WRITTEN BY NATALIA SAAVEDRA BRYCHY
SOUND EFFECTS EDITOR, BOOM BOX POST
Natalia was given the challenge of creating the sound design for a character’s superpower transformation sequence. Natalia describes her process and the inspirations that led to her successful sound build.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BRAINSTORMING PROCESS?
For this particular build, I took inspiration in classic Sailor Moon transformations which included very 80’s synth style accents and lots of chimes giving the transformation a cute but cool tone. The problem was that this build wasn’t as long as a typical Sailor Moon transformation. This transformation also needed to sound heavy and more powerful, but still have that classic anime style. To achieve this I decided to mix in more sci-fi type sounds that are on more of the low end of the frequency spectrum.
COULD YOU GIVE A STEP BY STEP PROCESS OF WHAT YOU ADDED?
For builds like this, I always like to split it up into parts. This helps me to create a separation between each aspect of the build that is happening, allowing for the audience to catch every moving part in a short amount of time.
First, we have the initial power up. For this I wanted something that felt like it was coming from and rising up within the character to get a sense that the character was really activating her superpower. I layered a bass drop followed by a synth accent that I pitched up drastically to create a dynamic power up effect.
Then, the character does a big pass by the screen, so we needed a moving sound to inform the audience that the superpower was building up. For this, I layered a low-end heavy whoosh to create a sense of weight, together with synths, low wind, chimes rising in pitch, and finally accenting it with an anime style shine.
After this, for dramatic effect, the superpower gets contained and then it rises up slowly. I decided to utilize more of the chimes and high-mid range synth sounds for this, creating a contrast with everything else that happened before and also giving space to the final big moment.
Lastly, we have the end of the power up where the audience knows the superpower is fully activated. Since this needed to feel big, I layered a boom sound together with chimes to link it to the previous buildup. I also used a fire whoosh for texture, and a exhale that was washed out to give the end of it a bit of life.
Here is what the build sound like all together.
HOW DID YOU MAKE THIS BUILD YOUR OWN?
I think for this, I just tried to include elements that were similar to what I was referencing, classic anime transformations. That being said, I wasn’t trying to recreate those iconic transformations either. I took liberty with a bit of bass drops and heavier sounds, but still included a bit of fun with the chimes and synths.
WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST TO NEW EDITORS ON HOW TO GO ABOUT BUILDING A SIMILAR DESIGN?
In this case, I referenced anime because this sequence was lifting from an iconic and recognizable trope from that genre. This also helps the audience feel a familiar connection to what is about to happen because they’ve heard it before. At the same time it feels new to them since it has other elements that make it unique. If it fits within the storyline that you’re trying to design, I would suggest, in this case, getting inspiration from classic anime sound design moments, and putting your own spin on it.
ANY PLUGINS THAT YOU USED THAT YOU RECOMMEND?
For this I used SoundShifter from Waves to be able to pitch up or down the sounds to give the transformation a sense of movement.
Graphic SoundShifter
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