Interview with Skywalker Sound Designer Nia Hansen on her workflows, team work and texture.
01"Good Luck with your Sound Stuff" by Sophie Sound
Photo by Nia Hansen
NARRATOR:
Sophie Sound always imagined the world of sound to be a hidden and mysterious world full of the weird, the wonderful, the dangerous and the fantastical, built on creativity, discovery and bravery. Yet she had no idea what would await her, on her way to Never Stop Never Stopping.
- FADE IN -
SOMETIME IN A COLD MORNING - MEXICO CITY
Sounds awaken the city. The first morning blue on the surface of the sky, from the distance, lightens up the streets. A man shouting on the street from the depth of his throat “El Gaaaaaaas”. A bell swung in the distance. No alarm needed, the city is its own way to wake up.
CLOSER SHOT INTO A WINDOW
We see Sophie Sound, sitting in front of a computer typing. Silent and endless, she seems to have been working into the early morning, tired but not stopping.
The past three years she’s tried to understand how to get into Never Stop Never Stopping, the land of sound. Studying sound wasn’t enough to get even close.
Sophie Sound has heard about a woman called Nia that people describe as the wizard of magic spells, sci-fi and fantasy. She is working for one of the oldest tribes in the sound world.
FADE IN: ON COMPUTER SCREEN
So close it has no boundaries.
A blinding cursor pulses in the electric darkness like a heart coursing with phosphorous light, burning beneath the derma of black-neon glass.
A PHONE begins to RING, we hear it as though we were making the call. The cursor continues to throb, relentlessly patient, until --
WOMAN (V.O.)
Hello?
Data now slashes across the screen, information flashing faster then we can read: "Call trans opt: received. 2-19-98 13:24:18 REC:Log>.
SOPHIE SOUND (V.O.)
Where do I find Nia?
On screen: "Trace program: running."
WOMAN (V.O.)
Come to the little abandoned house on the corner of Colima and Orizaba with pink, orange and purple lines on the outdoor ceiling before entering right into Calle Sonora. Go through the entrance and find the kitchen. The kitchen will lead the way. From there on you are on your own. The doors won’t show nor open as you think. Bring the right sounds and all your knowledge, otherwise they disappear.
More info on Nia Hansen:
055 - Nia Hansen Tonebenders Podcast
An essay written by Nia Hansen on the topic of similarities between writing and sound, here: https://electricliterature.com/writing-science-fiction-sound-effects-sound-design-avengers-endgame/
Mark’s Film and Game Audio Resources Doc by Mark Kilborn
V3.1 4/13/2021
“This is a doc of audio resources I’ve put together for students and younger game audio folks looking to learn more. It began as a document for Full Sail students, to accompany some of the talks I give when I return to visit, but many others have expressed to me that it’s useful, so I’ve decided to keep it updated.
Below you will find lists of things worth checking out for anyone interested in sound for linear or interactive media. There’s a lot more material out there focused on linear rather than interactive media, but most of it still applies to our world, so it’s just as worthy as study. Also remember that watching, playing and reading is no substitute for making sound yourself. Learn from these resources, but make sure you apply the lessons learned.” - Mark Kilborn
Get the resources here.
Welcome to The Bible of Getting a Job in Game Audio, 2020 Edition!by @FlorianArdelean
This is a huge compilation of articles written by dozens of industry professionals who regularly undergo hiring processes. Its purpose is to smooth out the steep learning curve of applying to audio jobs in the video game industry, specifically to AAA
studios. It will help you avoid common mistakes that waste time for everyone -
the recruiters, the hiring team, but most importantly, you, the applicant.
You can avoid paying the price of learning from needless mistakes, and get the job quicker.
If AAA is not your thing, no worries - it works for indie, mobile, and small studios too!
Open it here.
Tonebenders Sound Design Meet-Ups
Our next Tonebenders Sound Design Meet-up will be in London, England on Tuesday, Sept 24th 2024. Starting at 7pm at the Queens Head Pub in Soho (15 Denman Street). Come out and raise a glass with the local sound community and share some stories and laughs. This event is being sponsored by Motion Picture Sound Editors.
SUBSCRIPTIONS & DONATIONS
No donation is too small when it comes to independent projects like this one.
At the only cost of a subscription, Substack, the homebase of Sophie Sounds restless journey in wonderland, is free.
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Sources:
Wachowski, Lana, and Lilly Wachowski. The Matrix: Screenplay, 1996. Daily Script. https://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/the_matrix.pdf.