Dolby Creator Talks

Sam Witwer — the voice of Maul himself! — joins us alongside supervising director and executive producer Brad Rau and supervising sound editor, sound designer, and re-recording mixer David W. Collins to discuss the voice, sound, and cinematic scale of “Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord.” Together, they explore how the series deepens one of Star Wars’ most iconic villains, from Witwer’s layered vocal performance and Maul’s emotional complexity to the show’s bold sound design and Dolby Atmos® mix. Collins also reflects on carrying forward the sonic legacy of Skywalker Sound, while staying open to the strange, unexpected discoveries that...

The sound of “Stranger Things” has always been huge, cinematic, and unmistakably its own — and the series finale takes that signature style to its most epic scale yet. In this conversation, supervising sound editor Craig Henighan, re-recording mixer Mark Paterson, and dialogue and ADR supervisor Ryan Cole join us to discuss bringing the final chapter to life, from the sonic DNA first established in season one, to the massive battles and emotional moments that define the end of the series. They also break down how the team balanced all of that scale and intensity without losing clarity, dynamics, or the em...

“Tuner” is a rare film where sound is not only essential to the cinematic experience — it is central to the story itself. Today we welcome back Academy Award®-winning sound designer, supervising sound editor, and re-recording mixer Johnnie Burn, joined by the film’s star Leo Woodall, to discuss how they brought audiences inside the world of Niki, a piano tuner with hyperacusis whose acute hearing makes him an expert safe cracker. Together, they explore how sound shapes the film’s tension, romance, and point of view, from delicate safe-cracking rhythms and subjective hearing shifts to put the audience directly in...

Front of house mix engineer Paul Falcone joins host Ben Givarz to discuss how he helped bring Mariah Carey’s residencies at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas to life as immersive live music experiences. He reflects on his journey from legendary New York recording studios to live concert mixing, and shares how he uses Dolby Atmos®, along with precise room tuning and even in-car reference checks, to keep the focus on Mariah’s iconic voice and maximize the emotional impact of the show.

“I always would get that feeling as a kid. I always wanted...

Independent film financing can be one of the most mysterious — and most essential — parts of getting a movie made. In this illuminating panel discussion, Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker (and Dolby Creator Lab Grant winner) Carlos López Estrada leads a practical conversation about how projects move from script to package to market, what financiers are actually looking for, and what emerging filmmakers can do to give their films the best possible chance of getting made.

Joining the discussion:

- Marissa Frobes – Media Finance Agent, CAA

- Chris Quintos Cathcart – Independent Financier and Co-CEO of Unapolo...

Front of house mixer Vince Casamatta joins us to discuss how he helped transform Maroon 5’s residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas into a powerful live Dolby Atmos® experience. He reflects on everything from pre-production to the subtle live spatial decisions that make the technology disappear behind the music, always in service of the songs and the emotional impact of the show.

“The format has to serve the art and not the other way around. And I think we were really able to do that by making movements and making decisions that maybe audie...

Today we welcome acclaimed horror filmmaker Lee Cronin back to the show, alongside sound designer and supervising sound editor Peter Albrechtsen, to discuss their delightfully gory new horror film, “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy.” As with their previous collaboration, 2023’s hit “Evil Dead Rise,” Cronin and Albrechtsen embraced sound design from the earliest stages of the creative process, using it not only for maximum impact, but also to sharpen the film’s storytelling.

“I actually found the edit on this one quite stressful… We would have been in big trouble without early sound in it. Because of the way it was wri...

Legendary mix engineer Kevin Madigan joins us to discuss his pioneering work helping create Santana’s live Dolby Atmos residency at House of Blues in Las Vegas and what it takes to reimagine one of rock’s most iconic sounds for a live audience. He also reflects on his work at Larrabee Studios in Los Angeles, building out the Dolby Atmos® room and mixing music from Santana’s landmark album “Supernatural.”

“The music felt 3D and you were immersed in it. And we do have a lot of elements to do that with the Santana band and within the mu...

Composer Daniel Pemberton returns to Dolby Creator Talks to discuss his inventive new original score for “Project Hail Mary.” In conversation with guest host Jon Burlingame, Pemberton breaks down how he built a custom musical language for the film using everything from wooden blocks, body percussion, treated vocals, bowls of water, and even a squeaky water tap recorded on his iPhone. He also reflects on balancing the film’s vast sci-fi scale with its intimate emotional core, and how experimentation, failure, and discovery shaped one of his most ambitious scores yet.

“Developing all your own sounds… I call it mi...

Getting a project made in the entertainment industry can be a mystifying process. But one thing is for sure: nothing would happen without the Hollywood assistants who help champion them and assist (and, yes, sometimes cajole) the executives into getting a green light. To help shed some light on all this, filmmaker Carlos López Estrada hosts another insightful Satellite Session, featuring a panel of top executives, producers, agents, and assistants, to explain how Hollywood assistants work, and why they are so essential to the entertainment industry. As well as how it could be a pathway “in,” for those of yo...

https://tinyurl.com/k7nu9zs5

Check out our playlist of exclusive interviews with the 2026 Academy Award® nominees via the link above. Categories and nominees include:

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

- Frankenstein, with Dan Laustsen and Director Guillermo del Toro

- Marty Supreme, with Darius Khondji

- Sinners, with Autumn Durald Arkapaw

- Train Dreams, with Adolpho Veloso

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

- Bugonia with Jerskin Fendrix

- Frankenstein with Alexandre Desplat

- Hamnet, with Max Richter

...

Join us for a behind-the-scenes conversation with Academy Award®-nominated cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw about her work on “Sinners” — and the creative choices that shaped the film’s look from the very early stages of conception. Autumn breaks down how she and director Ryan Coogler developed the visual language together, from camera and lens selection to lighting strategies designed to support performances, tone, and mood, especially in those challenging night scenes. Along the way, she reflects on collaboration, preparation, and the real on-set problem-solving that is always involved in filmmaking.

“How our team collaborates: It’s the authority [di...

Join us for a behind-the-scenes conversation with the Oscar-nominated sound team behind “One Battle After Another,” as they share how they shaped the film’s world through sound—from intimate character moments to large-scale action. They discuss what it takes to capture great audio on set, build powerful sequences in post, and blending dialogue, effects, and music into a mix that plays on the biggest screens — plus how their collaboration with Paul Thomas Anderson guided the sonic identity of the movie from start to finish.

“Knowing Paul [Thomas Anderson] — and knowing any director — something happens on set, sound-wise and...

Academy Award®-nominated cinematographer Darius Khondji joins us to discuss his stunning work on “Marty Supreme.” In this episode, Khondji unpacks his bold visual approach with director Josh Safdie, from shooting on film with classic anamorphic lenses and expressive close-ups to building a richly textured 1950s world through production design, lighting, and color. He also shares how collaboration across every department shaped the film’s emotional power.

“Anamorphic can be very minimal… The important thing is the way it renders closeups; it makes people bigger than life, like black and white does… The real old classic anamorphic of the fiftie...

Join us for our conversation with Academy Award®-nominated cinematographer Adolpho Veloso, here to discuss his stunning work on “Train Dreams.” In this episode, Veloso breaks down his natural-light approach to capturing the film’s poetic portrait of early 20th century America, from shooting digitally on the Alexa 35 to embracing a 3:2 aspect ratio inspired by old family photographs. He also shares how close collaboration with the actors, along with memory and metaphor, shaped everything from handheld camera movement to the film’s unforgettable wildfire sequence — all in service of telling an intimate story on an epic visual canvas.

“It’s suc...

This week we sit down with the Oscar-nominated sound team behind Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” to explore the film’s epic and deeply expressive soundtrack. Sound designer and supervising sound editor Nathan Robitaille, supervising sound editor Nelson Ferreira, re-recording mixer Brad Zoern, and production sound mixer Greg Chapman break down their long-standing collaboration with del Toro and the bold creative choices that shaped the film’s sonic identity. From early sound exploration and practical effects to dynamic use of Dolby Atmos® and the creation of the film’s unforgettable creature voice, this conversation offers a deep dive into how sound dri...

The sound of “Sinners” is bold, immersive, and essential to the film’s emotional power — a standout achievement that has earned the film a spot on the shortlist for Best Sound at this year’s upcoming Academy Awards®. We’re joined by re-recording mixer and sound designer Steve Boeddeker, supervising sound editor Benny Burtt, re-recording mixer Brandon Proctor, and production sound mixer Chris Welcker to break down how they layered music, dialogue, and sound design to shape the film’s mood, rhythm, and storytelling, including that incredible sequence conjuring musical spirits from the past and the future.

“This comes back t...

After winning the Cannes Jury Prize in 2025, “Sirât” has been added to the shortlist of potential nominees for Best Sound at this year’s upcoming Academy Awards®, a rare achievement for an international feature film. We are delighted to welcome acclaimed filmmaker Óliver Laxe, sound designer & supervising sound editor Laia Casanovas, re-recording mixer Yasmina Praderas, and production sound mixer Amanda Villavieja to talk to us about how they crafted such an immersive and visceral track for this powerful film.

“We wanted to make a genre film inspired by American cinema from the ‘70s…. I come from underground cin...

GRAMMY Award®-winning producer, mixer, and engineer Ryan Hewitt joins us from his Nashville studio to discuss re-mixing the entire Oasis catalog in Dolby Atmos®. We dive into his journey from learning the craft from his father, to engineering the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Stadium Arcadium with Rick Rubin, to building his own Stratmosphere Studios. Ryan shares insights on Dolby Atmos mixes for artists like Noah Kahan, his meticulous work preserving the power and legacy of Oasis’ iconic albums, and his experience seeing their long-awaited 2025 reunion tour at Wembley.

“The idea was to honor the original mixes, note for...

Writer, director, and producer Bradley Cooper joins us to discuss the sound of his latest film, “Is This Thing On?” Audio became a primary storytelling tool in shaping the film’s deeply subjective point of view. In conversation with the film’s sound team, the director breaks down how perspective, texture, and restraint were used to place audiences directly inside the emotional experience of a man discovering stand-up comedy as his marriage unravels. For Cooper, that approach ultimately comes back to how films are meant to be experienced in theaters.

“It’s really about the theatergoing experience — how you best t...

Audio Director Chris Fox and Composer Olivier Derivière sit down with guest host Alistair Hirst to explore the immersive sound of “South of Midnight,” the groundbreaking action-adventure game from Compulsion Games. Set in the American Deep South, the score skillfully weaves together traditional Southern-style music and folk songs with a dark, otherworldly essence as the player faces the eerie creatures of Southern legend. In this conversation, Fox and Derivière break down how sound design, music, and a fully realized Dolby Atmos® mix work together to pull players deep into the game’s mythic world.

“It really come...

What does it mean to create art during times of global conflict? Guest moderator Abiram “Abi” Brizuela leads a thoughtful and timely conversation on how filmmakers respond to war, displacement, and uncertainty through their work. Spanning both narrative and documentary filmmaking, the discussion explores the emotional challenges of telling these stories and the enduring role of cinema in helping audiences reflect, connect, and understand complex human experiences.

Joining the discussion:

- Cherien Dabis – Writer/Director (“All That’s Left of You”)

- Ramona S. Diaz – Director (“And So It Begins”)

- Gregory Nava – Wri...

Legendary filmmaker Darren Aronofsky and cinematographer Matthew Libatique, ASC, LPS, join us to reflect on their three decades of creative partnership: from “Pi,” “Requiem for a Dream,” “Black Swan,” and “The Whale,” to their newest collaboration, “Caught Stealing.” In this wide-ranging conversation, they discuss the evolution of their visual language, how technology continues to reshape the craft, and the inspirations behind the kinetic, East-Village-in-the-’90s aesthetic of “Caught Stealing.” And as the industry stands on the brink of profound transformation, Aronofsky shares why he believes the future is full of opportunities for new kinds of innovative storytelling.

“I think how we make films is...

Academy Award®-winning composer Volker Bertelmann joins guest host Jon Burlingame to explore his gripping and sonically inventive score for “A House of Dynamite.” Their conversation delves into his use of unconventional textures, low-frequency resonance, and layered instrumental techniques to create a sense of mounting dread throughout the film. And as Bertelmann explains, embracing irregular and unexpected sounds became central to building the score’s tension and character.

“I learned that when I was working a lot with prepared piano sounds, there were a lot of random sounds that just somehow did what they want. The material was just...

Legendary filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and cinematographer Dan Laustsen, ASC, DFF, join us to break down the striking visual language of “Frankenstein,” their latest feature collaboration after decades of working together. In this conversation, they explore everything from their use of large-format cameras and “painterly” light to the symbolic color design that shapes the emotional arc of the film. Theirs is a visual process that begins with ideas, not rigid storyboards, so the filmmaking can stay alive and collaborative.

“Obviously, we storyboard. But storyboards should only be useful in to breaking down the elements. I never say, ‘it has to be...

Composer Max Richter joins guest host Jon Burlingame to discuss his luminous, emotionally rich score for “Hamnet,” the new film from director Chloé Zhao. In their conversation, Richter shares how early musical sketches shaped the production, how he blended period instruments with processed textures, and how the film’s psychological and natural landscapes guided his approach. And as Richter explains, Elizabethan-era music became a key creative touchstone for capturing the film’s folkloric sensibility.

“Elizabethan music is one of my great passions, really. It’s an amazing moment in English music history where you have this community of composers...

The all-star sound team behind “Wicked: For Good” returns to the show to discuss the bold sonic world of the film, and how it compared to the first. In this conversation, they break down everything from capturing on-set vocals to crafting the visceral aerial sequences — all while following Jon M. Chu’s vision for a darker, more mature final chapter of the “Wicked” story.

“In the first film — ‘world building,’ ‘set pieces,’ ‘youthful exuberance’ — those were all our keywords. And what we were leaning towards with the sound and music. On movie two, we’d already laid that foundation. So ‘emotion’ re...

Director Jon M. Chu and Director of Photography Alice Brooks join us to discuss the dazzling cinematography of “Wicked” and its newly released sequel, “Wicked: For Good.” Though the two films together tell a single story — adapted from the beloved Broadway musical — each was crafted with a distinct visual style to reflect the evolving tone and emotion of its chapter in the tale of the Wicked Witch of the West.

“When Jon and I first started talking about the movies, we talked about emotional intentions. And some of those emotional intentions for the first movie were ‘dreams’ and ‘yearning’ and...

Two-time Academy Award®-winning composer Ludwig Göransson and Executive Music Producer Serena Göransson join us to discuss the powerful use of music in Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” recently nominated for six 2026 GRAMMY® Awards. In this conversation with music journalist Jon Burlingame, the Göranssons share how integral music was to the film’s storytelling — and how their close collaboration with Coogler shaped the creative process from start to finish.

“Serena and I were there, on the dub stage, almost every day… [Director] Ryan [Coogler] is an incredible collaborator. He wants to hear ideas… take it in, and make difficul...

Two-time Academy Award®-winning composer Alexandre Desplat joins guest host Jon Burlingame to discuss his latest score for “Frankenstein,” directed by Guillermo del Toro. This long-awaited project — their third collaboration — had been a topic of conversation between the two for years, and Desplat was eager to finally help del Toro bring it to life.

“Knowing his passion for this character, and his sensitivity, I knew it would be epic, romantic, lyrical, emotional, and that it would be beautiful, visually… There’s this epic, fearless, operatic way of telling a story that Guillermo del Toro can handle so well. His talen...

Should “Materialists” be considered a rom-com? What even counts as a rom-com these days? Academy Award®-nominated writer, director, and producer Celine Song joins us to discuss the state of the modern romantic comedy, as part of Dolby Creator Lab’s ongoing partnership with Sundance Collab. Joining the conversation are supervising sound editor & re-recording mixer Daniel Timmons, re-recording mixer Josh Berger, and composer Daniel Pemberton to discuss how they utilized sound and music to flesh out the world of “Materialists,” to turn the modestly budgeted film from A24 into an unexpected smash hit at the box office.

“Stories about...

Academy Award®-nominated composer Jerskin Fendrix joins guest host Jon Burlingame to discuss his latest score for “Bugonia,” directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. Fendrix shares how he developed the film’s striking — and at times paranoid — musical themes, shaped in part by his own emotional state during the writing and recording process. Lanthimos had deliberately kept him in the dark, forbidding him from reading the script before composing, a choice that profoundly influenced the tone of the score.

“I spent a lot of time by myself, doing all this kind of esoteric, bizarre research on bees and spaceships and so on. I...

Five-time Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos joins us to discuss his latest surreal adventure, “Bugonia.” The film is a darkly-comic paranoid thriller about a high-profile CEO who is kidnapped by conspiracy theorists, who are convinced she is an alien. Once again, Lanthimos tapped Academy Award-winning Sound Designer, Supervising Sound Editor, and Re-recording Mixer Johnnie Burn to create the sonic landscape for his film. But despite its out-of-this-world themes, it was important to the director that the sound keep the story grounded in reality.

“It was trying and finding a way to simplify the soundscape, without making it bori...

We are thrilled to welcome two-time Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow and her creative team to discuss her newest political thriller, “A House of Dynamite,” brought to us by Netflix. This conversation was recorded as a live panel discussion at this year’s New York Film Festival. This was part of our support of the Artist Academy program, where we bring conversations about the art and craft of filmmaking to the next generation of directors.

Joining this conversation:

- Barry Ackroyd - Director of Photography

- Kirk Baxter - Editor

- Volke...

Writer/Director Mary Bronstein and Supervising Sound Editor, Sound Designer, and Re-recording Mixer Filipe Messeder join us to discuss “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” — the searing and darkly funny new indie film from A24 about the dark side of motherhood. Featuring a tour-de-force performance by Rose Byrne, the film made quite a splash when it premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

Despite its relatively small budget, quite a lot of work went into the sound design of the film, with a sometimes unconventional, yet wildly effective approach to sound as a storytelling tool.

How do you make a short film sound big on a small budget? Recorded live at Aspen Shortsfest 2025, Glenn sits down with filmmakers Lindon Feng & Hannah Palumbo (“A Bear Remembers”), Louis Bhose (“The Cost of Hugging”), and Elham Ehsas (“There Will Come Soft Rains”) to explore the art of creative sound design for short films.

From crafting immersive soundscapes to collaborating with sound designers and mixers under tight deadlines, this panel reveals how powerful sound choices can transform a story — even with limited resources.

Whether you’re a filmmaker, sound designer, film student, or just love behind-the...

Emmy Award®-nominated Director Philip Barantini and fellow nominees — including cinematographer Matthew Lewis and the sound team of James Drake, Jules Woods, Rob Entwistle, and Kiff McManus — join us this week to discuss the making of “Adolescence,” Netflix’s hit limited series. Nominated for thirteen Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, the show’s four episodes were each filmed as single, continuous takes, creating a gripping real-time experience for viewers — and offering some unexpected advantages for the filmmakers.

“For Netflix, it was very different for them because… they're very limited in what notes you can give. You can't...

Academy Award®-winning composer Michael Giacchino returns to Dolby Creator Talks to discuss his bold and emotional score for “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.” In this in-depth conversation with guest host Jon Burlingame, Giacchino shares how he approached scoring one of Marvel’s most iconic franchises, including how he balanced moments of sweeping sincerity with all that pulpy fun.

“All I could think of in my head was like, if I took ‘The Right Stuff’ and if I took the Disneyland Electric Light Parade and smashed them together… that's gonna give us our ‘Fantastic Four’ music. And so I went right to...

Composers John Murphy and David Fleming join guest host Jon Burlingame to discuss their original score for “Superman,” directed by James Gunn. In this two-part conversation, Murphy and Fleming share their personal connections to the character, the emotional and thematic goals of the music, and the creative process of scoring an iconic superhero story for a new generation. They also reflect on the legacy of John Williams’s original theme and how it influenced their approach.

“Everyone who works in film music reveres John Williams, and that score is kind of a gem of film music. So to be as...

Director Gareth Edwards returns to Dolby Creator Talks to discuss “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” the latest installment in the iconic dinosaur franchise. He and his sound team share how they crafted the film’s breathtaking sonic landscape — along with the challenges of an accelerated production schedule, and why that constraint ultimately proved creatively liberating.

“Normally, on a movie like this, from the day you first get contacted… to the day you go, ‘OK, we’re finished,’ it’s about two-and-a-half years. And this was a year-and-a-quarter! Jabez [Olssen], who’s our editor, he put a quote on the door of the edit suite...