Like a seashell to your ear, we are here. In this extra special episode of To the White Sea we are thrilled and honored to welcome Academy Award-winning sound editor Skip Lievsay, who has worked on more Coen brothers movies than the Coen brothers themselves! This paradox wrapped in an enigma will be unraveled along with so much more.

Together we listen closely to scenes of “perfect quiet” when the volume of the soundtrack drops down to almost zero, yet it’s in this zone where a whole galaxy of perception may be unlocked. We explore how these quiet scenes build tension, intimacy, tactility, and subjectivity. We also discuss Skip’s fascinating working relationship with the Coens, as well as Martin Scorsese, Terrence Malick, and Darren Aronofsky.

Immense thanks to Skip Lievsay, Kyle Miller, Mitchell Wareham, and Nina Leitenberg for their time and effort. Mega special thanks to Kate Sanford making this connection.

Coens Covered: Blood Simple, The Big Lebowski, The Man Who Wasn’t There, No Country for Old Men, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Plus: The New World