Dave Whitehead tells the stories behind five unique sounds from Whitehead Collection: Vol. 1
In this video, award-winning sound artist Dave Whitehead (Dune Part 1 & 2, District 9, The Lord of the Rings trilogy) tests his memory by listening to sounds from Whitehead Collection Vol. 1 and providing behind-the-scenes commentary on the recordings.
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0:04 - Hot Metal Sizzle Torch Bent Pipe
For this sound, Dave and his wife Michelle used a gas torch to (safely) heat up a metal pipe, then poured water through it to create strange, sizzling zaps with a flanger-like quality. “They’re quite good for sci-fi weapons and that sort of stuff,” Dave says.
0:56 - Weka Close Loud Call Distant Reply
Also known as the Māori hen, this flightless bird is about the size of a chicken but sounds more like a seagull when making its signature call. Wekas also make a variety of grunts, and “booming calls” similar to an ostrich or emu (but much higher-pitched). “Sound of my childhood,” says Dave.
1:52 - Rocket Launcher Gustav M3
“We had some very kind people that fired a rocket launcher for us and shot it at a car,” says Dave. Technically classified as a recoilless rifle, this shoulder-fired weapon is used by many Western militaries and is capable of firing a variety of anti-tank, anti-personnel, and specialty munitions. “It’s quite a physical thing to record explosives.”
2:28 - Boo Staffie Kelpie Cross Growls
These vicious-sounding growls came from a Staffordshire Bull Terrier/Australian Kelpie mix named Boo – but as menacing as it might sound, this is actually the sound of play. “We were out in the back of the house just ruffling them up,” Dave recalls. “We did more dogs in the ADR room, but it’s much better getting them outside.”
3:31 - Flapping Building Paper on Garage Door
At first, Dave identifies this sound as a tent flap he recorded in a park in Wellington. After listening closer, he corrects himself: it’s actually the sound of an old shed in a windstorm. “It was a horrible, windy day – we ended up going and recording things in the rain afterwards – the shed was just flapping,” he recalls. “It sounded like the tent flap that I used in Dune.”
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