Record-breaking, box-office smashing America’s sweetheartTop Gun: Maverickhas been a historical success for cinema and Paramount Pictures this year. It takes more thanTom Cruise’sname on the marqueeto make a stellar pop-cultural icon, and within the necessary elements, this particular film relies heavily on its IMAX-worthy sound. Thanks to the Skywalker Sound team andGE Aviation,Mavericksurpassed its four-Academy-Award-nominee predecessor with a sonic boom.
Boasting atop-of-the-class cast, a score helmed by the original film’s composerHarold FaltermeyerandHans Zimmerand a soundtrack that featuresLady Gaga,Top Gun: Maverickleft the other summer blockbustersin its dust. Of the four Oscar nominations the original 1986Top Gunreceived, three of those were in recognition of the film’s impressive soundscape and editing, which meant thatMaverickwould need to top those expectations for the sequel. In order to achieve this lofty goal, Skywalker Sounds was enlisted as the team of sound engineers best fit for the job. Lead sound designerAl Nelsonwas joined by his colleague and FX recordistBenny Burtt, and the two set out to partner with GE Aviation in order to capture the auditory elements required to masterfully mix and design Maverick’s unlisted star: the sound effects. Executive for GE Aviation,Tom Ledge, said of his work with Skywalker Sounds:
“We discussed his needs and, contrary to my speculation, he did not need sounds from the specific GE F414 powering the F/A-18 Super Hornet, the featured aircraft in the film. He needed a portfolio of jet-engine sounds that would be used in various places in the movie to emphasize a high-tech environment.”
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The US Navy and Paramount Pictures suggested the global builder of jet engines, GE Aviation, to Nelson and Burtt to aid them in their quest to obtain a library of sound. Once their request was granted, the two met up with Ledge, a self-proclaimed aviation film buff who was thrilled to contribute to the Paramount epic. To his surprise, the sound gurus didn’t simply want to record the roar of a F/A-18 Super Hornet - the aircraft used in the film - Nelson and Burtt needed to obtain an entire portfolio of sound that could be tinkered with in the studio, remixed if you will.
With full reign of the 7,000 acre Peebles Test Operation facility, Nelson and Burtt hauled their computers and specialized microphones around the entire “scale of the test facilities,” capturing the gamut of sounds. Under the supervision of GE technicians, the Skywalker Sound team positioned their mics inside test cells to record “the world’s most powerful commercial aviation engine, the mammoth GE9X,” from the moment it purred to life to its maxed capacity. Burtt mused that the “sophistication of the instrumentation was beyond impressive.” Over the course of three days, Skywalker Sound recorded an array of sounds from five different engines, including the F414 that powers Cruise’s aircraft in the film, to create the thunderous rumbles and growls that shook fans in theaters.
Lodge discussed GE Aviation’s collaboration with the US Navy, saying:
“We’ve powered their aircraft for over 70 years and are proud to be a contributor to [the film]. What an inspiration to see our F414s powering a very special member of the cast, the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet.”
Skywalker Sound traces its origins back to 1975 whenGeorge Lucasenlisted the help of Burtt - then a fresh young graduate from the USC School of Cinema & Film - to provide the unforgettable backdrop of sound to the groundbreakingStar Wars. Since that fateful alliance, Skywalker Sound has gone on to professionally create thewhooshesandwhirschildren still, to this day, imitate when battling with their imaginary lightsabers. From the far-off ominous footsteps of the T-Rex inJurassic Parkto Star-Lord’s (Chris Pratt) Milano inGuardians of the Galaxy, Skywalker Sounds have been the masterminds mixing and producing organic sounds to utilize brand-new techniques for legendary aural immersion.
