We had to use mechanisms that were of that era to build the tension, like the dosimeter and alarms. In terms of building the dramatic atmosphere, the ‘authentic’ direction had to be a part of that. So, the alarms, sirens, vehicle sounds, etc. That was the one big thing they wanted to impress upon us, was that they were striving for authenticity.
That’s true for all of the departments, from costumes to vehicles. The first thing that struck me was their emphasis on authenticity. Joe Beal (JB): We had our first meetings with Johan Renck (director) and Craig Mazin (creator) via video chat because they’re in the US. What were the showrunners’ direction for post sound? How did they plan to use sound to help tell this story? Here, Beal and supervising sound editor Stefan Henrix discuss their pursuit and use of era-appropriate and analog sounds to help series creator Craig Mazin and director Johan Renck bring the story of Chernobyl to life. They also got recordings of a Ukrainian fire engine’s siren, a Russian tape machine, and various alarms and buzzers useful for heightening tension. The sounds of their suits were recorded from diving suits like those used during that event, reveals sound designer Joe Beal of Boom Post in London, UK. On the effects side, the commitment to authenticity adds to the reality of the characters’ situations, like the trio of divers who willingly submerge themselves in radioactive water to drain the pool underneath the melting-down reactor.
It adds a sickening unease to the disturbing imagery of unprotected workers and first responders coming in close contact with deadly radioactive material, and seeing newly-recruited teenage boys shoot family pets and shovel radioactive debris off a rooftop since it literally destroys all remotely-operated equipment. In terms of music, composer Hildur Guðnadóttir’s dark, ambient score sits like a lead weight in the pit of your stomach. The soundtrack does an amazing job of bolstering the already unsettling subject matter. HBO’s miniseries Chernobyl explores the cost of the lies that led to the Chernobyl disaster - the loss of lives (human and animal) and the far-reaching and persistent environmental contamination.
0 kommentar(er)
