Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1545202
As the film evolved from early drawings into animatics and temporary animation, the team quickly realized how fluid the tone could be. Performances could shift instantly from grounded emotion to explosive expression. Rather than resist that, London and the dialogue team leaned into it. "With our principal cast, we pushed for range," he said. "From quiet, vulnerable moments of doubt and despair to wildly expressive, almost metal-tinged vocalizations." That philosophy is on full display in the film's opening concert sequence, where the sound of the crowd becomes a driving force. Instead of treating the fans as background texture, the team built them as an emotional engine. "We advocated for 'unhinged' levels of performance, especially with the fans," London said. "Their chanting and cheering build into a frenzy. We kept pushing it higher until it reached a fevered pitch that still felt grounded and real." That balance— stylization that enhances believability rather than breaking it —becomes a through-line across the entire soundtrack. That range is not limited to spectacle. About halfway through the film, the energy collapses inward. Huntrix [the main protagonists who are a three-member girl group that also hunt demons] is alone in their suite, stripped of the performance, the audience, and the expectation. The tone shifts completely. What was once explosive becomes quiet, uncertain, and exposed. For London, moments like this required just as much intention as the larger sequences. "At the hour mark, when Huntrix is alone in their suite, the tone shifts completely," he said. "It becomes sincere and revealing. We all leaned into that journey for authenticity, making sure those intimate moments landed with real emotional weight." It's a subtle pivot, but a critical one. Without it, the scale of the film has nothing to contrast against. With it, the soundtrack earns its impact. That same philosophy carried directly onto the re-recording stage, where the challenge shifted from performance capture to system-wide integration. Michael Babcock CAS, a veteran re-recording mixer with credits including The Dark Knight, Inception, and Dune: Part Two, approached the film with a clear directive from directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans. "They didn't want it to sound like a typical musical," Babcock said. "They wanted the option for everything to become one within those songs." That idea fundamentally reshaped how the mix was approached. Instead of separating dialogue, music, and effects into distinct layers, the team treated every element through a shared sonic lens inspired by the polished, high- impact sound of K-pop. "It was the ultimate scenario where all departments had to truly find ways to handshake with each other," he said. L-R: Tony Lamberti, Michael Babcock CAS, Erich Talaba, and Howard London CAS