261 - Director Kathryn Bigelow and the Creative Team behind A House of Dynamite

We are thrilled to welcome two-time Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow and her creative team to discuss her newest political thriller, “A House of Dynamite,” brought to us by Netflix. This conversation was recorded as a live panel discussion at this year’s New York Film Festival. This was part of our support of the Artist Academy program, where we bring conversations about the art and craft of filmmaking to the next generation of directors.Joining this conversation: - Barry Ackroyd - Director of Photography - Kirk Baxter - Editor - Volker Bertelmann - Composer - Jeremy Hindle - Production Designer - Paul N.J. Ottosson - Re-recording Mixer, Sound Designer, and Supervising Sound Editor“It was really an embarrassment of riches. What [sound designer] Paul [N.J. Ottosson] does is he three-dimensionalizes any space, and it's just extraordinary. You think you know what the space is and then he'll bring a sound in and suddenly it's amplified tenfold. Then, in the quiet spaces, I thought it might be interesting to bring some score in. And then I sort of stumbled on the incredible soundtrack to ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ and I just… my head exploded. So I reached out to [composer] Volcker [Bertelmann] and gratefully he had a short opening in his schedule. He came over, he looked at the movie even in its sort of raw stage. And I just think the synergy between Paul and Volcker and the sound design and the music, there's so much that they have in common. They are in conversation with one another. It was just a fluid, seamless, synergistic process.”—Kathryn Bigelow, Director and Producer, “A House of Dynamite”Be sure to check out “A House of Dynamite,” 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 on YouTube.Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. 

Writer/Director Mary Bronstein and Supervising Sound Editor, Sound Designer, and Re-recording Mixer Filipe Messeder join us to discuss “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” — the searing and darkly funny new indie film from A24 about the dark side of motherhood. Featuring a tour-de-force performance by Rose Byrne, the film made quite a splash when it premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Despite its relatively small budget, quite a lot of work went into the sound design of the film, with a sometimes unconventional, yet wildly effective approach to sound as a storytelling tool.“By using sound design, it's not so much what a score does… it's world building. It's building the world that she lives in and some of it is in her head… When you see it in a theater, some of those cues are making your chest bones rumble. In a quite literal way, it's happening to you. And in the same way that it's happening to her… So it's taking her inner world and it's externalizing it for the viewer.”—Mary Bronstein, Writer/Director, “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”Be sure to check out “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” now playing in select theaters (and nationwide this Friday) in Dolby Atmos® where available.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. 

How do you make a short film sound big on a small budget? Recorded live at Aspen Shortsfest 2025, Glenn sits down with filmmakers Lindon Feng & Hannah Palumbo (“A Bear Remembers”), Louis Bhose (“The Cost of Hugging”), and Elham Ehsas (“There Will Come Soft Rains”) to explore the art of creative sound design for short films.From crafting immersive soundscapes to collaborating with sound designers and mixers under tight deadlines, this panel reveals how powerful sound choices can transform a story — even with limited resources.Whether you’re a filmmaker, sound designer, film student, or just love behind-the-scenes insights on filmmaking, this conversation is full of practical tips and creative inspiration for making your short film sound unforgettable.Many thanks to Community College of Aurora (CCA), Department of Cinematic Arts, who filmed and recorded this panel discussion for us: - Sourthearak Duong - Camera Operator - KC Bowlan - Gaffer - Sofia Race - Camera Operator - Makayla Levy - Production Audio Mixer - Matt Baxter - EditorAnd thank you to the folks at Aspen Film: - Aaron Koehler - Director - Morgan Witt - Production CoordinatorThanks as well to Colorado Mountain College for their production support: - Bruna Batista Rosa - Andy Garay - Madi Rochon - Theo CorwinPlease 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. 

Emmy Award®-nominated Director Philip Barantini and fellow nominees — including cinematographer Matthew Lewis and the sound team of James Drake, Jules Woods, Rob Entwistle, and Kiff McManus — join us this week to discuss the making of “Adolescence,” Netflix’s hit limited series. Nominated for thirteen Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, the show’s four episodes were each filmed as single, continuous takes, creating a gripping real-time experience for viewers — and offering some unexpected advantages for the filmmakers.“For Netflix, it was very different for them because… they're very limited in what notes you can give. You can't say, ‘I think that scene needs to move to a different location’ or whatever. It's literally got to be performance notes… And so, they were fantastic. Netflix were just amazing, really, really amazing partners.”—Philip Barantini, Director, Executive Producer, “Adolescence”Joining today’s conversation: - Philip Barantini, Director, Executive Producer - Matthew Lewis, Director of Photography, Camera Operator - James Drake, Supervising Sound Editor, Re-Recording Mixer - Jules Woods, AMPS, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer - Rob Entwistle, AMPS, Production Sound Mixer - Kiff McManus, AMPS, Production Sound MixerBe sure to check out “Adolescence,” 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 on YouTube.Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. 

Academy Award®-winning composer Michael Giacchino returns to Dolby Creator Talks to discuss his bold and emotional score for “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.” In this in-depth conversation with guest host Jon Burlingame, Giacchino shares how he approached scoring one of Marvel’s most iconic franchises, including how he balanced moments of sweeping sincerity with all that pulpy fun.“All I could think of in my head was like, if I took ‘The Right Stuff’ and if I took the Disneyland Electric Light Parade and smashed them together… that's gonna give us our ‘Fantastic Four’ music. And so I went right to town, over a year ago, on this theme. Which is something you never, ever get to do as a composer. It's so rare that you get to write a piece of music so early on.”—Michael Giacchino, Composer, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”Be sure to check out “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” now playing in theaters and Dolby Cinemas® 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 on YouTube.Check out Michael Giacchino’s previous appearances on the Dolby podcast: - War for the Planet of the Apes - https://youtu.be/IMoypCm9pEc - The Sound and Music of The Batman - https://youtu.be/uZ_3Kdm_ZhE - The Making of Marvel’s Werewolf by Night - https://youtu.be/vVALDtPJyss Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. 

Composers John Murphy and David Fleming join guest host Jon Burlingame to discuss their original score for “Superman,” directed by James Gunn. In this two-part conversation, Murphy and Fleming share their personal connections to the character, the emotional and thematic goals of the music, and the creative process of scoring an iconic superhero story for a new generation. They also reflect on the legacy of John Williams’s original theme and how it influenced their approach.“Everyone who works in film music reveres John Williams, and that score is kind of a gem of film music. So to be asked to explore the DNA of that theme was a privilege, but definitely a humbling privilege. You are confronted with this truly iconic theme… But at the same time, there still felt like there was a lot to explore within the confines of that theme… I remember, I was having a meeting with James [Gunn] and I said, the part of the John Williams theme that always really touched me is the end… There's something about it that's hopeful. Really, really hopeful. And I started playing around with it with some different chords, and I could tell James was getting sort of moved by it. It felt like we were discovering something and finding something new that fit his Clark Kent and his Superman, as well.”—David Fleming, Composer, “Superman”Be sure to check out “Superman,” now playing in theaters and Dolby Cinemas®, 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 on YouTube.Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. 

Director Gareth Edwards returns to Dolby Creator Talks to discuss “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” the latest installment in the iconic dinosaur franchise. He and his sound team share how they crafted the film’s breathtaking sonic landscape — along with the challenges of an accelerated production schedule, and why that constraint ultimately proved creatively liberating.“Normally, on a movie like this, from the day you first get contacted… to the day you go, ‘OK, we’re finished,’ it’s about two-and-a-half years. And this was a year-and-a-quarter! Jabez [Olssen], who’s our editor, he put a quote on the door of the edit suite… It was [from] Leonard Bernstein, and it said something like, ‘Art is when you have a plan but not quite enough time.’ And there was something about that idea of when there isn’t time to mess around — you can’t experiment like crazy, you gotta go with your first gut instinct — something interesting happens. And I’m half-tempted now, in all future contracts to make another film, to ask, ‘Whatever schedule you’re considering, can you just halve it?’”—Gareth Edwards, Director, “Jurassic World: Rebirth”Joining today’s conversation: - Gareth Edwards - Director - Tim Nielsen - Sound Designer and Supervising Sound Editor - Bjørn Ole Schroeder - Supervising Sound Editor - Pete Horner - Re-recording MixerBe sure to check out “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” now playing in theaters and Dolby Cinemas®, 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 on YouTube.Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. 

When director Joe Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer set out to make “F1,” their goal was to create the most authentic Formula One film ever made. Recorded in person at Skywalker Sound, this episode features the sound team behind the film, who share how they brought that vision to life. They discuss the extraordinary lengths they went to in order to craft a visceral, true-to-life experience for racing fans and everyday viewers alike — while also highlighting the invaluable support they received from the production and the film’s director, Joe Kosinski.“I would say Joe is the grand master at giving us these opportunities [to succeed]. God bless him, because he gets it. He knows you can’t just say, ‘I want this to be an authentic Formula One movie — figure it out.’ He was like, ‘We’re going to start early. We’re going to give you whatever resources you need. And everything is going to be 100% perfect.’ And he’s not like, ‘This has to be perfect.’ It’s just, ‘We’re going to do this together. What do you need? I’m going to help you. Let’s get going.’”—Al Nelson, Supervising Sound Editor, “F1”Joining today’s conversation: - Al Nelson – Supervising sound editor/sound designer - Juan Peralta – Re-recording mixer - Gary Rizzo – Re-recording mixer - Gwendolyn Yates Whittle – Supervising sound editorBe sure to check out “F1,” now in theaters and Dolby Cinemas®, 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 on YouTube.Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. 

Composer Rob Simonsen joins guest host Jon Burlingame to discuss his sweeping and emotionally rich score for Pixar’s “Elio.” The composer shares how he approached scoring the story of a young boy making first contact with aliens, weaving together emotional warmth, cosmic wonder, and a sense of fun. He also discusses how Dolby Atmos® helped shape the immersive quality of the soundtrack, after being a bit of a skeptic of the technology at first.“Scott Michael Smith, who recorded and mixed the score, said early on that we were going to record in Atmos, and that's really the way to do it… I have to admit, I was a little like, ‘eh, do we need to do Atmos? I don't know.’ And then Scott played me some Atmos files… and again, I am not being paid to say this. I was literally blown away… It gave me chills. I mean, I'm not sure what witchcraft is going on to make it as kind of amazing as it is, but I was really sold.”—Rob Simonsen, Composer, “Elio”Be sure to check out “Elio,” now in theaters and Dolby Cinemas®, 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 on YouTube.Learn more about the Dolby Creator Lab and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. 

Mix engineer Alex Gamble joins guest host Ben Givarz to discuss the creative and technical process behind mixing FKA twigs' new album Eusexua in Dolby Atmos®. He shares how his immersive mixes in Dolby Atmos enhance the record’s intimacy, rhythm, and vocal playfulness — pushing boundaries while staying true to FKA twigs’s artistic vision. “At that [early] stage, where I’m assessing the stems versus the master, I’m not trying to go overboard to do an exact match — because things are going to change once I start panning things around. Timbre and transients, and things like that — they change depending on where you choose to pan things in an Atmos environment. Things came in sounding so great. The productions were great: very intimate, very cerebral. Really big scene changes in a lot of these songs… and a lot of glitchy, cool elements too. That’s one of the things I latched onto during my first listen… thinking, this is stuff that’ll really be interesting to pull into three dimensions and see if I can build upon the production.”—Alex Gamble, Dolby Atmos Mix Engineer, Eusexua by FKA twigs Stay connected! - You can listen to FKA twigs - Eusexua as well as many other classic and contemporary artists in Dolby Atmos, on enabled streaming services. - Follow FKA twigs on Instagram and YouTube - Learn more about Alex Gamble and his studioInterested 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.