Technicolor Sound Team for Netflix's "Stranger Things" Describes Creation of "80s Soundscape" and Impact of Streaming on the Art of Audio

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - Oct. 30, 2017 - PRLog -- As "Stranger Things Season 2" makes its debut this week, Matt and Ross Duffer will once again transport audiences around the world to the sights and sounds of middle America during the 1980s – with a twist.  The first season garnered both critical and popular acclaim for many reasons, including the role played by the soundscape design in capturing this particular place and time. In fact, the team behind the sound of "Stranger Things" has been honored with an Emmy award and recognized with nominations for the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) awards.

In a podcast interview for journalists, the Technicolor team of sound mixers who returned to work on the second season – Adam Jenkins and Joe Barnett – discuss the role of audio in Netflix's hit series, and describe how the Duffer brothers were able to capture the feel of the 80's era so accurately and nostalgically.

"It's important to realize that the creators of 'Stranger Things,' the Duffer Brothers, really take their creative inspiration from films of the 80's which are films from Steven Spielberg and John Carpenter and others from that era. Their creative vision includes the music of that era, the dialect, and the sound," says Barnett.

However, the brothers built on this inspiration to add a nuanced new dimension, Barnett notes.

"There is a complexity of the Duffer brother's vision in 'Stranger Things,'" explains Jenkins. "Because while Hawkins, Indiana is the setting of the real world, and there is also this world of the 'Upside Down,'" he says.

As the new season becomes available, the sound team was tasked with adding both subtle nuances and major new sound effects that will advance the increasingly complex storyline of the intrepid child protagonists of the series.

"Season 2 has literally exploded in magnitude in terms of both size and scope," says Barnett. "From a technical standpoint, it's grown exponentially in terms of creating the sound that drives both the images and the story forward."

Streaming Media is Changing the Sound Game in Production

As streaming service providers like Netflix continue to expand in popularity with hits like "Stranger Things," it is taking the creative production of TV and film through a dramatic transformation.

"Netflix is having a huge impact on how sound is created and mixed to advance the storyline," says Barnett. "They have so much product – and their technical demands are so high – that it's keeping everybody on our teams extremely busy. Their commitment to quality -- not just in the content of the shows, but in the technical quality – is fantastic."

Jenkin adds that one of the interesting byproducts of working with high-end streaming productions is that the sound team must take into account a wide variety of consumption scenarios.

"We've entered a whole new world now. People are not only watching the content – like I do – on big flat screens with 5.1 surround sound at home at pretty-high volume.  They are just as likely to be watching the show on their phones, on their iPads, and listening through headphones," explains Jenkins.

This has significant implications in the audio production.

"We have to create mixes that work on all devices. We have to be really cognizant of the consumer side, because digital platforms and devices are so pervasive in our lives. Much of our audience are on digital devices, so we have to create audio mixes that work in all the environments and methods."

Production Technology Evolves to Keep Pace with Consumer Behavior

The good news is that the digital technology and new tools that have already transformed the way sound is developed in the studio environment is allowing the creative teams to keep pace with these changing consumer behaviors.

"One of the biggest shifts we've seen in recent years is the flexibility we have in creating a soundscape," says Jenkins. "Ever since the digital revolution in the production of the television and film, our tools have become more and more powerful," says Barnett.

This is especially important as the size of projects grow – as the imperative to create entire seasons all at once becomes mainstream – while production schedules contract.

"The tools that we have today – and the editorial support they enable – make it possible for us to make big changes very quickly, which is necessary because of the resource constraints associated with producing an entire season on time and on budget," explains Jenkins.

Barnett adds: "Now, everything we do is virtual – both on the picture side as well as the sound side. That's presents the challenge. The Duffer brothers can delay their final decisions until the very end, allowing them more time to make picture cuts. Then we can come in to make the appropriate sound cuts. We can just change everything on a dime. As audio mixers, we have to remain flexible and respond quickly."

To listen to the podcast interview with Adam Jenkins and Joe Barnett, visit:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mdbpowmfdbtfr4d/10_05_2017_Adam...

Journalists and analysts are free to pull quotes from this podcast feature with attribution in media and market reports. For more details and context, contact:

Lane Cooper
+1 323 817 7547
lane.cooper@technicolor.com

Photo:
https://www.prlog.org/12673657/1