Great article at MPSE with some of the main ideas about the sound of Star Trek exposed at Special MPSE Show, which we talked about earlier.
The sound effects of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek were a perfectly crafted mix of both original effects as well as sounds that remained true to the original series. The exciting, trial-and- error process of how that soundtrack was constructed and mixed was the subject of the MPSE’s sixth annual sound show, held in October before a sold-out house at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theatre.
Gathered together on the stage were co-supervising sound editors Alan Rankin and Mark P. Stoeckinger, music editors Alex Levy and Stephen M. Davis, picture editors Maryann Brandon, A.C.E. and Mary Jo Markey, A.C.E., re-recording mixers Andy Nelson and Anna Behlmer, and director Abrams. While Rankin and Stoeckinger acted as informal moderators, Abrams tied the group together by detailing his overall creative vision of Star Trek––which was released on DVD and Blu-Ray November 17 by Paramount Home Entertainment.
Through ProTools session files from the original effects stems, as well as film clips, the team explored a range of the movie’s set pieces—the initial reveal of the Enterprise in space dock and young Spock’s arrival on the bridge, the first jump to warp speed, Kirk and Sulu’s sky-dive to the enemy drill platform, the Delta Vega ice planet sequences with Kirk being pursued by the “Big Red” creature and his encounter with Leonard Nimoy’s Mr. Spock, and the final destruction of the Romulan ship. For most of this endeavor, there was little in the way of starting points to guide what each environment should sound like, a process which opened up a lot of creative freedom and gave free reign for everyone to bring their ideas to the table. Resistance, as the Borg say, may be futile, but on Star Trek, every sound mattered, as these excerpts from the panel illustrate.