Interview by Jennifer Walden, photos courtesy of Sundance
MPSE and Ariel Award-winning supervising sound editor/sound designer/re-recording mixer Sergio Diaz – who earned an Oscar nomination for his work on Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma and a BAFTA nomination for Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland – worked with director Christopher Murray to create a natural yet magical sound for Sorcery, which is in World Dramatic Competition at Sundance 2023. The story unfolds on Chiloé Island off the coast of Chile, so the sound of the location needed to influence and meld with the spiritual and magical sounds that Diaz created.
Sorcery tells the story of Rosa, a young girl whose father is killed by German colonists in 1880. Rosa decides to learn the art of sorcery and use witchcraft to avenge her father’s death. Director Murray blends the historical conflict between German colonists and the Huilliche people of Chile with the supernatural aspects of Rosa’s struggle to find her inner power and overcome the atrocities she and her people have endured.
Here, Diaz talks about gathering natural sounds from Chile and Mexico to use as inspiration and source for his magical sounds, his approach to creating sounds for spiritual entities, creating natural, magical sounds, and so much more!
SORCERY (2023) | Trailer | Christopher Murray
What were director Christopher Murray’s goals for sound on Sorcery? And what were your creative ideas on how sound could help to tell or support this story?
Sound supervisor/re-recording mixer Sergio Diaz
Sergio Diaz (SD): In July 2021, Christopher and I began having creative conversations to define the sound concept, where the story takes place on Chiloé Island in 1880, for which we broke down the concept into these areas:
FOG SOUND:
We had to create a dense sound with many layers, foggy like the island itself, and connected to the photography that depicts the period.
DENSITY OF BEINGS:
It was important to make the audience feel that, just like Rosa, they were immersed and surrounded by presences that, although we cannot see them, move around, watch and accompany them, creating a dense atmosphere of SPIRITUAL entities that inhabit this territory.
ANIMALITIES:
These are typical of the geographic context of Chiloé and, above all, of the birds that are difficult to find, and of course, we had to go for them.
SOUNDSCAPE:
My job was to harmonize and procure atmospheres with textures that would contribute to telling the story honoring his idea, which turned out to be a task that involved a lot of gathering from different geographical areas between Chile and Mexico. A subgroup of beds/pads always had to coexist with these layers. They were recreated by indistinct sound elements that, when re-recorded in my studio, contributed a very interesting medium and low frequency which, when bringing those complex worlds together in harmony, would accompany the magical and somber density sought, focusing the energy on what was authentic and organic that should be heard in order to convey that emotion to the audience.
If you had to pick one scene that best represents your sound work on this film, what would that be? Can you describe the scene (in general terms) and what went into your sound work on it?
SD: The entire movie has a specific treatment, but there is one that was very interesting to address because of its dramatic arc, and that was at the beginning of the movie where we see Rosa walking in a field of damp soil until she arrives at a large, German-style wooden house. During her journey, we hear the nature of the geographical area and the panting and growling of dogs in the distance that did not intimidate her.
Once inside the house, Rosa sets the table for the German family’s breakfast.
…we recreated everything from scratch, every breath, every actor’s movement, every animal sound, every layer of environment with its own density…
While the family prays in German, Rosa, at a distance, also prays, standing near the sink in the kitchen. Looking out a small window, she watches a lamb approaching the German house a few feet away while in the background, murmurs of the prayer in German are heard. Suddenly something startles her, and her expression changes. She seems scared and runs out of the house breathing heavily and continues on in the muddy soil, paying no attention to where she steps. Rosa looks up; there are dozens of dead lambs on the land.
A natural rope braided in a peculiar manner hangs from the neck of each dead lamb. The image shatters Rosa. The cold runs through her in every sense possible.
Throughout this segment, we recreated everything from scratch, every breath, every actor’s movement, every animal sound, every layer of environment with its own density, ending with the brutal dog attack that killed Rosa’s father. Throughout this journey, there is a specific treatment for each camera angle that crescendos as the dramatic arc unfolds.
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- Fire: Crackling flames, fiery bursts, and roaring infernos.
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- Water: Splashes, fluid manipulations, and crashing tidal waves.
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What was the most challenging (or second-most challenging, if the above scene was the most challenging) scene for sound? What went into it?
SD: Molding an authentic, magical sound in these two worlds throughout the entire movie was without a doubt the greatest challenge because the dramatic tone between what is real and what is supernatural always entails exploring the proper balance between harmonic and subharmonic sounds in order to evoke emotion in each sequence without sounding dramatic. This treatment makes Sorcery an authentic piece, taking the audience on a journey filled with sound details.
[tweet_box]Making the Magical/Supernatural Sound of Sorcery – with Sound Designer Sergio Diaz[/tweet_box]Indie films typically have restricted budgets and therefore don’t use a lot of CGI for supernatural/fantasy elements. But what these films lack in funds, they make up for in creativity. How were you able to use sound to help the filmmakers achieve a cool supernatural/fantasy illusion without having to put it all on-screen?
SD: As a sound designer and re-recording mixer, I strongly believe that we do not need to see something as an image in order to hear it and feel it, therefore, my creative intention and energy focused more on that scenario, contributing off-screen sound elements to each sequence that would serve a more specific purpose, sensorial and emotional, without losing sight of the fact that we were traversing a border between what is real and what is supernatural.
What have you learned while working on this film that has helped you to grow your craft – as a sound artist and sonic storyteller?
SD: Sorcery invited me to explore and gather sounds that only existed in my imagination, and they became real in the context of the movie between what is real and what is surreal.
Undoubtedly, every project is an adventure, which I enjoy to the fullest extent, and this one was no exception.
This fantastic project allowed me to explore and experience those two worlds, using specific elements such as the sound of nature, glassware sounds, leather sounds, wood sounds, and wind sounds, among others. All of them were molded using recording techniques to enrich the sounds so they became very sonic, crossing between what is natural and what is magical, to be able to go beyond the conventional and form an effective sound proposal capable of evoking that emotion that connects with the audience.
Undoubtedly, every project is an adventure, which I enjoy to the fullest extent, and this one was no exception. I am very grateful to Christopher Murray for putting all his trust in me and thus taking Sorcery to a level where the natural and supernatural coexist in a magical and plausible manner.
A big thanks to Sergio Diaz for giving us a behind-the-scenes look at the sound of Sorcery and to Jennifer Walden for the interview!
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Unleash the raw power of fire, water, earth, and air with this comprehensive 9 GB sound library featuring 3050 high-quality sound effects across 630 files. Whether you’re designing cinematic soundscapes or enhancing video games Four Elements delivers the tools you need to harness the energy of the natural world.
Construction Kit – 2443 Sounds
A treasure trove of raw, organic, and processed sounds including seamless loops divided into Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Explosion categories. Customize every detail with an extensive selection of sound components.
- Organic Fire: Campfire sizzles, torch whooshes, and flame bursts.
- Processed Fire: Distorted impacts and unique crackles.
- Organic Earth: Rock crashes, gravel scrapes, and heavy stone hits.
- Processed Earth: Stylized rumbles and granular textures.
- Organic Water: Ocean waves, hydrophone bubbles, and fluid splashes.
- Processed Water: Underwater whooshes and stylized liquid smashes.
- Organic Air: Bamboo swishes, cloth movements, and pressure bursts.
- Processed Air: Filtered gusts and dynamic noise sweeps.
- Explosion: Firework detonations, Butane bursts, and cinematic impacts.
Building Blocks – 416 Sounds
Game-ready sound layers featuring Impacts, Whooshes, and Textures as seamless loops. Elevate transitions and enhance atmospheres with loops and pre-designed sound layers.
- Fire: Explosive bursts, blazing infernos, and warm embers.
- Earth: Ground-shaking impacts, crumbling terrain, and heavy collisions.
- Water: Cascading waves, serene rivers, and underwater ambiences.
- Air: Whispering breezes, stormy turbulence, and slicing gusts.
Design Kit – 192 Sounds
A collection of ready-to-use sound effects divided into Attack, Bend, and Explosion categories for quick integration into your projects. Perfect for high-energy scenes and immersive storytelling.
- Fire: Crackling flames, fiery bursts, and roaring infernos.
- Earth: Crushing impacts, shifting ground, and massive land eruptions.
- Water: Splashes, fluid manipulations, and crashing tidal waves.
- Air: Slicing winds, swirling currents, and thunderous gusts.
Four Elements gives you complete creative control, blending organic recordings with processed sound layers to meet the demands of any project. Master the forces of nature with Four Elements. Let your creativity ignite.
Keywords:
Elements, Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Wave, Water, Liquid, Rock, Cast, Stone, Pebble, Torch, Gas, Flame, Campfire, Sizzle, Burst, Scrape, Whoosh, Impact, Texture, Attack, Bend, Bending, Explosion, Processed, Surge, Quake, Hit, Flow, Burn, Ignite, Drop, Smack, Destruction, Rumble, Hiss, Blow, Wind, Cloth, Movement, Underwater, Bubble, Ocean, River, Lake, Firework, Firecracker, Bang, Blast, Detonation, Magic, Fantasy, Forces, Fire Magic, Water Magic, Earth Magic, Fire Air, Fire Effect, Fire Whoosh, Water Whoosh, Seamless Loop, Loop, Fire Cast, Water Cast, Earth Cast, Air Cast
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THE RAW SOUND OF CINEMATIC FIGHTING VIOLENT COMBAT is a professional sound effects library built for fight scenes that demand impact. Packed with punch sound effects, fight sound effects, and powerful combat sound effects, it delivers everything from raw realism to over-the-top cinematic action. With improved fidelity and greater variation than its predecessor CLOSE COMBAT, this collection gives sound designers production-ready audio for film, TV, and games.
From Realism to Cinematic ExaggerationDial in the tone you need with dedicated categories: Martial Arts, Grounded, Over The Top, and Gory. Whether it’s kung fu sound effects, karate sounds, or exaggerated wrestling hits, you can shift seamlessly from authentic to stylised.
Successor to Close CombatVIOLENT COMBAT builds on the legacy of CLOSE COMBAT with higher fidelity recordings, better-organised categories, and more variation. It’s the ideal companion, giving you the flexibility to cover every style of fight scene.
Sounds That Land With ForceRecorded with a wide range of props and techniques, each fighting sound effect has real weight. Where needed, selective pre-processing boosts impact, avoiding the flat results of real fight recordings.
Production-Ready and VersatileEqually at home in film, TV drama, high-end game audio, or immersive theatre. From knockout sound effects to stylised fight sequences, Violent Combat is ready to drop straight into your mix.
Included Sounds – KEYWORDS
AIR, BODYFALL, CLOTH, CRUNCH, FINISHER, FURNITURE, GORE, GRAB, GRAPPLE, IMPACT, KICK, LEATHER, MARTIAL ARTS, METAL, MOVEMENT, PLASTIC, PUNCH, SLAP, SWISH, SWOOSH, THROW, WHOOSH
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638 meticulously processed stereo fire spells sound effects recorded in 96 khz and 24 bits for high audio definition.
The collection comes with hundreds of variations, more than 1 hour of content and many different type of fire spells. It also includes source sounds for more flexibility for your projects.
This collection is perfect for any films, video games or trailers.
The library is fully focused on fire spells. You will find simple one shot magic firebolt, powerful high level fire spells, fire sword, berserker enchantments and so on. Spells such as fireball, firewall, rain of fire, meteor, fire nova, magma storm, pyroblast, sword of Avernus, etc. are included in this library.
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