Right now, it's hard to find a movie pleasing more crowds than Wicked. It's racing toward the box office's billion-dollar mark and capturing new and old fans' hearts. My wife and I have seen it three times, and I'm waiting for the venture that won't involve us crying at a bunch of songs and then signing them on the ride home. We'll see. Wicked also made a lot of headlines not just because of the people in the crowds singing but also because all the singing in the movie was performed live. That means the sound department had to take the actors' production audio and build the soundscape in and around them. It was a huge job that fell to Wicked Sound Department Head Simon Hayes, who did masterful work with the complicated task at hand for this particular musical. We were lucky enough to sit down with Simon to talk about his work on the film. Grab your broomsticks and let's nose dive into our interview below. - YouTube www.youtube.com Editor's note: the following interview is edited for length and clarity. No Film School: How were you approached for Wicked and what were those early conversations with director M. Chu like? Simon Hayes: During my first conversation with Jon, he immediately shared his vision. “My instinct tells me this has got to be live,” he said. “We have two actresses who are not only phenomenal singers but also seasoned recording artists. This film is going to be massive—the sets,...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Wednesday, 18 December