Dolby Institute Fellowship Film
Nine Days is a moving and melancholy meditation on what it means to be human. Will (Winston Duke) spends his days in limbo, where souls undergo a rigorous interview process before being selected for life. But things are soon disrupted when Emma (Zazie Beetz), a candidate unlike the others, forces him to reckon with his own past.
The visual design of writer/director Edson Oda’s film created great opportunities for creative sound design. “The world Edson builds for Nine Days is so intriguing,” said Dolby Institute Director Glenn Kiser. “We knew giving him and the talented artists at Skywalker Sound access to Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos would greatly enhance their ability to take the audience on a very emotional journey. The way they use Dolby Atmos, particularly during the last wish sequences, is truly spectacular.”
The Dolby Institute Fellowship was created to support independent filmmakers who are using sound and image in unique and creative ways to express their stories. Nine Days is the 2020 recipient of the Fellowship and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Hear Edson Oda talk about the origins of the film and how Dolby Atmos helped him enhance the emotional link between the characters and the audience.
Designing the sounds of limbo
Hear the sound team from Nine Days discuss how they overcame the challenges of creating sound for such an emotionally complex film. Mac Smith (supervising sound editor and sound designer), Antonio Pinto (composer), and Brandon Proctor (re-recording mixer) talk about the multitude of sound palettes used to convey the interiority of each character as well as the atmospheric landscape of limbo.
Designing the sounds of limbo
Hear the sound team from Nine Days discuss how they overcame the challenges of creating sound for such an emotionally complex film. Mac Smith (supervising sound editor and sound designer), Antonio Pinto (composer), and Brandon Proctor (re-recording mixer) talk about the multitude of sound palettes used to convey the interiority of each character as well as the atmospheric landscape of limbo.
Sound is emotion. We always think of Atmos for these huge moments, but there are so many moments that are simple and intimate and Atmos can add to those moments to create a new environment that feels like you just want to lean forward.
Edson Oda, Director, Nine Days
Dolby Institute Fellowships
Now in its eighth year, the Dolby Institute Fellowship program gives independent filmmakers support and access to cutting-edge Dolby tools to fully realize their creative vision. Partnerships with the Sundance Institute, Chicken & Egg Pictures, and SFFILM help films find wide audiences.