Scott Gershin (first row, third from left) and his Transformer One sound team.

Results

The ultimate goal for Josh and our team was to support the telling of this story and to create dynamics and sonic phrasing for the different moments of tension and release both within each individual scene as well as the arc of the whole movie. While this movie is a visual treat, it also has huge story arcs and not only did we have to create a unique sonic universe from scratch but we also made strategic decisions as to what we wanted the audience to focus on and what to feel in any given moment. This collaborative and innovative approach helped us meet the challenges of creating a memorable sound experience for the film. For all of the fans out there, we created different styles of transformations as the characters grew to become who we now know them as today. Finally, we ended the movie with the iconic 1980s signature transformation sounds because they have become the characters we know and love.

The Solution

Collaborating closely with the Director Josh was crucial to the success of the sound team. We spent significant time reviewing and refining ideas to ensure the sound design complemented the visual storytelling. Our goal was to establish a sonic vocabulary that captured the essence of this metallic world while giving each character a unique audio signature that conveyed their identity and evolution. We experimented in creating the sounds of Cybertron such as the race, manipulating different vehicles and playing with dopplers to give the different autobots their own unique sound. We also designed the creature ships to sound more like a creature than a vehicle, designed the surface of the planet and the floating train to have an aggressiveness and energy that turned it into an E ticket ride. The unique movements when one of the legendary primes reawakens from an ancient battle was something else we were very purposeful about creating. Every aspect of this film’s sound design was strategic and thought through, including coming up with a solution to the simple sound of the Transformers’ movements and walking both within Cybertron and on the surface.

The Idea

One of my first projects when I started as a sound designer was working on the Transformers cartoons in the 80’s. Since then, the audience’s taste for sonic complexity, immersion and high quality sound design has evolved.

Josh, our director, wanted a new approach to the sound rather than repeating what had been done previously. Because this beloved franchise has been around for quite a while, we knew the audience was used to hearing a certain style of sound design. However, we wanted to introduce an updated unique sonic approach to the sound design language of the Transformers . To do this, I explored a wide array of technologies, from vintage synthesizers and audio hardware and software, to the latest audio technology, we used it all to create the vast library of sounds needed to support this film. I experimented with vocoders, ring modulators, guitars and guitar pedals, vintage synthesizers and even some new software that hadn’t been released yet. I did some field recording too, which included a number of dense metal objects to create the organic elements for the transformations. Because the Transformers had never met human beings at the point this story was taking place, nothing would be based on vehicle sound effects like in previous movies, so that was out of the question. We discussed what they would be made of and landed on titanium and metals that didn’t ring out or have a flabbiness to them like sheet metal does. I also looked at fiberglass and hard plastics. Also, the surface of the planet was metal and metal on metal clacking and banging non-stop would quickly become annoying so that presented its own unique set of challenges.

Transformers One - Official Trailer | 2024

The Challenge

When we were creating the sound design for the reimagined origin story for Transformers franchise, the challenge was to create a sonic style for this iconic franchise while still giving the audience what they were expecting to hear. We had to design distinct signature sounds for each of the characters as well as create an immersive auditory experience to support the unique world of Cybertron, its technology and its inhabitants.

Josh, the director, aimed for a sound that would not only embody the Transformer mythology but also provide individuality to each character through their specific sound profiles.