The underappreciated art of sound design hides in plain sight. Great audio surrounds the moviegoer and is one of the most important facets of filmmaking, while simultaneously often forgotten by the time people leave the theaters. Everyone has made the sound of a lightsaber (even Dwight Schrute), but few think about what it took to make the noise they’re emulating. It’s anecdotal, but the fantastic visuals of a film are usually discussed before that clean sound as people file into the lobby post-show.
That’s where giant blockbusters like Star Wars: The Last Jedi are able to step in to remind fans that the clever, creative use of sound in a film can transport people to a galaxy far, far away.
Ahead of The Last Jedi‘s blu-ray release on March 27th, ABC has put together a 26-minute documentary on the sound design of the eighth Star Wars movie called The Force of Sound. It shows the dedicated work the artists at Skywalker Sound put in to make the porgs “annoying, but not too annoying,” per the directions of Rian Johnson.
Did you know the porg is actually a sped-up chicken cluck, by the way? And BB-8’s “happy” sound comes from just the right metal box. Fascinating.
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(Via Slashfilm)