Publish at March 05 2024 Updated March 05 2024
It has always been a major challenge for cinema to create a credible sound environment in worlds far removed from our own. Indeed, the notion of sound effects takes on greater importance in a fantasy film than in a drama set in the present day. It's necessary to give sound to creatures, elements and other aspects of the setting that don't exist on our planet.
Since the 1950s, electronic sound has been strongly associated with science fiction. Ever since its use in the film "The Forbidden Planet" (1956), almost every film of this type thereafter has brought out synthesizers, and sound designers have used machines to underline the strangeness of the universe.
However, Denis Villeneuve's Dune team (2021 and 2024) decided to go in a different direction. They preferred to use mixed natural sounds to create a sense of recognition by viewers, while at the same time being unfamiliar. For example, the sound of the ornithopter flying vehicles was created by mixing a cat purring, strong wind on a tent and the flapping of a beetle's wings. It all adds up to a sense of both novelty and déjà vu, making the universe even more accessible to those who watch the films.
Mark Mangini's team, who won an Oscar for their work on the first installment in 2022, auditioned different types of sand to create a unique feel for the desert planet Arrakis. They also used textured wind sounds to give it a semiotic meaning [sign], linked to what's happening in the story.
Running time: 10min52
Image: vadimrysev / DepositPhotos
You might also like:
Collections: good reasons to clutter up
A collection can be a means of acquiring knowledge and enhancing value, as well as a pretext for exchange. Beyond its personal affective value, a fine collection of interest to many people will have great value, including affective value, if it is shared and appreciated. The key to a successful collection is, of course, the interest it is capable of arousing.
Is the murmuration of the human race in a specific turn? Are we experiencing a profound cultural change? Can we, as humans, be satisfied with simply reproducing the global movement?
Let's not throw the resume out with the bathwater
The resume is dead, long live the resume! While the good old one-page resume seems to be on its last legs, its digital successors are rushing to the door.
Gaining attention without raising your voice, face-to-face and remotely
Raising your voice when the hubbub starts. This is the kind of solution that ends up accentuating the problem. The noise level in private discussions adapts, and gradually everyone loses their energy. So what can you do to attract and keep attention? We've come up with a few ideas, some of them surprising, that can be used both face-to-face and remotely.
Grading students' digital productions: yes, but how?
As incentives for students to use digital tools and resources not only as sources of documentation but also, and more importantly, as media for production grow, so does the question of how to evaluate these productions. How do we assess the quality of blog posts written by students, for example? The University of Wisconsin provides some leads here.
.
