Sound Thinking

Filmmakers routinely conceive of sound in limited terms—a supporting role in the visual medium, and the last step in the filmmaking process. But what if sound design existed in the earliest part of the creative process as part of a film's artistry and a key component of its storytelling? In a mix of conversation and presentation, Randy Thom (director of sound design at Skywalker Sound), Kent Sparling (sound designer and rerecording mixer at Skywalker Sound), Leslie Shatz (sound designer at Wildfire Post), and moderator Peter Golub present an audio tour of a world where sound and picture are one.

Peter Golub is a composer and the Director of the Sundance Film Music Program. He has written scores for films including Black Rock, Frozen River, The Great Debaters, The Laramie Project, Wordplay, Countdown to Zero, and These Amazing Shadows. He has written numerous scores for theatre productions on Broadway, off-Broadway and regional, including a musical, Amphigorey, written with Edward Gorey. His concert works have been performed throughout the US and Europe. His recent song cycle, Dark Carols, was performed recently at the Mark Taper Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Leslie Shatz's career in sound for movies has spanned over 40 years. He was worked with such iconic directors as John Cassavetes, David Lynch, Francis Ford Coppola, Gus Van Sant, Todd Haynes and Kelley Reichert. He is currently works at and is co-owner of Wildfire Post studios which caters to the independent film community.

Kent Sparling: During his 15-year association with George Lucas’ Skywalker Sound, in his native Northern California, he has mixed and/or designed films by Sofia Coppola, Mike Mills, Spike Jonze, James Gray, Miranda July, Alex Rivera, Lance Hammer, Braden King, Bradley Rust Gray and Lily Baldwin, among others. He has composed original scores for Wayne Wang, Eduardo Sanchez, and Frazer Bradshaw, has released 7 albums of original music, and produced records for a handful of other artists.

Randy Thom's credits include: Apocalypse Now, Return of the Jedi, Never Cry Wolf, Wild at Heart, Forrest Gump, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Thin Blue Line, War of the Worlds, Coraline, How To Train Your Dragon, Ghost in the Shell, and Ratatouille