How well do you know the sound of Bond and Bourne? In this episode, Dan and Tom sit down with a three-time Oscar winner for sound design and editing, Per Hallberg.

If you love spy movies and the sounds in those movies, this is the conversation you have been waiting for. Per helped shape the sound of BRAVEHEART, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, SKYFALL, SPECTRE, and many more movies. He says the best sound is the sound you never notice. So, we asked him to show us everything we missed.

Per’s road to Hollywood is a great story on its own. He grew up on a small island off the coast of Sweden. He was a math teacher, a carpenter, and a nightclub worker before he ever cut a sound. Then a trip to America and one new friend sent his life in a whole new direction.

From there, we head straight into the Bourne movies and the Daniel Craig era of Bond. Per explains why Bourne never grunts in a fight. He shows how sound guides your eyes when the camera won’t sit still. And he talks about the quiet moments that make the loud ones hit so hard. Although the discussion focuses on Bond and Bourne, some of his other movies are used as examples as well.

You’ll also hear what it was like to work with Sam Mendes, Paul Greengrass, and Ridley Scott. Some directors let him build it his way. Others had very different ideas.

Grab your headphones for this one. You’ll never hear these movies the same way again.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

The director who wanted organ music over a giant battle scene, and the one thing Per asked for first.
How silence is handled
Why Per warned Paul Greengrass he might get seasick watching his own movie.
The secret behind that whistling wind in the Shanghai tower scene of SKYFALL.
What is Jason Bourne’s sound
The surprising car behind the roar of Bond’s Aston Martin in SKYFALL.
The hidden sound SKYFALL plants early that pays off in a big way later.
How our eyes affect what we hear

We are certain that you will learn something new HEAR about how movies are made (sorry, we couldn’t resist that pun).

What do you think of our discussion of the sound of Bond and Bourne?

How much of what Per Hallberg told us was new to you? What is your favorite sound in a spy movie? Can you identify the sounds of the different spies? Can you now identify the sound of Bond and Bourne?

Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you think of this episode. Just drop us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com.

You can check out all our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. In addition, you can check out our YouTube channel as well.

Episode Webpage: https://spymovienavigator.com/episode/the-sound-of-bond-and-bourne-with-oscar-winner-per-hallberg