The Sound of True Grit

February 05, 2011 - 12:00 AM

“True Grit” is not your typical western movie. It is a tale about some nasty, brutish times that has been adapted by Directors Joel and Ethan Coen from the parodic western novel by Charles Portis.

The sounds of the wild West include tough talking characters, vicious animals, and harsh environments that play a large role in the telling of this story. Helping craft these duties include longtime collaborators Sound Re-recording Mixer and Supervising Sound Editor Skip Lievsay, Sound Re-recording Mixer Greg Orloff and Dialogue/ADR Editor Byron Wilson.

The SoundWorks Collection sat down with the trio to discuss the unique challenges and fun experiences they had on this movie.

The 60-minute discussion was moderated by Bruce Carse.

MOVIE STUDIO

Paramount Pictures

SOUND STUDIO

Sony Studios

DIRECTOR

Ethan Coen & Joel Coen

ORIGINAL MUSIC

Carter Burwell

Synopsis

Following the murder of her father by hired hand Tom Chaney, 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross sets out to capture the killer. To aid her, she hires the toughest U.S. marshal she can find, a man with "true grit," Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn. Mattie insists on accompanying Cogburn, whose drinking, sloth, and generally reprobate character do not augment her faith in him. Against his wishes, she joins him in his trek into the Indian Nations in search of Chaney. They are joined by Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, who wants Chaney for his own purposes. The unlikely trio find danger and surprises on the journey, and each has his or her "grit" tested.

Sound Credits

Douglas Axtell: production sound mixer
Phil Barrie: assistant sound editor
Craig Berkey: sound designer
Craig Berkey: sound re-recording mixer
Sarah Bourgeois: assistant sound editor
Shayna Brown: sound re-recording mixer
Kay Colvin: cable person
Marko A. Costanzo: foley artist
Joel Dougherty: foley editor
Kenton Jakub: adr editor
Bobby Johanson: adr mixer
Randall L. Johnson: boom operator (as Randy Johnson)
Peter F. Kurland: production sound mixer
George A. Lara: foley mixer
Skip Lievsay: sound re-recording mixer
Skip Lievsay: supervising sound editor
Howard London: adr mixer
Greg Orloff: sound re-recording mixer
Jay Wilkinson: sound effects editor
Byron Wilson: dialogue/adr editor
Katy Wood: dialogue editor
Eric Harwood: sound recordist (uncredited)