SoundWorks Collection

Composers Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka discuss the unique challenges of crafting the emotional score for LION in eight weeks and collaborating from their studios in Los Angeles and Germany. We also explore the approach and inspiration behind four of the tracks from this incredible film. LION tells the story of Saroo Brierley who at the age of five got separated from his family in India, whilst he was waiting at a train station for his brother who never returned. After living on the streets of Calcutta for three weeks he was picked up by an orphanage and later adopted by an Australian couple. Based on the non-fiction book A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley the film explores the dynamics of our hyper-connected world and how Saroo managed to track down his family using Google Earth. The film stars Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, David Wenham and Nicole Kidman.

In this special podcast presentation of our recent Dolby Institute master class at the Los Angeles Film Festival, writer/director Ryan Coogler is joined by his composer Ludwig Göransson and sound designer Steve Boeddeker to present clips and discuss their use of sound and music in Creed and Fruitvale Station. This podcast is sponsored by The Dolby Institute: www.dolby.com/us/en/dolby-institute.html

Radiolab is one of the most distinctive sounding shows in the radio and podcast world. In this episode, creator and co-host of the show Jad Abumrad talks about how he uses music as a metaphor to explore abstract topics like what a manta shrimp sees when it looks at a rainbow, why it’s important to drop into the story mid-stream, why he deliberately disrespects the boundary between sound effects and music, and how he aspires to tell complex stories without words. This podcast is sponsored by The Dolby Institute: www.dolby.com/us/en/dolby-institute.html

This week we are celebrating the 1-year anniversary of Star Wars Battlefront by talking with the sound team including Audio Director Ben Minto, Sound Designer David Jegutidse and Sound Designer Martin Wohrer. Check out the fourth and final digital expansion pack which gives you access to new content inspired by the upcoming film Rogue One™: A Star Wars™ Story. Also arriving on December 6 is the Star Wars™ Battlefront™ Rogue One: X-Wing VR Mission for PlayStation VR. This free DLC gives you control of your very own X-wing in fully immersive virtual reality – brush up on your piloting skills, stay on target, and prepare to jump through hyperspace as you carry out an important mission for the Rebellion. This podcast is sponsored by THX, a globally renowned brand focused on delivering premium entertainment experiences and is passionate about telling the stories of the creators behind great productions. Find out more at www.thx.com

From Academy Award® winning director Roger Ross Williams, LIFE, ANIMATED is the inspirational story of Owen Suskind, a young man who was unable to speak as a child until he and his family discovered a unique way to communicate by immersing themselves in the world of classic Disney animated films. This emotional coming-of-age story follows Owen as he graduates to adulthood and takes his first steps toward independence. The subject of his father Ron Suskind’s New York Times bestseller, Owen was a thriving three year old who suddenly and inexplicably went silent – and for years after remained unable to connect with other people or to convey his thoughts, feelings or desires. Over time, through repeated viewings of Disney classics like THE LITTLE MERMAID and THE LION KING, Owen found useful tools to help him to understand complex social cues and to re-connect with the world around him. LIFE, ANIMATED evocatively interweaves classic Disney sequences with verite scenes from Owen’s life in order to explore how his identification and empathy for characters like Simba, Jafar, and Ariel gave him a means to understand his feelings and allowed him to interpret reality. Beautiful, original animations offer rich insights into Owen’s fruitful dialogue with the Disney oeuvre as he imagines himself heroically facing adversity as a member in a tribe of sidekicks. Owen’s story is a moving testament to the many ways in which stories can serve as a means of persevering through the dark times, leading us all toward the light. This podcast is sponsored by THX, a globally renowned brand focused on delivering premium entertainment experiences and is passionate about telling the stories of the creators behind great productions. Find out more at www.thx.com

This week we chat with Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson about his third film collaboration with Director Denis Villeneuve on the film Arrival. Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind. This podcast is sponsored by THX, a globally renowned brand focused on delivering premium entertainment experiences and is passionate about telling the stories of the creators behind great productions. THX certifies the world’s best consumer electronics to provide users with the assurance of superior quality. Find out more at www.thx.com

We recently chatted with Composer Sascha Dikiciyan also known as Sonic Mayhem about his incredible career in video game music composition for such titles as Quake II, God of War II, Borderlands, Mass Effect 3 and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. Sacha also recently released an original album titled, Doomsday featuring songs such as “Genesis”, “Futureland” (which features Power Glove), “Bleed Forever” (featuring Malukah), and more. There’s also an appearance by electronic rock artist Blue Stahli on the album. Sascha's work came to prominence when he sent a copy of his first CD "Methods of Destruction", an alternate Quake soundtrack, to id Software in 1996. As a result, they asked him personally to score the soundtrack for Quake II.

This week we return to the Marvel Universe to talk about the sound of Doctor Strange with Supervising Sound Editor Shannon Mills, Sound Designer Nia Hansen and Re-recording Mixer Juan Peralta from Skywalker Sound. Dr. Stephen Strange's (Benedict Cumberbatch) life changes after a car accident robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails him, he looks for healing, and hope, in a mysterious enclave. He quickly learns that the enclave is at the front line of a battle against unseen dark forces bent on destroying reality. Before long, Strange is forced to choose between his life of fortune and status or leave it all behind to defend the world as the most powerful sorcerer in existence.

Sound Designer and Supervising Sound Editor Erik Aadahl recently joined Michael Coleman of SoundWorks Collection on Friday, October 29, at the Savannah Film Festival, where sound-savvy SCAD students and intrigued festivalgoers packed the SCAD Museum of Art theater as Aadahl discussed his work on such films as Transformers, Godzilla, Kung Fu Panda, Argo, and Tree of Life. This podcast is sponsored by THX, a globally renowned brand focused on delivering premium entertainment experiences and is passionate about telling the stories of the creators behind great productions. Find out more at www.thx.com

This week we talk with Composer Lesley Barber who recently worked on Director Kenneth Lonergan's new film, Manchester by the Sea starring Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams. Barber previously worked with Lonergan on his acclaimed debut feature, “You Can Count On Me,” and she has provided music for films such as “Mansfield Park,” “Hysterical Blindness,” “A Price Above Rubies,” and “When Night Is Falling.” For ‘Manchester,’ Barber utilized harmonized vocal performances and atmospheric orchestral work to create a memorable score that makes an excellent companion to the classical pieces curated by the award-winning music supervisor Linda Cohen. After the death of his older brother Joe, Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is shocked that Joe has made him sole guardian of his teenage nephew Patrick. Taking leave of his job as a janitor in Boston, Lee reluctantly returns to Manchester-by-the-Sea, the fishing village where his working-class family has lived for generations. There, he is forced to deal with a past that separated him from his wife, Randi (Michelle Williams), and the community where he was born and raised.