Dune Sound Design Explained — The Cinematic Sounds of Villeneuve’s Sci-Fi Epic

A Dune sound design breakdown with interviews from Denis Villeneuve and his sound team. What Does a Sound Designer Do? ►► StudioBinder Blog ►► ───────────────────── Special thanks to: Dolby ►► SoundWorks Collection ►► WaterTower Music ►► FilmIsNow ►► ►► ───────────────────── Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 00:47 - Chapter 1 - The Voice 02:48 - Chapter 2 - Ornithopters 04:17 - Chapter 3 - Sand of Arrakis 06:22 - Chapter 4 - Shields 08:13 - Chapter 5 - Perspective 09:15 - Chapter 6 - Mixing ───────────────────── Dune Sound Design Explained If you’ve seen Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi epic, you know that the Dune sound design is a force to be reckoned with. From the organic buzzing of the Ornithopter to the digital clicking of the combat shields to the commanding voice of Bene Gesserit — there is so much power in the Dune sound design. In this video essay, we’ll let Denis Villeneuve and his sound team walk us through the creative and technical challenges of bringing a galaxy to life with sound. The Voice In Dune the voice of the Bene Gesserit cannot be ignored by those who hear it. To capture such inescapable control, the team explains the layering and low, rumbling frequencies. As we will undoubtedly see in Dune Part 2, when Paul uses the voice, people will listen. Ornithopter Sound Design Then there is the dragonfly-inspired Ornithopter with its multiple wings flapping and thrumming like a motorized hummingbird. To generate a more organic ornithopter sound design, they used a combination of cats purring and canvas straps flapping in the wind. By grounding the sound design with familiar and natural sources, an alien world like Arrakis suddenly feels more real. Dune Shield Combat Where the Dune sound design really shines is in how it embodies completely fictional elements such as the combat shields. The sound team explains how when generating the synth sound for the shields, a glitch in the program caused those clicks and pops that we hear in the film. They decided to keep those imperfections because they so naturally suggested the vulnerability of the shields themselves. Perspective One area of sound design and mixing that we often take for granted is perspective. In other words, the relationship between the qualities of the sounds we hear in relation to the proximity of the camera. If we’re close to a character like the Baron, we can hear his deep, raspy voice echoing through his body. Dune Sound Design Tips And finally, the Dune sound design team discusses some of the sound design tips that are necessary when mixing for laptops and phones. These lessons in how to sound design are what make such inventive and immersive high-budget filmmaking so thrilling to watch. Denis Villeneuve and his sound design team show us the possibilities of creating an entire universe from the ground up, one sound at a time. #FilmTheory #VideoEssay #Filmmaking ───────────────────── ♬ SONGS USED: “Burning Palms“ - Hans Zimmer “Bene Dessert“ - Hans Zimmer “Dream of Arrakis“ - Hans Zimmer “Arrakeen“ - Hans Zimmer “Herald of the Change“ - Hans Zimmer “Sandstorm“ - Hans Zimmer “Runner“ - Ryan Taubert “Visions of Chani“ - Hans Zimmer “Blood for Blood“ - Hans Zimmer “Sanctuary“ - Hans Zimmer “Stillsuits“ - Hans Zimmer “Ripples in the Sand“ - Hans Zimmer Music by Artlist ► Music by Artgrid ► Music by Soundstripe ► Music by MusicBed ► ───────────────────── SUBSCRIBE to StudioBinder’s YouTube channel! ►► Looking for production management solution for your film? Try StudioBinder for FREE today: — Join us on Social Media! — Instagram ►► Facebook ►► Twitter ►►