Sound
RAGE has been a consistent experience at every stage of the working process: none of the usual rules seemed to apply. In the cutting room the handheld material (no cut-aways, no reverse angles) dictated a different way of editing. The so-called “language” of film - where and how to cut to create pace and energy - seemed irrelevant, even fake, and was not an option.
Similarly, the sound world seemed to reach such degrees of ‘emptiness’ in order to feel ‘full’, that we found we had to re-think the process of hearing itself. This is in large part because most of the big events and action in the story happen (audibly) off-screen. In parallel with listening to the character who is talking we have to absorb a lot of activity that is happening out of sight.
Daniel and I cut, mixed and re-mixed the levels in the cutting room again and again but the final sound mix was in the hands of Vincent Tulli.
He, too, remarked that none of the usual rules seemed to apply. Less was usually (but not always) more. The criteria was to search always for what kept us connected with the core of the material or the character. No empty effects, nothing redundant or gratuitous. It was kind of exhilarating to not be able to take anything for granted.