Page 14 - The Hollywood Reporter (January 2020)

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AWARDS SEASON

BEHIND THE SCREEN | CAROLYN GIARDINA

Echoing a Madman’s State of Mind

For Todd Phillips’ Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix, sound editor Alan Robert Murray based his choices
on Arthur Fleck’s gradual transformation into the unhinged villain

hen supervising descent into madness. Everything opening scene, which shows And with Arthur’s final trans-
sound editor Alan would start off normal, and then Arthur working as a clown when formation into Joker in front of a
W Robert Murray sat our sound effects reacted to what gang members steals his sign; rioting crowd on the city’s streets,
down to talk with director was going on with Arthur.” he chases them into an alley and Murray notes that “nobody’s ever
Todd Phillips about their sonic For a sequence in which Arthur is attacked. For the gritty and chanting things like ‘Joker, Joker.’
approach to Warner Bros.’ Joker, Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is beaten early ’80s feel, Murray It’s more of a wounded animal
the filmmaker said he wanted up by three Wall Street suits on used period sounds cry out from the crowd. He’s now
realistic sounds instead of the a subway car, Murray explains such as vehicle noises become total Joker.”
typical tones expected in a comic that the sound gets more sinister with V8 engines The work on this sequence
book-inspired film. as the scene progresses. “It was and mufflers from involved gathering a group on the
Murray
“He didn’t want overdone building the scene, starting at muscle cars. “As we New York set of the Warner Bros.
punches and sound design that a normal atmosphere and then got deeper into the scene, the lot. “We recorded specific yell
made it seem unrealistic,” says amping it up as the torment sounds of the city got harsher and outs, but not words. More like a
Murray, a two-time Oscar winner increased on Arthur,” he says, louder. It was accented by sirens warrior’s scream,” says Murray,
(American Sniper, Letters From adding that this included sounds to keep that gritty, nasty, always who also incorporated processed
Iwo Jima) who earned his 10th such as the screech of the subway threatening feel of Gotham,” he animals sounds, including lions
career nomination — a record for car. “On top of that, the trains says. “We had to create sirens that and wolves, into these crowd
sound editing — with Joker. “So going by in opposite directions were not New York, but something vocalizations.
it was more of following Arthur’s took on a sinister sound. They committed to Gotham, so we Hildur Gudnadóttir’s haunt-

were made up of processed jets ended up crossing from regular ing score also was a key factor
and roller coasters and anything sirens into a more European flair.” in creating the sound. “Our
that was dark and gritty to bring Murray adds that to make the director would decide what was
PODCAST! the whole thing with Arthur audience “feel that they’re right going to start the scene — either JOKER: NIKO TAVERNISE/WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT. MURRAY: C FLANIGAN/FILMMAGIC
The weekly show Behind the Screen, into perspective.” there with Arthur,” they recorded Hildur’s score or we would
hosted by tech editor Carolyn Giardina,
features conversations with cinematographers, Another example of how sounds with an ambisonic (sur- come in with a tonal sound.
editors, composers and other artists the film used sound to reflect round sound) mic, “which helped And we would trade off during
behind the magic of motion pictures. Listen
and subscribe at THR.com/podcasts. Arthur’s state of mind is in the in the Atmos mix.” the scene.”

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