Wonder Woman and Tenet
Sound Designer Richard King

By Patrick Birk

We’ve all needed to find ways to escape reality since the pandemic began, and movies have given many of us that much-needed transport. They allow us to get lost in a different time and a different place. Two films that were just what 2020 needed were Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 1984 and Christopher Nolan’s Tenet. These two blockbusters each tell the story of a hero who must fight to save the world, but they have more than that in common: supervising sound editor and sound designer Richard King.

This four-time Oscar winner’s collection of credits includes Inception, Master And Commander, War of the Worlds, Dunkirk, Interstellar and the Dark Knight films. Here he shares his general philosophy when it comes to sound design, and how he applied that to create these two excellent, yet vastly different, sonic experiences.

Can you talk about managing the large teams on both Wonder Woman 1984 and Tenet?
Wonder Woman and Tenet were very different in their preparation. Wonder Woman 1984, which we finished before Tenet, actually comprised two sound crews. I co-supervised the film with Jimmy Boyle, a UK-based sound designer and sound supervisor.

I began the process at Warner Bros. Burbank with several effects editors prepping for a temp mix in anticipation of Patty Jenkins’ screening for the studio. We put a lot into the temp mix editorially, here in Los Angeles with most of my regular crew. Then we segued to WB’s De Lane Lea studios in London, and Jimmy’s crew took over from there, with me and Andrew Bock continuing to work here in LA.

Read More >

Cloud Dubbing: What
You Need to Know
By Gordon Doran

Facility Management Co.
Xytech Acquires ScheduALL

Cloud-Based Preymaker Adds Zachary Fortin, Bridgette Doran

Remote Post: D6 Delivers
CBS’ Super Bowl LV Content

Mels VP Studio Adds Richard Cormier, David Hurtubise

Sony Adds Full-Frame, Lightweight Cinema Camera