In the new thriller ”Ballerina” Feel they armed Stars like Eva Macarro, daughter of two murderers entering the family business to avenge their parents’ murder. Although Eva is a new heroine is the world where she runs very familiar to action fans – ”Ballerina“Is a” John Wick “Spinoff that takes place between” John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum “and”John Wick: Chapter 4. “
That meant filmThe Sound Team had to stay in accordance with the universe that had been established in the series “John Wick” while incorporated shades that are specific to Eve and her way of fighting. “We would ask,“ What would Wick do? “Said monitoring audio editor Mark Stoeckinger.” People are very aware of John Wick’s world, so you don’t want to stand out in a strange way that feels inappropriate to the genre. ”
With that in mind, the audio department remained believing in a indicative principle in the previous films, which is that even though the action is increased, it is also a little closer to real life than in a superhero movie. “To some extent, John Wick is and expects the character of the Arma,” said Stoeckinger. “They suffer. All they are involved in really hurts, so we don’t necessarily go as wide as we could.”
Redicate mixer Andy Koyama added that the way in which the “Wick” films also be shot informs Sound design. “What is different from many other films is that much of the action is actually happening,” Koyama told IndieWire. “The stunt people do it in long shots, and much of that pain is real, and therefore there is a lot of production sounds there. We try to use the effort and movement for the stunt people and the actors as much as we can, and I think it gives it a more grounded feeling. There are not a million cuts.”
During the series “John Wick”, that style of extended shoots and carefully choreographed action has led to the filmmakers developing a very specific strategy for the sound. “I describe it as precision violence,” Sound Editor Luke Gibleon told IndieWire. “We are very selective and careful with the sound to make this dietic act feel really dynamic. We try to use that dynamic to make the sound feel in the world, but over the top.”
“Snuck into that precision violence are strange deficiencies that are my favorite part to mix the effects for these films,” added re -recording of mixer and supervisory audio editor Casey Genton. “Sometimes there is a sound that comes just before or after something, like a really strange scream, or something that happens off the screen. I think the little deficiency sounds the ground in a really interesting way and adds realism.”
However, Stoeckinger notes that some of the most fun scenes to mix in “Ballerina” and the other “John Wick” films have been the ones that gave the filmmakers a license to move away from reality, namely those in mythical spaces such as Continental Hotel or a basement where Eve is undergoing a test as part of her training. “People talk about weapons and fights in these films, but I will say that some of the most interesting sounds are the non-reality sounds that support drama.”
One such example comes in that basement scene, where Gibleon gave space his own voice. “I put together a strange type of machine that thumps and breathes sound to go with the uncomfortable space,” he said. “As the other person she will take the test with comes into the room, we pull away from the music, and you only live in this strange space for a while. With these” wick world “spaces, we want you to feel that you are in another time and space completely.”
One thing that separated “Ballerina” from previous “John Wick” movies was the simple fact that, as the title indicates, Eva is a dancer and a killer. This meant integrating subtle effects into the sequences of action, which often showed an integration of EVE’s varying skills. “(Director Len Wiseman) wanted to expect to have a ballerina element inside her sound as she moved,” Gibleon said. “Sometimes in the combat choreography she would be pirates, and we would try to sneak in a small ballerina swoosh to make her seem graceful even when she is a badass.”
According to Koyama, it is ultimately the biggest challenge on a movie like “Ballerina” to create a soundscape that deepens the audience without stifling them – and without losing the view of the important shades that make the film unique. “Getting power and details at the same time is always tricky,” Koyama said. “There is a lot of sound at once, and just finding the space for all things to be noticeable but not overwhelming is difficult.”
In the end, Koyama said that the clear communication between the different members of the audio group is what allows them to find the right balance. “Sometimes it is panning, leveling, balancing elements in the clues,” Koyama said. “And then we look at each other,” I do all this on the low end, Casey, maybe I need some help there. “It is very cooperative and there are a lot of tests and wrong, but we get there.”
