Supervising Sound Editor Geoffrey G. Rubay reprises his role from the original animated feature.
Sony Pictures Animation’s monster hit Hotel Transylvania 2, currently topping charts and setting records at the worldwide box office, marks the return of the Drac Pack in an all-new comedy adventure. Like its hit 2012 predecessor, the new film is directed by Genndy Tartakovsky and features the voice talents of Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, and many others.
Also back for the sequel are Supervising Sound Editor Geoffrey G. Rubay and his sound team from Sony Pictures Post Production Services. They worked alongside Re-Recording Mixers Tom Johnson and Michael Semanick, Composer Mark Mothersbaugh and Music Editor Andy Dorfman in building the movie’s soundtrack. Rubay, in fact, has created sound for four animated features for Sony Pictures. He also served as Supervising Sound Editor for both installments of the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs franchise.
“We were thrilled to be working again with Sony Pictures Animation,” says Rubay. “It’s rare to keep a team intact through four features and it has really helped us to refine and up our game.” Other sound crew included Supervising ADR/Dialogue Editor Curt Shulkey, Sound Effects Editors Ryan Collins and John Dunn, Foley Supervisor James Morioka, Foley Editor Jon Wakeham, Foley Artists Sarah Monat and Robin Harlan, Foley Mixer Randy K. Singer, ADR Mixer Howard London, Re-Recording Mix Technician Fred W. Peck III and Apprentice Alec Rubay. ADR Voice Casting was performed by Caitlin McKenna.
As is always the case with sequels, the sound team on Hotel Transylvania 2 was challenged not simply to match their earlier efforts, but to find ways to push further. In this case, there was plenty of opportunity to do so, as the new feature introduces additional characters, locations and plot twists that required inventive sound treatments.
“We had a much wider variety of monsters to work with,” Rubay recalls. “The cronies, who are large man-bats, were an especially interesting challenge.” Rubay and his team created the signature wing sounds produced by these over-sized creatures by blending recordings of cardboard, plastic sheeting, a leather jacket and even lighting gobos borrowed from the Sony Pictures lighting department.
The team was also charged with creating a number of new sound environments as the plot for the new feature has the characters venturing out from their hotel home into the broader world. For one memorable action sequence, recordists captured sounds of motocross racers roaring around a Southern California BMX track.
In some instances, the sound team refined or reimagined sound treatments for returning characters. Notable among these is Blobby, a green Jell-O –like creature whose body is composed of thick gelatinous rings. “The treatments for his voice and movement were very complex,” recalls Rubay. “It was very challenging to capture the blobby-ness of him…his wet, burbling essence.”
Blobby’s voice is actually a mix of several vocal performances. “We took the best bits of the vocalizations and melded them with gurgling, wobbly sounds to create the final product,” says Rubay.
“And it scaled really well,” he adds, noting that at one point, Blobby inflates to the size of a blimp. “We got expansive with it; we let it go with the picture and followed it wherever it led us.”
Tartakovsky was constantly encouraging the sound team to make the sound treatments bigger and better, according to Rubay. “Genndy is a fantastic director,” he notes. “He is good at describing what he wants and he doesn’t deviate. He puts up the target and we try to hit it.”
About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.
2024 AICP Awards Tour Concludes with Stops in Dallas and Chicago
The 2024 AICP Awards Tour concludes with stops in Dallas and Chicago this month as it wraps up its tour of cities across the U.S. The National Tour brought presentations, panels and screenings to marketers, advertising agencies, production and post production companies. The AICP Awards will be in Dallas on Thursday, November 14th, at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, followed by the Chicago event, set for Thursday, November 21st at The Old Post Office. Tickets are available now for both events at www.aicp.com. In Dallas, the program kicks off at 6:45 pm with a happy hour, followed by the screening and panel discussion at 7:30. The evening ends with a networking reception from 8:30 to 11:30. The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is located at 2201 N. Field Street in Dallas. Appearing in Dallas will be Abe Garcia, Chief Creative Officer, Dieste; Julia Melle, Director of Brand and Content, Southwest Airlines; and Isaac Pagán Muñoz, VP, Executive Creative Director of PepsiCo Foods. The panel will review selected winners from the suite of the AICP Awards programs, offering insights into what made them rise to the top of their respective categories and share their viewpoints on key trends in the industry. The Chicago stop starts at 6:00pm with a happy hour, followed by the presentation and screening at 7:00pm. A reception caps the event, starting at 8:00pm and concluding at 11:30pm. The Old Post Office is located at 433 W Van Buren Street in Chicago. The panel there will feature 2024 AICP Awards Curators and Winners from the marketer, agency, production and post production sectors who’ll highlight this year’s winners. The conversation will include a discussion about the winning work, including insights... Read More