In their latest edition of Film Sound Profile, Soundworks Collection presents a profile talk about Alfonso Cuaron’s latest surround sound masterpiece, Gravity. The video includes the director himself and the re-recording mixer Skip Lievsay explaining about the meticulous and masterful sound in the thrilling realistic space disaster movie. Covering lots of ground like the Dolby Atmos sound system and recording on set.

Cuarón designed the film to be played in a surround sound setting. The best way to experience the movie would probably be in IMAX 3D, where you can hear the sounds coming off from different sides. It is mentioned in the interview that most of the sounds came in as “transducer recordings,” based on vibrations. All of this connects back to the visceral cinematic experience Cuarón was aiming for in the first place, to create a dramatic sound space to a dark and vast outer space environment.

Gravity could probably end up winning a few technical Academy Awards, including and especially the sound categories. Usually a movie with these kinds of techniques applied to it are for the people from the industry to enjoy, but not to worry, this movie will put all kinds of audiences on the edge of their seats. This is a movie that reminds us why watching a film in the theater is the best way to enjoy the film.

Text by Raven Navaro