Recorded live at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, Academy Award®-nominated director (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) Carlos López Estrada once again brings together a panel of first-time feature filmmakers making their world premieres at the festival. These five directors have graciously joined us to offer some insights in how to navigate the first-time filmmaker experience at Sundance, as well as how they overcame the challenges of getting their films made in the first place.

Joining the discussion are:

- Eva Victor - “Sorry, Baby”

- Joel Alfonso Vargas - “Mad Bills to Pay: (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)”

- Cole Webley - “Omaha”

- Katarina Zhu - “Bunnylovr”

- Sierra Falconer - “Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)”

This is another amazing conversation which is part of our ongoing “Satellite Sessions” series, which we’re bringing to you in partnership with Antigravity Academy and the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment. 

Follow @antigravityacademy and @capeusa for more information on even more upcoming panels.

Antigravity Academy

CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment)

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You can also check out the video for this episode.

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Table of Contents: CINEMATOGRAPHY

01:38 - “The Brutalist” - Lol Crawley

02:52 - “Dune: Part Two” - Greig Fraser

04:36 - “Emilia Pérez” - Paul Guilhaume

06:48 - “Maria” - Ed Lachman

09:08 - “Nosferatu” - Jarin Blaschke

ORIGINAL SCORE

10:29 - “The Brutalist” - Daniel Blumberg

11:18 - “Conclave” - Volker Bertelmann

13:04 - “Emilia Pérez” - Clément Ducol and Camille

14:20 - “Wicked” - John Powell and Stephen Schwartz

15:39 - “The Wild Robot” - Kris Bowers

SOUND

18:06 - “A Complete Unknown” - Tod A. Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey and David Giammarco

19:41 - “Dune: Part Two” - Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill

20:57 - “Emilia Pérez” - Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldère, Maxence Dussère, Cyril Holtz and Niels Barletta

22:59 - “Wicked” - Simon Hayes, Nancy Nugent Title, Jack Dolman, Andy Nelson and John Marquis

24:26 - “The Wild Robot” - Randy Thom, Brian Chumney, Gary A. Rizzo and Leff Lefferts

This past year featured some of the most stunning, innovative, and groundbreaking work in the categories of Cinematography, Original Score, and Sound. And since we’ve been diligently interviewing the artists and teams who have received Academy Award® nominations in those categories, we offer you this special round-up episode — to help give some greater insight into how to cast your final votes. The soundbites in this episode are mere snippets from the discussions we’ve been conducting through the past several months. If you’d like to take a deeper dive:

FULL EPISODES, BY CATEGORY:

= CINEMATOGRAPHY =

“The Brutalist”

237 - Lol Crawley and the Cinematography of The Brutalist - Feb 10th, 2025

YouTube: https://youtu.be/d342-st5dvg

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Txxk3xNAcmItPwsm9GquP

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/237-lol-crawley-and-the-cinematography-of-the-brutalist/id1549901182?i=1000690773442

“Dune: Part Two”

189 - Greig Fraser and the Cinematography of Dune: Part Two - March 5th, 2024

YouTube: https://youtu.be/39p8wPkhmtM

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5WMtD1WbGGVBgrlQtSFzON

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/189-greig-fraser-and-the-cinematography-of-dune-part-two/id1549901182?i=1000648108720

“Emilia Pérez”

220 - The Making of Emilia Pérez - Dec 4th, 2024

YouTube: https://youtu.be/VZruPNqHv3w

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1YHHeGMGzBwdTIXlHKAgz2

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/220-the-making-of-emilia-p%C3%A9rez/id1549901182?i=1000679018480

“Maria”

236 - Ed Lachman and the Cinematography of Maria - Feb 7th, 2025

YouTube: https://youtu.be/y1uEx9BXDZ4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/30e3JLc9xRTLZfgg7c0cPd?si=05899a44c1794989

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/236-ed-lachman-and-the-cinematography-of-maria/id1549901182?i=1000689894968

“Nosferatu”

231 -  Jarin Blaschke, Robert Eggers, and the Cinematography of Nosferatu - Jan 28th, 2025

YouTube: https://youtu.be/uhYLPTwSfVY

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0zzEkGX2fQL9FxwtfhCBT7

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/231-jarin-blaschke-robert-eggers-and-the/id1549901182?i=1000686124650

= ORIGINAL SCORE =

“The Brutalist”

233 - Daniel Blumberg and the Music of The Brutalist - Feb 3rd, 2025

YouTube: https://youtu.be/ohPBfMo2v98

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1xhqAR0GUvybmOGvcaqhZo?si=c679bc6941224e1a

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/233-daniel-blumberg-and-the-music-of-the-brutalist/id1549901182?i=1000688454940

“Conclave”

232 - Volker Bertelmann and the Music of Conclave - Jan 31st, 2025

YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z7xlFXTr3VQ

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0W4oIIRCzpoiMF4w5thSpR?si=51e129b468dd4c29

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/232-volker-bertelmann-and-the-music-of-conclave/id1549901182?i=1000687473584

“Emilia Pérez”

220 - The Making of Emilia Pérez - Dec 4th, 2024

YouTube: https://youtu.be/VZruPNqHv3w

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1YHHeGMGzBwdTIXlHKAgz2

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/220-the-making-of-emilia-p%C3%A9rez/id1549901182?i=1000679018480

“Wicked”

219 - The Music of Wicked - Nov 27th, 2024

YouTube: https://youtu.be/_qF9_qT_ztk

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/79mdpMosImmdtKDUoDIF6g

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/219-the-music-of-wicked/id1549901182?i=1000678378961

“The Wild Robot”

235 - Kris Bowers and the Music of The Wild Robot - Feb 5th, 2025

YouTube: https://youtu.be/fM1nvk52v_4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3TseTaQbcFpWncZplcFLzU?si=9a1ef6b7ff4d49f0

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/235-kris-bowers-and-the-music-of-the-wild-robot/id1549901182?i=1000689221474

= SOUND =

“A Complete Unknown”

223 - Director James Mangold and the Sound and Music of A Complete Unknown - Dec 9th, 2024

YouTube: https://youtu.be/_R3WD_QxzP4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/64jXgTdR4Y18dqqZKmIZft

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/223-director-james-mangold-and-the-sound-and/id1549901182?i=1000679725091

“Dune: Part Two”

217 - Director Denis Villeneuve and the Sound of Dune: Part Two - Nov 21st, 2024

YouTube: https://youtu.be/wIDs4H82EQ0

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2JRC52F4oMdBguMrtSorBp

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/217-director-denis-villeneuve-and-the-sound-of-dune-part-two/id1549901182?i=1000677747309

“Emilia Pérez”

220 - The Making of Emilia Pérez - Dec 4th, 2024

YouTube: https://youtu.be/VZruPNqHv3w

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1YHHeGMGzBwdTIXlHKAgz2

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/220-the-making-of-emilia-p%C3%A9rez/id1549901182?i=1000679018480

“Wicked”

222 - Director Jon M. Chu and the Sound and Editing Wizards of Wicked - Dec 6th, 2024

YouTube: https://youtu.be/nD0gzHEkGpk

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3DHMp9iqGCXH3IUcwoZTKb

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/222-director-jon-m-chu-and-the-sound-and/id1549901182?i=1000679449382

- AND -

234 - Capturing Wicked's Live Singing with Simon Hayes - Feb 4th, 2025

YouTube: https://youtu.be/h-riEjOFM60

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7bNckC02essYgzzPggMleM?si=f357bb82399b4e84

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/234-capturing-wickeds-live-singing-with-simon-hayes/id1549901182?i=1000688810671

“The Wild Robot”

210 - The Sound of The Wild Robot, with Writer/Director Chris Sanders - Oct 1st, 2024

YouTube: https://youtu.be/QaZIU8egZYg

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5i0jNA06OcpswgMmIElmai

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ro/podcast/210-the-sound-of-the-wild-robot-with/id1549901182?i=1000671390545

If you enjoy episodes like this, where we share our in-depth conversations with artists and filmmakers, please subscribe to Dolby Creator Talks wherever you get your podcasts.

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Academy Award®-nominated cinematographer Lol Crawley joins us to discuss his approach to "The Brutalist," the epic indie film from writer / director Brady Corbet. Crawley delves into his decision to shoot the film in VistaVision, how it shaped the film’s aesthetic, and his use of practical lighting to create its atmospheric look. He also shares insights into how they executed the film’s many “oners” (one-shot scenes), the challenges of capturing the marble quarry sequence, and how his cinematography reinforces the film’s themes of ambition, displacement, and artistic legacy.

“The VistaVision shot… it's a little bit like anamorphic, in the sense of [it capturing] two things in one. You get this intimacy, but you also have this wide field of view. So you see the world, and you see the performance. And I think that's what gives the film a certain grandeur. And its debt to early 50s, 60s American cinema.”

—Lol Crawley, Director of Photography, "The Brutalist"

Be sure to check out “The Brutalist,” now in theaters.

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Academy Award®-nominated cinematographer Ed Lachman joins us to discuss his gorgeous cinematography on “Maria,” directed by Pablo Larraín. The seasoned director of photography shares his approach to blending formats — including 35mm, Super 8, and 16mm — to capture the operatic essence of Maria Callas’s life, as well as his use of color psychology, lighting techniques, and period-specific film stocks to evoke emotion and authenticity.

"Opera and cinema are very similar… Opera's images are not representational either. Like cinema. And they create the subtext for the emotions of the story. And what helps to create the nonverbal form of communication is the same thing that happens in music of the opera. It's a heightened reality… I felt the film could be a representation if her life, mirrored in the operas that she sang in. And even though people say she was the sum of the tragedies of the opera she sang, I believe she had the resistance and strength to overcome."

—Ed Lachman, Director of Photography, “Maria”

Be sure to check out “Maria,” now streaming on Netflix, in Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos®.

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Academy Award®-nominated composer Kris Bowers joins guest host Jon Burlingame to discuss his stunning orchestral score for "The Wild Robot," directed by Chris Sanders. The composer dives deep into how he crafted the film’s sonic landscape, incorporating orchestral textures, electronic elements, and unique percussive sounds. He also shares insights into his collaboration with director Chris Sanders and how becoming a parent influenced his emotional approach to crafting the film’s original score.

“Chris [Sanders] talked about the role that music was going to need to play in this film... He already knew there were going to be these long stretches where we would have little to no dialogue. And he was trusting that music could help tell the story in those moments… Because for him, the idea of kindness as a survival technique, that was very, very key to the story... Really this idea of music needing to have this vulnerability, this warmth, clear melodic statements, and then also having the ability to go from small intimate moments to really big, huge action sequences.”

—Kris Bowers, Composer, "The Wild Robot"

Be sure to check out “The Wild Robot,” now available to stream and on Blu-ray, in Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos®.

The soundtrack to “The Wild Robot” by Kris Bowers is also available to stream on Apple Music in Dolby Atmos!

And don’t miss our previous episode on the sound of “The Wild Robot,” with writer and director Chris Sanders.

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You can also check out the video for this episode.

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Academy Award®-winning production sound mixer Simon Hayes joins us to discuss his groundbreaking work on “Wicked.” Nominated for his third Oscar®, Hayes shares how he captured live vocals on set, blending the technical innovation with the emotional. He reflects on lessons learned from “Les Misérables,” how he worked seamlessly with the music department, and the intricate process of ensuring performers like Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande had the freedom to deliver their most powerful performances while always staying in sync with the film’s score.

"We had no idea that when Cynthia and Ari sung together, their voices would mesh the way that they did. And something very, very special happens when those two sing together… That first time when I had my cans on, and they were dueting, and the hairs on the back of my neck started standing up, and you get that tingle… You just know, as a sound mixer, 'My God, we've struck gold.' This is something very unique and special."

—Simon Hayes, Production Sound Mixer, “Wicked”

Be sure to check out “Wicked,” now available to stream at home in Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos®.

And don’t miss our previous episode featuring Stephen Schwartz and the music team behind “Wicked, as well as our episode with Director Jon M. Chu and the film’s post-production team.

You can also check out the video for this episode.

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Academy Award®-nominated composer Daniel Blumberg joins guest host Jon Burlingame to discuss his evocative and unconventional music for "The Brutalist," directed by Brady Corbet, which earned the film an Oscar® nomination for Best Original Score. Blumberg shares how his long-time friendship with Corbet influenced the creative process, how he crafted the film’s musical language using improvisational techniques, and how he recorded some of the score’s most striking pieces — including a live jazz sequence and a prepared piano overture, which was played on set to help choreograph the movement of one of the film’s opening sequences.

"[Brady Corbet] wanted to shoot the overture [of] Laszlo leaving the Holocaust behind, arriving in New York, and the optimism of seeing the Statue of Liberty to music. So that was one of my first priorities: To create a demo that would work on set… I had this sample of a piano that I’d prepared in London. This sort of percussive piano where you interfere with the strings… John Cage put screws in between strings, and that was a sound that felt right… A few weeks later, we were playing it really loud on the set. And it was great because the cinematographer could move to the music and Adrian could move to the music and the music could cue the extras… I think it was successful in terms of having an impact for the opening of the film.”

—Daniel Blumberg, Composer, "The Brutalist"

Be sure to check out “The Brutalist,” now playing in theaters.

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Academy Award®-winning composer Volker Bertelmann joins guest host Jon Burlingame to discuss his tense and atmospheric score for “Conclave,” directed by Edward Berger. Nominated for his third Oscar, Bertelmann — who won in 2023 for Berger’s “All Quiet on the Western Front” — shares how he crafted the film’s unique musical palette, eschewing the sounds of traditional church music in favor of experimental instruments like the Cristal Baschet. He also discusses his approach to scoring thrillers as well as his deep collaboration with Berger.

“[Edward Berger’s] feeling is that music is a third dimension, in a way. That it's something that adds a layer to the film… You can create links to scenes, but you can also use music detached from what you see… You can use it in areas where it's already starting to give someone a feeling, that you don't see in the scene, but somehow… undercurrent-ly… starts to rise… What I think Edward works a lot with is building tension up, but then cutting the music pretty hard, into silence. And then you're left in the silence. But the moment where it's cut is very important… It is intentionally being cut at a certain moment, and then there is maybe a natural sound where you suddenly feel much closer to the person than you felt before, because you are alone with a person in silence.”

—Volker Bertelmann, Composer, “Conclave”

Be sure to check out “Conclave,” now in theaters and available to stream in Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos®.

Volker Bertelmann’s soundtrack to “Conclave” is also available to stream on Apple Music in Dolby Atmos.

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We are joined by Director of Photography and first-time Academy Award® nominee Jarin Blaschke, as well as Director Robert Eggers, to discuss the stunning cinematography of “Nosferatu.” Together, the frequent collaborators delivered a gothic masterpiece, blending German romanticism and chilling horror into stunning, painterly visuals. In this conversation, Eggers and Blaschke discuss the meticulous development of the film’s look, the challenges of shooting with practical lighting, and their shared love for highly composed one-take shots. From the fog-drenched crossroads to the eerie interiors of Orlok's castle, the pair reveal the painstaking care and simple, practical ingenuity that brought this cinematic fever dream to life.

“I’m just trying to curate life… What kind of optics just feel right? The little flare around the windows. What is the lens that just feels nice? Let’s just look at a bunch of those. Let’s have lenses made. We’re very privileged in that we can do that now and see what that looks like.”

—Jarin Blaschke, Director of Photography, “Nosferatu”

This conversation was a live webinar as part of Dolby Creator Lab’s partnership with Sundance Collab, the digital platform from the Sundance Institute designed for filmmakers, with exclusive webinars, curated resources, and free educational videos.

Be sure to check out “Nosferatu” in Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos®, in select theaters.

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You can also check out the video for this episode.

Our previous episode with Robert Eggers and Sound Designer Damian Volpe, discussing the sound of "Nosferatu,” is now on YouTube.

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Mix engineer and producer Cian Riordan as wells as mix engineer Matt Cerritos join guest host Ben Givarz to discuss their work on St. Vincent’s seventh studio album, “All Born Screaming,” which garnered critical acclaim and four GRAMMY® nominations, and is now available in stunning Dolby Atmos®. Cian and Matt discuss the recording and mixing process, how they collaborated to re-mix the album in Dolby Atmos, and the unique opportunities this immersive audio format provided to elevate the experience of the album and give it new dimensionality, while maintaining its emotional and sonic integrity.

“Going in, being extremely happy with the stereo mixes, I didn’t want Atmos to be something that was drastically different. I still wanted to have it play the same ‘tricks’ on the listener [and] hit people the same way. With Atmos, it’s a little bit more difficult because you can’t really rely on having a heavy-handed mix bus. Loudness all has to be perceived because of the headroom requirements for the Atmos format. So it’s a different way of wrapping your head around it. And Matt, from doing this day-in and day-out, knew how to approach a lot of these concepts that we were bringing, creatively. And he really helped technically execute. It was a really fun process.”

—Cian Riordan, Mix Engineer and Producer, “All Born Screaming” by St. Vincent

You can listen to St. Vincent’s “All Born Screaming,” as well as many other classic and contemporary artists in Dolby Atmos, on enabled streaming services.

Interested in creating content in Dolby Atmos? Check out our FREE resources to give you a jump start!

- Dolby Atmos Music Accelerator: https://www.dolby.com/creator-lab/music-accelerator/

- Dolby Atmos Essentials Course: https://learning.dolby.com/

- Dolby Atmos Music Support: https://professional.dolby.com/music/Professional-resources/

To find out more about St. Vincent, check out:

https://ilovestvincent.com

To learn more about Just For The Record Studios, go to:

https://justfortherecord.com

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