Designing Sound

Jun 23 2009

Randy Thom Special: Ratatouille

As you know, Randy Thom is the June’s featured Sound designer. Let’s talk about Ratatouille, an animated movie produced by Pixar and distributed by Disney Pictures and whose sound design was done by Randy Thom. Ratatouille was nominated for five Academy Awards, 13 Annie Awards, and won the Best Animated Feature Award from multiple associations.

Well, let’s talk about our part: The Sound.

Sound Designer: Randy Thom
Supervising Sound Editors: Randy Thom and Michael Silvers
Re-recording Mixers: Randy Thom (FX) and Michael Semanick (DX/MX)
Original Dialog Mixer: Doc Kane
Sound Mix: SDDS | Dolby Digital EX | DTS-ES
Studios: Skywalker Sound

“Ratatouille” Sound for Film Profile with Randy Thom from Michael Coleman on Vimeo.

There is an interview at Filmsound Daily with Randy Thom talking about Ratatouille…

Details are an important way for audiences to invest in an animated film, what sound details are you most are proud of in this one?

I don’t know if details are more important in an animated film than in a live action film, but there are lots of details in Ratatouille I’m proud of, to name a couple… The wind blowing through the underground drain pipes during Remy’s wild ride was an accidental discovery, and I think it works in a very “musical” way in the sequence. The gas fire in the oven that almost burns Remy alive was made from about a hundred gas stove “flame ups” cross-faded with each other.

The Foley requirement for these films must be intensive, is more supervision during the Foley shoot helpful or needed? Is there any unique Foley you have to cover that you wouldn’t in a live-action feature?

The Foley for an animated film isn’t necessarily any more complex or intense than the Foley for a live action film. In general, the process of designing, editing, and mixing an animated film is remarkably similar in most ways to doing a typical big budget live action film.

Read Full interview here.

Ratatouille Official Website