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
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