The Galactic Sound of The Mandalorian
The heartwarming story of The Mandalorian, in which Din Djarin and little Yoda live in epic fights against the Empire's rebirth, has captivated Star Wars fans. However, the end of the series was announced with the production of a movie. So, The Mandalorian, directed by Dave Filoni, seeks to close this saga with a feature film in a format reminiscent of Marvel's Avengers movies. It is a new trilogy that kicks off fifteen years after The Rise of Skywalker; the story about the first Jedi, which takes place 25,000 years before Episode IV.
Despite the technical display in terms of special effects, script, actors, art direction, and soundtrack, the sound of this film is a relevant aspect to highlight, which can probably mean an Academy Award at the next ceremony.
The first thing to analyze here is the opening howl. The decision to use the flute was inspired by Oscar-winner Ludwig Göransson's desire to travel back in time to his childhood. According to him, the idea began as he reflected on his memory of "Star Wars," and the way this legendary film impacted him. From his studio in Los Angeles, he said he bought a set of wooden flutes to unplug himself from screens and computers, just as he did in his childhood, and, in that way, he was able to reproduce that feeling. He added some reverb and delay: the necessary effects to give it that touch of loneliness, spaciousness, and Western, and then it ended up being what we know now.
The relationship between the music and the script is similar to the function of the chorus in Greek theater, in the sense that it not only filled gaps in the narrative but also expressed the collective emotions of the protagonist, both in moments of joy and tragedy. In this film, the music speaks of a character who seeks to establish ties with no one (whose helmet erects a metaphorical barrier with the rest of the world), and who, at the same time, must interact with a tender creature, like Baby Yoda. In this soundtrack, we find nods to classic Star Wars themes (the Resistance's, Leia and Solo's, Yoda's, etc.), with which, Göransson suggests, he is just building on the shoulders of giants.
Heavily influenced by the films of Akira Kurosawa (in which there are a lot of flute sound), the melancholy sound produced by Göransson thus became the essence of a bounty hunter, lonely and sullen (like Göransson himself…), as opposed to the orchestral sound of other installments of the saga, in which tasks were done as a team (even Hans Solo had a Chewbacca...). Göransson has great audience support and is an experienced composer, but he wanted to offer a quality element, simple, but well done; and, as he listened and played all kinds of music, the flute inspired him to add drum and piano rhythms, which ended up becoming a full song. This impressed the producer, Jon Favreau, and they agreed that this sound would be the basis of the film's Leitmotif. Sometimes all it takes is a simple, understated instrument like a wooden recorder to create an iconic sound.
In addition to the above, Göransson was asked to add a Western touch, and, for this, he resorted, on the one hand, to the rhythm of the steps of a horse (the safest, but most effective resource, indeed), which, in essence, is the same rhythm of quaver and semiquaver of Sergio Leone’s The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, and, on the other hand, he included a jump of ascending fourth (and a descending fifth in the bass), something that Ennio Morricone actually used in Leone's films.
On the other hand, in addition to the sounds of laser swords, explosions, speeding ships, and the silences of the galaxy, there's the voice of Baby Yoda, the tough Mandalorian counterpart. How was it done? Well, sound editor David Acord used human baby and animal sounds (bat-eared foxes, for instance), plus his style to create the final result we know. The production felt that the sounds needed to be more human or recognizable, in which case the animal parts were reduced and included grunts, purrs, and whimpers. For Baby Yoda's more demanding moments, vocal recordings of real babies were used and Acord's voice was added for the clearer, crisper vocalizations.
So, Göransson's music, combined with the sound effects successfully immerses the audience in the world of The Mandalorian and enriches the viewer's perception. The care and attention to detail create a "galactic experience" for several reasons. First, the production techniques and tools were deliberately chosen to reflect the environment and setting in which the series takes place in the expanding spacial universe. Electronic sounds, synthesizers, and special effects are added to help create such an atmosphere. These elements are typical of science fiction soundtracks that transport the viewer to an unfamiliar technological environment. In addition, the use of immersive sound mixing and sound design technologies, such as the creation of 360-degree sound effects, adds a three-dimensional effect to the sound effects, allowing you to immerse yourself in the vast galaxy of Star Wars.
If you want to learn a little more from experts in the audiovisual industry, do not hesitate to contact Enhanced Media Sound Studio. We will be happy to take your projects to excellence.
*The images used on this post are taken from Pexels.com