SoundWorks Collection Interview Series - The Sound of Love and Mercy

This week we talk with the sound team behind Director Bill Pohland’s film, “Love and Mercy” which presents an unconventional portrait of Brian Wilson, the mercurial singer, songwriter and leader of The Beach Boys. Set against the era-defining catalog of Wilson’s music, the film intimately examines the personal voyage and ultimate salvation of the icon whose success came at extraordinary personal cost.

We chat with supervising sound editor Nicholas Renbeck, sound designer and sound re-recording mixer Eugene Gearty and sound re-recording mixer Chris Jenkins.

ABOUT LOVE AND MERCY:

Bill Pohlad’s Love & Mercy, a biopic of Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson, focuses on two distinct periods in the songwriter’s life. One timeline follows Wilson (played as a younger man by Paul Dano) as he quits performing live in order to focus on the creation of the album {^Pet Sounds}, the single “Good Vibrations,” and the eventually discarded album {^Smile}. During this period of intense work, Wilson’s mental-health issues grow worse. The other section of the film features John Cusack as an older Wilson, as he attempts to escape the influence of a manipulative doctor (Paul Giamatti) who has become a totalitarian guru to him. Helping him in this endeavor is a car saleswoman named Melinda (Elizabeth Banks). Love & Mercy screened at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.