Behind the scenes: First Man

Director Damien Chazelle’s inner space odyssey of the first man to set foot on the moon required that the filmmakers not only authenticate every detail but also interpret Neil Armstrong’s out-of-this-world experience.

That’s why, instead of the explosion of a rocket, at times you might hear the roar of lions or elephants or even a stampede of wild animals bursting out of the sonic mix.

“Damien wanted space travel to feel like a journey to the underworld since it is somewhere where no-one is supposed to go,” explains sound designer Ai-Ling Lee, who also served as supervising sound editor and re-recording mixer on the film. “At certain points we needed to go deeper into Neil’s psychology and amp up the intensity in ways that might subconsciously surprise you.”

Lee re-united with supervising sound editor Mildred Iatrou Morgan for First Man, after the duo made history with Chazelle’s La La Land as the first female sound team ever to be nominated for an Oscar.

They explain that the director emphasised the need to approach First Man as a documentary, but also sent them a number of films to watch as references for the soundscape he was seeking. In keeping with the lo-fi visual effects and use of 16mm, 35mm and IMAX 65mm, the sound design has a gritty, analogue feel that echoes both the 1960s era and the visceral danger of riding the fragile craft.

For going into space, the touchstone was Das Boot, Wolfgang Petersen’s submarine drama of men confined in a death trap. Son of Saul and Saving Private Ryan were inspirations for emotional tone and audience immersion. The air traffic control chatter in Paul Greengrass’ United 93 was a guide for ground to pilot communications while horror films Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist were highlighted for their off-kilter audio.

“In pre-production Damien sent us…