I remember the 2017's Oscars (and who could forget after the "Moonlight" envelope incident?) when sound editor Sylvain Bellemare was announced as
winner for his work in "Arrival" and thinking why such an odd selection as I remembered that film as being quite silent. The change of perception came
after rewatching the film; seeing this special; and also the current trend of what the Academy is choosing for Best Sound winners (now only one category
instead of mixing and editing categories). The trend is going for the minimalist use where the sound is no longer about just new techniques but mostly about how
it can tell a story and how it important is its use or non-use ("Sound of Metal", "Zone of Interest" are some recent examples).
Bellemare and others share the concept behind the aliens sounds, the creation of them, and how the creatures have a particular sound design
that it's unlike any other sci-fi created up until then where's usually used effects on words, monstrous sounds. There's also room for discussion
on other sounds used, such as the dialogues revolving on computers, skype and phones. It's an interesting material for
anyone who has an interest on working with movie sounds or have a great curiosity about Denis Villeneuve's film and that particular aspect of the
film. 8/10.
