the team created sounds that felt both technological and tactile—anchoring the digital world of the Grid in a sense of physical reality. "Every sound needs its own place," says Tormod. Despite the digital setting of the film, physical realism remained essential. Foley artists spent weeks recording footsteps, clothing movement, and environmental interaction. These subtle sounds ground the spectacle in reality and remind audiences that the characters inhabiting this digital world are still human. Without these tactile details, even the most elaborate sound design can feel disconnected from the characters on screen. Foley adds weight, presence, and a sense of physicality that anchors the story. Tormod states, "Sound should not Tron: Ares (2025) © Disney Tron: Ares Premiere, Hollywood, October 2025. L-R: Baard H. Ingebretsen (supervising sound editor), Tormod Ringnes (supervising sound editor & sound designer), Ron Bartlett (re-recording mixer), Atticus Ross (Nine Inch Nails/original music), Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails/original music). Photo by Andrew Cohen