Sound plays a big part in setting up a scene in any movie, more so in one as big as "The Force Awakens." Nerdist caught up with the film's Matthew Wood and David Accord, talking about their work on the latest installment in the "Star Wars" franchise and developing sounds for Kylo Ren.
"Star Wars" movies have always been known for having a unique sound and "The Force Awakens" was no different. When asked about some of the new sounds that they came up with for the film, Acord, a sound designer, said that the most obvious new sound effect they made was for Kylo's lightsaber.
"We were attempting ... to create sound effects that would mimic his persona, which is this raw power he has that's not quite formed," explained Acord, adding that Kylo's Force sound had to match this deep, animalistic sound, a chunky growl reflecting the Force power he possesses.
When it comes to vocals, the two turn to either a library or their own voices. Using your own voice is convenient, according to Acord, because you have complete control over your own vocal cords. Add in the numerous tools at their disposal and any vocal sound can be tweaked to achieve what they are looking for.
Of course, when a library or your voice can't cut it, you do have to be creative to zero in on the exact sound you're looking for.
Case in point: Kylo's Force rumble. Sounds really chunky and animalistic, right? Well, it is from an animal – Acord's cat – to be exact. He recorded his cat purring, slowed it down and gave it a heavy pitch, and the result was Kylo's Force rumble.
Wood and Acord also worked with Adam Driver, who played the First Order commander in the movie, to create the sound of Kylo's voice when he's speaking with his mask on. When processing a recorded dialog didn't turn out great, the two let Driver say his lines while playing around with the mic like an instrument and other items. This resulted in a more dynamic sound that got even better when processed.
"It was actually very method, and Adam really likes that," said Wood.
Photo: Gage Skidmore | Flickr
