153 - Why Disney and Pixar’s Elemental is their "Most Ambitious" Movie to Date

Mix engineer and recording engineer Jayda Love, along with Dolby Atmos® mix engineer Juan Razuri, join guest host Ben Givarz to discuss their work on Doechii’s Grammy®-winning mixtape, “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” which took home Best Rap Album at the 2025 GRAMMY Awards® and earned nominations for Best Rap Performance and Best New Artist. In this episode, Jayda and Juan break down their creative process — from initial recording sessions in Los Angeles to the immersive final mixes in Dolby Atmos.“A lot of the vocal production stuff — as a recording engineer — I'll help with layering and blending. That's a big thing for her. But a lot of the time, in terms of volume and placement and stuff, she's very hands-on. She'll be like, ‘I need those higher.’ And naturally, as an engineer, ‘I'm like, these are a little too loud.’ But then I'll finally get an ear break or hear it take a step back and I'm like, ‘oh, she's very particular about this stuff, especially the presence of her voice.’ And so I can definitely credit a lot of that to her.”—Jayda Love, Mix Engineer, “Alligator Bites Never Heal” by DoechiiStay connected!- You can listen to Doechii’s “Alligator Bites Never Heal,” as well as many other classic and contemporary artists in Dolby Atmos, on enabled streaming services.- Follow Doechii on Instagram- Follow mix engineers Jayda Love and Juan Razuri on Instagram- Follow Top Dawg Entertainment on InstagramInterested in creating content in Dolby Atmos? Check out our FREE resources to give you a jump start!- Dolby Atmos Music Accelerator: https://www.dolby.com/creator-lab/music-accelerator/- Dolby Atmos Essentials Course: https://learning.dolby.com/- Dolby Atmos Music Support: https://professional.dolby.com/music/Professional-resources/Please subscribe to Dolby Creator Talks wherever you get your podcasts.You can also check out the video for this episode on YouTube.Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. 

Guest host Alistair Hirst returns to Dolby Creator Talks to speak with the audio team behind "Star Wars Outlaws," one of the most successful games of last year. Developed by Ubisoft's Massive Entertainment in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, the title delivers a rich, cinematic gameplay experience — thanks to its immersive sound design and dynamic score. Recently nominated for a BAFTA in Audio Achievement, the team shares how they built the game’s soundscape from the ground up, mixing original Star Wars recordings with new field material to create unique environments, iconic weapons, and vehicles. They also explain how Dolby Atmos® was used to deepen the spatial realism — from starships above to rain on rooftops — and how their creative approach to sound design gave the game its gritty, signature edge.“First and foremost, we landed on three main pillars... The first of them being a cinematic experience... We really wanted to tell a story using audio... The second was making it a true and authentic Star Wars experience... And finally, we coined the phrase we call the scoundrel sound... It’s about keeping the grit from the original trilogy, but also updating the sounds to make them sound fresh and new.”—Simon Koudriavtsev, Audio Director, "Star Wars Outlaws"Joining today’s conversation from Massive Entertainment: - Simon Koudriavtsev - Audio Director - Jacob Coles - Lead Audio Designer - Martin Weissberg - Principal Audio Designer - Simon Siegfried Klar - Senior Audio DesignerBe sure to check out "Star Wars Outlaws," available now in Dolby Atmos®, on supported platforms.Please subscribe to Dolby Creator Talks wherever you get your podcasts.You can also check out the video for this episode on YouTube.Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. 

Filmmaker Carlos López Estrada hosts a heartfelt and eye-opening conversation with five acclaimed artists about the power of storytelling to foster compassion, connection, and empathy. Joining the discussion: - Andrew Ahn – Filmmaker (“Fire Island,” “Driveways”) - Patricia Cardoso – Filmmaker (“Real Women Have Curves”) - Marcus Gardley – Screenwriter, Playwright (“The Color Purple”) - Qui Nguyen – Filmmaker, Screenwriter (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) - Sean Wang – Filmmaker (“Dìdi,” “Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó”)This is another installment of our ongoing “Satellite Sessions” series, which we’re bringing to you in partnership with Antigravity Academy and the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment. Follow @antigravityacademy and @capeusa for more information on even more upcoming panels.Antigravity AcademyCAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment)For more inspiring Satellite Sessions just like this one, be sure you are subscribed to Dolby Creator Talks wherever you get your podcasts.You can also check out the video for this episode.Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. 

Guest host Alistair Hirst returns to Dolby Creator Talks to sit down with the audio team behind "Helldivers 2," the hit third-person shooter from Arrowhead Game Studios. The game features a groundbreaking, immersive soundtrack which was recently nominated for a BAFTA in Audio Achievement. In this episode, the creative team breaks down how they crafted the game’s visceral soundscape—enhancing the gameplay with hard-hitting weapons, dynamic enemies, and a cinematic, larger-than-life mix. They also share how they utilized Dolby Atmos® to heighten the sense of immersion and verticality, from incoming projectiles to flying enemies. “Words that came up quite a lot were: visceral… chaotic... fairly violent… over-the-top movie trailer style sound effects. Grounded where possible, but larger-than-life, in-your-face, [and] action-inspired.” —Harvey Scott, Project Audio Director, "Helldivers 2" Joining the discussion: - Harvey Scott, Project Audio Director - Juuso Tolonen, Project Lead Sound Designer - Paola Velasquez, Senior Dialogue Designer - Simon Gumbleton, Senior Technical Sound Design Supervisor - Olliver Andersson, Sound Designer Be sure to check out “Helldivers 2,” now available on Sony Playstation in Dolby Atmos.Please subscribe to Dolby Creator Talks wherever you get your podcasts.You can also check out the video for this episode on YouTube.Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. 

Guest host Ben Givars returns to Dolby Creator Talks for a live panel at SXSW 2025 to discuss how Dolby Atmos® empowers musicians and creatives to take their music and audio to the next level. Producer and musician (Spoon) Jim Eno joins collaborators from Colorado-based fuzz folk band autumnal to discuss how he used Dolby Atmos to mix a totally immersive audio experience for their song, “breathing.”“There’s so much space. When you listen to an Atmos mix on a speaker system, you definitely hear things that you’ve never heard on a stereo mix, because they’re not cramped together… With Atmos you can take more freedom and liberties, and be able to hear more things around the 360 spectrum.” - Jim Eno - Musician, Producer, Project Traction FounderJoining the conversation: - Annalee Knies - Guitar, Vocals - autumnal - Geneva Hein - Synth, Vocals - autumnal - Justice Murray - Bass - autumnal - Jim Eno - Musician, Producer, Project Traction Founder - Sara L Hauser - Musician, Producer, Music EducatorLearn more about Project Traction’s mission to bridge the gender gap in music production and engineering here.Special thanks to our partners at Rivian Automotive for showcasing their cutting-edge in-car Dolby Atmos audio systems at the festival.Please subscribe to Dolby Creator Talks wherever you get your podcasts.You can also check out the video for this episode on YouTube.Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. 

Recorded live at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, Academy Award®-nominated director (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) Carlos López Estrada once again brings together a panel of first-time feature filmmakers making their world premieres at the festival. These five directors have graciously joined us to offer some insights in how to navigate the first-time filmmaker experience at Sundance, as well as how they overcame the challenges of getting their films made in the first place.Joining the discussion are:- Eva Victor - “Sorry, Baby”- Joel Alfonso Vargas - “Mad Bills to Pay: (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)”- Cole Webley - “Omaha”- Katarina Zhu - “Bunnylovr”- Sierra Falconer - “Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)”This is another amazing conversation which is part of our ongoing “Satellite Sessions” series, which we’re bringing to you in partnership with Antigravity Academy and the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment. Follow @antigravityacademy and @capeusa for more information on even more upcoming panels.Antigravity AcademyCAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment)For more inspiring Satellite Sessions just like this one, be sure you are subscribed to Dolby Creator Talks wherever you get your podcasts.You can also check out the video for this episode.Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. 

Table of Contents: CINEMATOGRAPHY01:38 - “The Brutalist” - Lol Crawley02:52 - “Dune: Part Two” - Greig Fraser04:36 - “Emilia Pérez” - Paul Guilhaume06:48 - “Maria” - Ed Lachman09:08 - “Nosferatu” - Jarin BlaschkeORIGINAL SCORE10:29 - “The Brutalist” - Daniel Blumberg11:18 - “Conclave” - Volker Bertelmann13:04 - “Emilia Pérez” - Clément Ducol and Camille14:20 - “Wicked” - John Powell and Stephen Schwartz15:39 - “The Wild Robot” - Kris BowersSOUND18:06 - “A Complete Unknown” - Tod A. Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey and David Giammarco19:41 - “Dune: Part Two” - Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill20:57 - “Emilia Pérez” - Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldère, Maxence Dussère, Cyril Holtz and Niels Barletta22:59 - “Wicked” - Simon Hayes, Nancy Nugent Title, Jack Dolman, Andy Nelson and John Marquis24:26 - “The Wild Robot” - Randy Thom, Brian Chumney, Gary A. Rizzo and Leff LeffertsThis past year featured some of the most stunning, innovative, and groundbreaking work in the categories of Cinematography, Original Score, and Sound. And since we’ve been diligently interviewing the artists and teams who have received Academy Award® nominations in those categories, we offer you this special round-up episode — to help give some greater insight into how to cast your final votes. The soundbites in this episode are mere snippets from the discussions we’ve been conducting through the past several months. If you’d like to take a deeper dive:FULL EPISODES, BY CATEGORY:= CINEMATOGRAPHY =“The Brutalist”237 - Lol Crawley and the Cinematography of The Brutalist - Feb 10th, 2025YouTube:&nbsp;https://youtu.be/d342-st5dvgSpotify:&nbsp;https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Txxk3xNAcmItPwsm9GquPApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/237-lol-crawley-and-the-cinematography-of-the-brutalist/id1549901182?i=1000690773442“Dune: Part Two”189 - Greig Fraser and the Cinematography of Dune: Part Two - March 5th, 2024YouTube: https://youtu.be/39p8wPkhmtMSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5WMtD1WbGGVBgrlQtSFzONApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/189-greig-fraser-and-the-cinematography-of-dune-part-two/id1549901182?i=1000648108720“Emilia Pérez”220 - The Making of Emilia Pérez - Dec 4th, 2024YouTube: https://youtu.be/VZruPNqHv3wSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1YHHeGMGzBwdTIXlHKAgz2Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/220-the-making-of-emilia-p%C3%A9rez/id1549901182?i=1000679018480“Maria”236 - Ed Lachman and the Cinematography of Maria - Feb 7th, 2025YouTube:&nbsp;<a...

Academy Award®-nominated cinematographer Lol Crawley joins us to discuss his approach to "The Brutalist," the epic indie film from writer / director Brady Corbet. Crawley delves into his decision to shoot the film in VistaVision, how it shaped the film’s aesthetic, and his use of practical lighting to create its atmospheric look. He also shares insights into how they executed the film’s many “oners” (one-shot scenes), the challenges of capturing the marble quarry sequence, and how his cinematography reinforces the film’s themes of ambition, displacement, and artistic legacy.“The VistaVision shot… it's a little bit like anamorphic, in the sense of [it capturing] two things in one. You get this intimacy, but you also have this wide field of view. So you see the world, and you see the performance. And I think that's what gives the film a certain grandeur. And its debt to early 50s, 60s American cinema.”—Lol Crawley, Director of Photography, "The Brutalist"Be sure to check out “The Brutalist,” now in theaters.Please subscribe to Dolby Creator Talks wherever you get your podcasts.You can also check out the video for this episode.Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.&nbsp;

Academy Award®-nominated cinematographer Ed Lachman joins us to discuss his gorgeous cinematography on “Maria,” directed by Pablo Larraín. The seasoned director of photography shares his approach to blending formats — including 35mm, Super 8, and 16mm — to capture the operatic essence of Maria Callas’s life, as well as his use of color psychology, lighting techniques, and period-specific film stocks to evoke emotion and authenticity."Opera and cinema are very similar… Opera's images are not representational either. Like cinema. And they create the subtext for the emotions of the story. And what helps to create the nonverbal form of communication is the same thing that happens in music of the opera. It's a heightened reality… I felt the film could be a representation if her life, mirrored in the operas that she sang in. And even though people say she was the sum of the tragedies of the opera she sang, I believe she had the resistance and strength to overcome." —Ed Lachman, Director of Photography, “Maria”Be sure to check out “Maria,” now streaming on Netflix, in Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos®.Please subscribe to Dolby Creator Talks wherever you get your podcasts.You can also check out the video for this episode.Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.&nbsp;

Academy Award®-nominated composer Kris Bowers joins guest host Jon Burlingame to discuss his stunning orchestral score for "The Wild Robot," directed by Chris Sanders. The composer dives deep into how he crafted the film’s sonic landscape, incorporating orchestral textures, electronic elements, and unique percussive sounds. He also shares insights into his collaboration with director Chris Sanders and how becoming a parent influenced his emotional approach to crafting the film’s original score.“Chris [Sanders] talked about the role that music was going to need to play in this film... He already knew there were going to be these long stretches where we would have little to no dialogue. And he was trusting that music could help tell the story in those moments… Because for him, the idea of kindness as a survival technique, that was very, very key to the story... Really this idea of music needing to have this vulnerability, this warmth, clear melodic statements, and then also having the ability to go from small intimate moments to really big, huge action sequences.”—Kris Bowers, Composer, "The Wild Robot"Be sure to check out “The Wild Robot,” now available to stream and on Blu-ray, in Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos®.The soundtrack to “The Wild Robot” by Kris Bowers is also available to stream on Apple Music in Dolby Atmos!And don’t miss our previous episode on the sound of “The Wild Robot,” with writer and director Chris Sanders.Please subscribe to Dolby Creator Talks wherever you get your podcasts.You can also check out the video for this episode.Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.&nbsp;