The Real Halloween

Role:
Sound Design, Music, Audio Post, Mix

Production: The Production Booth
Creative Direction: Anna Lisa Stone & Reeve Rixon
Production Coordinator: Emma Boulton
1st AD: James Cleave
DOP: David Liddellcine
Gaffer: Donald Campbell
Production Designer: Blyth Read
Art Director: Steven Edward Robertson
Editor: Martin Macdonald
VFX: Owen Rixon
Colorist: Matt Williams

Telling the real story of Halloween from its Scottish origins. The Halloween film was created for 12 and 13 year matured Glenrothes whiskies, with slightly different edits. A third film was created with access only via an NFC (Near field communication) chip on the 13-year bottle. Owners of this bottle can be taken to a URL link on their phones to view the exclusive content.

The brief was open for all 3 films with regards to the audio direction. Naturally, with the theme of Halloween the mood focused on dark, broody music and sound design. This supports the narrative of the real Halloween story by guiding the listener through each section of the film. Supplying the necessary emotional cues and moods supporting the haunting and often macabre visuals, whilst leaving enough space for the sound design to provide shocks, scares and tension.

To keep the pace up in slower sections, the production team wanted to find a way to sustain and build energy and tension. The increasing heartbeat style thud seemed the best approach, integrating with a similar subtle pulsing which is heard every time the Glenrothes bottle is shown. This bottle sound is mainly made from a sonogram recording of a heartbeat, implying owners of the bottle can embody the powerful spirit of the Glenrothes.

Working with such a great voice-over talent was a pleasure, as was

working with such a passionate team who helped to keep the audio developing as the films progressed into the final edits.