--
Writer-Director Kenneth Lonergan s new drama Manchester by the Sea has been winning glowing reviews and multiple awards, including five Golden Globe nominations, for its emotionally riveting story of Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck), a Massachusetts man who takes guardianship of his adolescent nephew, Patrick (Lucas Hedges), after the boy s father dies. Recently named Best Film of 2016 by the National Board of Review, the movie is a deeply poignant, unexpectedly funny exploration of the power of familial love, community, sacrifice and hope.
For the films sound team, led by Supervising Sound Editor/Re-Recording Mixer Jacob Ribicoff and including Foley specialist Alchemy Post Sound, the emotional weight of the story and Lonergan s restrained direction posed unique creative challenges. Ribicoff, who served in the same role for Lonergan s previous film Margaret, calls Manchester by the Sea a quiet film driven by character and dialogue and with sound cast in a delicate, but essential, supporting role.
Making a quiet movie is hard, because, as a sound designer, you want to infuse every scene with something more than dialogue, he explains. But you have to resist that temptation and keep it quiet and let the performances speak for themselves.
Ribicoff points to a scene near the end of the film where Lee is engaged in a tense conversation with his wife Randi (Michelle Williams). They re standing on a side street with cars going by in the background, so I came to the mix with traffic and wind, he recalls. But when we started to mix it, Kenny said, No, let s pare it down. I want to be with the characters and what they re saying. There were some traffic sounds in the production track so I was able to focus on that and add just a tiny bit of air to the surround to give you that feeling of being outside.
The Foley team, made up of Alchemy Post Sound Foley artists Leslie Bloome and Joanna Fang, and Foley Mixers Ryan Collison and Nicholas Seaman, worked with similar restraint. Although they produced Foley effects used throughout the film, for the most part they were applied subtly and with care.
Sound made a crucial contribution to the story. Foley is important because its keeps the audience viscerally connected to the characters, explains Ribicoff. Even the subtlest Foley sounds -- a rustle or a footstep -- played a big role in Manchester. If you hear a character s movement, you feel his movement, if you feel his movement, you feel his emotional presence.
One scene where sound moves closer to the forefront involves a hockey practice. Lucas is engaged in a rough and tumble workout with his high school team when Lee arrives to tell him that his father has died. The cacophony that opens the scene, with skates skittering on ice, sticks clattering and bodies banging, suddenly dissolves into near silence. Lee and Patrick are seen from a distance; only their voices and not their actual words, can be heard.
To create the hockey sounds, Bloome and his crew dropped a 300-pound block of ice into a Foley pit. Ice skating on a Foley stage is very difficult because the weight is very hard to cheat, Bloome says. People have tried knives on concrete but it doesn t sell. Using skates on real ice makes the sounds we are trying to achieve more authentic. It s one of the most intense scenes of the film.
Working with real ice also allowed the Foley team to better match the emotional tenor of the scene, both the frenzied aggression of the opening segment and the more subdued tone of the later section when practice comes to a halt. It s important for the Foley to be performed with the right intention, notes Fang. You have to understand what the characters are thinking and going through so that you can produce sound that matches their experience.
At certain points sound effects are used as a counterpoint to the heaviness of the narrative. They provide comic relief. In an early scene, Lee visits a funeral home and talks with the director while Patrick waits in the background playing with a coffin display case. We needed to create a sound for the display that would be distracting and annoying recalls Collison. Patrick is a kid who is going to do things like that.
Although the movie s characters deal with some tragic, real-life situations, there are moments like that that bring out the absurdity of the sadness. They open things up and provide the audience with a little relief.
Building a soundtrack for a movie that uses sound so deliberately can be more challenging than an action film with effects wall to wall, says Ribicoff. The sound artists have to be on top of their game and make every sound count.
In the case of Manchester by the Sea a little less sound made for a more eloquent film. Silence is really important in this film and credit for that goes to Kenny and Jennifer Lame, the picture editor, Ribicoff says. When there aren t a lot of sound effects and music, then the audience is thrown in there with the characters and they have to fill in the empty space with their own sounds, thoughts, and emotions. It forces them to connect with the story on a very personal level.
# # #
About Alchemy Post Sound
Alchemy Post Sound is a 3,500 square foot, dedicated Foley studio designed specifically for Foley by resident Foley Artist Leslie Bloome. The company s Emmy Award-winning staff has created sound for numerous major feature films, long-running television series, independent films and popular games. Alchemy s services also include music recording, live performance, video production, ADR, and sound design. www.alchemypostsound.com
###
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
-- 
