Breakdowns of ways this sound design technique is used in major feature films.
Supervising sound editor Mark A. Mangini reveals his team’s approach to the sound design in Dune (2021) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017) comprised documentary-style sound world-building, largely involving recording and layering sounds in nature. Crucially, director of both films, Denis Villeneuve, involves sound design “organically and symbiotically” in the development, rather than after the completion, of the editing, score, and VFX (via Thomas Flight):
Justin Bieber’s vocals being layered into the sound of the Batmobile’s engine is just one of the reasons Why The Batman Sounds Different:
Further Listening
Sounds for things and worlds that don’t exist is very much the domain of sound designers in Anime and Games. Here’s a roundup of techniques which go into more detail about layering and shaping sounds:
Related Posts:
Film School: Dune (2021) Breakdowns of form and function in Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi fantasy epic.
Review: The Batman (2022) A hot mess.
Review: A Quiet Place (2018) Masterful filmic storytelling.
Film School: The Godfather (1972) It's a miracle this film even exists, much less in the way it does.
Film School: The Insert Shot The dramatic peak of a dialogue scene is often a close-up... of an object.
Film School: Ben Burtt Lessons from the innovative sound designer of Star Wars and many more.
Review: Blade Runner 2049 (2017) Roger Deakins: holy shit. Gender and race: hmmm.
Film School: the Editing of ‘Sicario’ (2015) A case study in building tension through editing.