The team behind Blade Runner 2049 talks about how they paid homage to the iconic original film while breaking new sonic ground. They explore the film’s distinctive blend of sound design and musical score, and discuss the producers’ wise decision to start the sound design while the shoot was still going on. They then examine key scenes, including the fight among malfunctioning holograms, and how K’s walk in the desert evolved from full score to playing in almost silence.
Oscar nominees: Ron Bartlett, Theo Green, Doug Hemphill, Mark Mangini, Mac Ruth
“My first conversation with Joe Walker [the film editor] was all about silence, and how we would handle silence. If that’s the first conversation you’re having with your filmmakers it’s exciting because we’ll get to the big moments, and in some ways those are the easiest to do.” Mark Mangini
“What I love about Dolby Atmos is that scenes that are more sparse are what really show it off. It’s scenes like the baseline test—the interviewer is primarily in the overheads; the whole idea is that he’s on top of you, oppressive and claustrophobic. You can’t do that with other formats.” Ron Bartlett
“If you close your eyes, you can hear the story.” Film editor Joe Walker
