THE SOUND DESIGN OF DUNE
This weekend is the U.S. release of the sequel to 2021's Dune, and as a fan of the books and both film adaptations, I couldn't be more excited. Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's seminal science fiction epic is a masterclass in world-building. With its immersive sound design by Theo Green and Mark Mangini and Oscar winning score by Hans Zimmer playing pivotal roles in transporting audiences to the harsh desert planet of Arrakis, the upcoming sequel is sure to please. In this analysis, I'll explore how the 2021 film's sound design contributes to the richness of Dune's universe.
Dune
Villeneuve adeptly captures the essence of Herbert's Dune in his adaptation. The story follows the journey of young nobleman Paul Atreides as he begins his destiny on Arrakis, navigating political intrigue, psychedelic spice powers, and the mysteries of the desert. Set in the distant spacefaring future of humanity, Dune features a notably technologically analog society. This quirk of Dune's setting is a result of long held animosity of the people towards “thinking machines”- AI's initially created to help humanity which eventually wound up subjugating them. Despite successfully freeing themselves thousands of years ago, this hatred persists to the present, substituting a reliance on spice-enhanced humans' abilities. The story centers on the titular desert planet, where noble houses vie for control and influence over it as the only source of the invaluable spice melange. Villeneuve knew the sound design would have to feel natural and organic to help convey these aspects of the setting and keep true to the source material.
Experimenting with Sound Design
Villeneuve's approach involved the sound design team from the outset. He encouraged creativity and experimentation, and ensured sound wasn't an afterthought but an integral part of the creative process. Thanks to this freedom to "make mistakes," happy accidents like the one which became the base sound of the combat shields could occur. In an interview, sound designer Theo Green stated that the sound came about from a patch on an analog synth that began malfunctioning, creating the glitchy pulsing bursts of noise used in the film. The team ran with it and the effect was then sent to the gfx department to develop a visual for the sound.
Holtzman Shields
The shield's design is one of only 4 synthesized sounds from the 3,200 bespoke sounds created for the movie. Villeneuve strove for realism with the sound design, and wanted natural sounds for the unfamiliar things of Dune's universe. To accomplish this, sound designer Mark Mangini knew a large amount of acoustic recordings would be needed to convince the audience the futuristic images on screen were real, and so went out into death valley, buried his mic collection in the desert, and took out some aggression on the sand with a hammer... In all seriousness, the buried contact microphone recordings were the basis of the thumpers- a device used to bait the worms of Arrakis. He and his team also got incredible recordings of the sand dunes “singing” in the wind, a peculiar natural phenomenon that became a huge part of the ambiance of the desert, and informed the sound design of the sandworm itself.
Sandworms
Villeneuve aimed to evoke awe for the sandworms. Revered as deities by the Fremen, they are the universe's lone source of the coveted spice. However, the initial design the team had come up with sounded far too wet and monster-like for Villeneuve, contradicting the planet's scarcity of water and the Fremen's symbiotic relationship with them. Villeneuve was able to collaborate with the sound designers and after removing layers of wet caves and other animal sounds, this mad scientist approach eventually concocted a recipe for the worms involving whale calls and experimental breath recordings from deep within Mangini's own mouth. The end result, while still terrifying on a primal level, conveys the true nature of the worms as good-like beings acting as natural protectors of their plant, and the details that went into the deep guttural calls the team created were then used to inform the visible anatomy of the worms gigantic maw.
Organic Ornithopters
Crafting the sound of the ornithopters required a blend of organic and mechanical elements to convey their hybrid nature. Villeneuve drew inspiration from their insect-like appearance, intentionally steering clear of conventional helicopter sounds to maintain authenticity. All layers of sound were recorded acoustically, with parts and servos sourced from old cars, beetle wings to capture variations in motion during flight, cat purrs when hovering, and the sound of tent straps flapping violently in a wind storm as the blades of the ‘thopters beating. The use of only acoustic sounds subconsciously signals to the viewer that the sounds are authentic and real, despite coming from an eclectic collection of sound sources, while synthesized sounds often betray this goal.
The Bene Gesserit Voice
The Voice is a crucial element of Herbert's Dune. It is the main tool of the Bene Gesserit, a religious order of matriarchs who use the strange ability to steer the politics of the Dune universe from behind the scenes. This shadowy organization, initially inspired by Herbert's aunts and their persistent religious brainwashing attempts, possesses a mystical connection to each of their women ancestors. To show this connection, Villeneuve and the sound design team employed simple yet effective techniques that also convey the compelling power and influence these characters possess. The Voice is primarily 3 ingredients: actor performance, multiple elderly woman overdubs, and a subharmonic effect created by reamping the voice recordings through powerful subwoofers, rattling the room, worldizing the sound and imparting a sense of undeniable power. The sound design also manages to show how proficient the user of the voice is by simply slipping these ingredients out of sync, directly implicating the level of coordination and power the user possesses. This allows the audience to clearly realize the progression Paul makes in honing this strange ability from his limping, uncoordinated early attempts during training to the powerful blast of Voice he can produce later on when his life is on the line.
Standout Score
Perhaps the most standout element of the film's sound is the Oscar winning score. Zimmer's use of strange sounds gathered from unique (often purpose built) instruments and world music tonalities blurs the line between score and sound design through its clever implementation. Traditional film scoring is often done in the style of John Williams- melodic themes played by an orchestra. Dune's score however, is close to the opposite. You do not even hear a traditional orchestra once throughout the film. The themes are often not melodic, but rather ambient or rhythmic elements, thus reinforcing the feeling for the audience that the events unfolding on screen take place on a futuristic alien planet.
Zimmer's score uses specific elements for each character and setting, evoking and blending themes to highlight multiple undercurrents within scenes and evolving it along with the plot. One example is shortly after the Atreides' arrival on Dune. Jessica is shown with her mother, the Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit, who reminds Jessica of her duty to the order and the importance of its long-term plans. Later that evening Jessica and Leto talk. Initially, as Jessica acts on her mission as a Bene Gesserit, we hear the choir chants and whispers of the Bene Gesserit theme, reflecting her intent to advance the designs of the order. However, as the two continue their talk, her love for Leto and her commitment to their family- as well as her acknowledgement of the danger of their current circumstances with the enemy Harkonnens- rise to the surface. The score highlights this conflict in her mindset, adding in the Atreides theme over top. This blending of themes in Dune underscores the complexity of internal motivations represented in the film, as Villeneuve did not want to interrupt the narrative with constant voice overs for this necessary context. The result is a captivating ambiance throughout the film that informs the viewer of these subtexts, allowing the dense internal world found in the books to come to screen effortlessly.
Efficient Decision Making
Villeneuve's early, consistent involvement with his sound team fostered a dialogue and idea exchange through experimentation, resulting in a cohesive direction. Avoiding library temp effects allowed him to focus on the macro view of the mix during post-production, ensuring a refined end result. This approach allowed for a seamless integration of sound design with visual elements, elevating the overall quality of the film.
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