In this exclusive interview, Supervising Sound Editor and Re-Recording Mixer WILL FILES breaks down the process of creation for the sonic world of ALIEN: ROMULUS which was recently Oscar Shortlisted for Best Sound.
SYNOPSIS: Space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life-form in the universe while scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station.
Directed by Fede Alvarez and written by Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Sushett, ALIEN: ROMULUS stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, and Aileen Wu.
How did I get so fortunate to speak with sound guru WILL FILES multiple times in 2024, with this most recent exclusive interview as Supervising Sound Editor and Re-Recording Mixer taking place within days of ALIEN: ROMULUS being Oscar Shortlisted for Best Sound? Earlier this year, we spoke about his work on “Saturday Night”, one of the four films on which he worked this year, the other two being “The Bikeriders” and “Better Man”.
Already an award-winning and highly acclaimed supervising sound editor, sound designer, and re-recording mixer, Will is known for his work on major feature films (“The Batman”, “Venom”, War for Planet of the Apes”), television series (“Stranger Things”), and blockbuster productions with a range of expertise that spans all aspects of sound in post-production. His expertise spans various aspects of sound in post-production, from creating immersive soundscapes to handling complex sound mixing processes. His attention to detail and his ability to handle the intricacies of sound design speak for themselves which explains why ALIEN: ROMULUS is Oscar Shortlisted for Best Sound this year.
Set during the time between “Alien” and “Aliens”, ALIEN: ROMULUS presented with its own set of challenges in terms of sound and technology which required balancing the original “Alien” and “Aliens” sounds while introducing new elements. Working closely with director Fede Alvarez to maintain the gritty, noisy aesthetic of the original films, Will used a combination of modern technology and vintage equipment, including a Marshall Time Modulator (an analog-delay line-based musical effects device), to achieve the desired sound. The sound process for ALIEN: ROMULUS involved extensive research, trial and error, and collaboration with composer Benjamin Wallfisch to ensure the music and sound effects complement each other. The final mix aimed for a dynamic, uncluttered soundscape that contrasted silence with sound, enhancing the film’s atmosphere.
As Will and I broke down all of the sonic elements that went into ALIEN: ROMULUS and the challenges of each, we discussed, among others:
- extensive research into the specific sound processing and mixing techniques used on the original “Alien” films and using this knowledge to inform creative decisions and ensure the new mix retains the essential character, even as it expands the sonic palette.
- finding a balance that feels cohesive and true to the original films, while leveraging the capabilities of modern immersive audio formats to enhance the audience’s experience
- biggest challenges
- incorporating familiar sounds from the original “Alien” and “Aliens” films while also representing the future in Aliens; bridging the sound between the two films
- creating a noisy, oppressive sound environment that matched the visual aesthetic; sounds needed to be textured, gritty, and not too “shiny”
- recreating signature sounds like the Xenomorph and pulse rifle while also extending and modernizing them to fit the new film
- obtaining and digitizing the original production sound tapes from the first “Alien” film to accurately recreate Ian Holm’s voice from his character of Ash for a new character named Rook who looks and sounds like Ash
- overcoming the lack of documentation and poor archiving of sound materials from the original “Alien” film, which made it difficult to accurately recreate certain sounds
- balancing the layered sound design to give each distinct sound its moment to shine, while also using strategic silence to create contrast
- mixing the 1979 aesthetic of the original film with the modern Dolby Atmos format, using techniques like tape saturation to maintain the vintage character
- recreating Ian Holm’s voice for the character of Rook required an extensive process
- this was an “audio archaeology” exercise where the team had to put themselves in the mindset of the original sound designers to understand how they might have approached the challenge. It was a labor-intensive but important step to ensure the voice of Rook stayed true to the legacy of the franchise.
- had to obtain permission to use Holm’s voice recordings from the original “Alien” film. They were able to access the original production sound tapes from the 20th Century Fox film archive, which Disney now owns
- the team then carefully digitized these old tapes to extract Holm’s performance as Ash. This was important, as they wanted the AI model to learn Holm’s specific voice and performance, not just a generic version of his voice
- once they had the source material, the team used an AI model to recreate Holm’s performance as Ash. However, they didn’t just use the AI output directly. They then had to process the voice further to make it sound like the broken, damaged version of Ash from the first film. To achieve this, Will and his team experimented with using old 1970s sound equipment, like a Marshall Time Modulator, to add the right kind of distortion and imperfections to the voice. This allowed them to authentically recreate the signature sound of Ash from the original “Alien” movie.
- maintaining a focused mix, similar to the original “Alien” film, where sounds were presented in a series rather than all at once. This allowed the audience to clearly hear and appreciate the unique qualities of each sound element, whether it was the takeoff of the Corbelon, the docking gravity generators, the explosions, or the chilling sounds of the facehuggers.
- creating a sound for the facehuggers
- discovering and creating the “wobble”; recreating the slight pitch and timing variations from analog tape was crucial to achieving the lived-in, imperfect feel of the original Alien film. The wobble added character and authenticity to the sounds, making them feel more organic and less pristine. This matched the visual aesthetic of the worn, decrepit environments depicted in the film. These small wobble imperfections were essential to making the mix feel true to the 1970s setting, just as film grain is important for capturing the look of that era.
- juxtaposing silence and sound; explore ways to leverage silence as a powerful storytelling tool, using it to build anticipation and make the eventual introduction of sound even more impactful for the audience
- creating contrast, such as loud-to-quiet and low-to-high-frequency shifts, to make big shifts between cuts and moments
- working with Fede to make space as silent as possible, setting the expectation for the audience that space is quiet
- experimented with playing the first shot silent and then introducing sound, creating a sense of tension and release
- bassy, muffled sounds created the impression of silence, adding to the contrast and making the loud sounds feel more impactful
- experimenting with more gradual transitions between silence and sound; rather than abrupt shifts, they could try slowly fading in sounds or building up layers of sound to create a more gradual, immersive transition that draws the audience in
- playing with the frequency spectrum. In addition to loud vs. quiet contrasts, they could emphasize low-frequency rumbles or high-pitched tones emerging from the silence to create a more visceral, unsettling effect
- Dolby-Atmos mix
- maintain the use of tape saturation and analog-style processing across all audio elements; helps preserve the gritty, imperfect character of the original films while expanding the mix to a more immersive, 3D format
- carefully integrate modern Dolby Atmos techniques, such as strategic use of height channels and object-based panning, to enhance the sense of space and envelopment, but avoid making the mix feel too clean or polished
- experiment with ways to create contrast between the “vintage” and “modern” elements of the sound design. For example, using the tape-like processing on core elements like dialogue and sound effects, while selectively applying more precise, surgical Atmos techniques on specific moments or design elements
- the sound wobble was a key technique used to seamlessly blend the modern Dolby Atmos mix with the vintage aesthetic of the “Alien” universe
- preservation and archiving of sound
- favorite new “toy” Will purchased to use in the sound edit on ALIEN: ROMULUS
- and more!
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview 12/19/2024
