“Oh S***”: Anora’s Sound Team Unaware of Movie’s Concept During Initial Work

Anora, a 2024 film crafted by the talented Sean Baker, intricately explores the life of Anora “Ani”(played by Mikey Madison), a young escort navigating the complexities of love and ambition in Brooklyn. The narrative takes a dramatic turn as Ani marries Ivan (Mark Eidelstein), the son of a powerful Russian oligarch. What initially seems like a fairytale soon turns into chaos when his parents arrive in New York to annul their marriage. Celebrated for its compelling storytelling and immersive soundscape, Anora has garnered acclaim, achieving an impressive 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This film has not only captivated audiences but also earned several nominations during the awards season, including Best Sound Mixing at the Film Critics Guild Awards.

In a recent conversation with Screen Rant’s Owen Danoff, sound editing supervisor Andy Hay shared insights into the film’s distinctive editing process. Initially, the vibrancy and energy of Anora’s opening scenes led the sound team to categorize the film as a romantic comedy. However, as the editing progressed, the darker, suspense-filled reality of the story unfolded, challenging their initial assumptions. Below, you can find Hay’s revealing thoughts:

“Anora was slightly different. He was like, ‘You’re my guys. Come on back,’ and the reins were a little looser. I think we established that level of trust through the prior films. He was also very much deep in the editing process when he turned over the first four reels to us—he hadn’t actually finished cutting the back half of the movie. That’s just the way he works. He works in a linear fashion from beginning to end and doesn’t do a lot of round-tripping and re-editing. Because of the timeline, we had to get started before the movie was even really finished. So, we started a movie that we thought was a romantic comedy, and it’s like, ‘Oh s***. No, it’s not. It’s actually something else.’

Insights into Hay’s Creative Process for Anora

Creative Evolution Amidst Confusion

Hay’s linear editing style exemplifies the collaborative trust he cultivates with his creative team, including sound expert John Warrin. By providing only partial reels during the film’s production, Hay enabled the sound team to adapt alongside the evolving story. This required a high degree of flexibility, especially as they transitioned from the belief that Anora was simply a romantic comedy to recognizing its deeper, suspenseful undercurrents. Hay’s experience working with Baker on The Florida Project (2017), which similarly used pre-recorded tracks and natural sound to enhance the atmosphere, provided the foundation for tackling this unique challenge.

The role of sound design in Anora is pivotal to its narrative. The film begins with cheerful musical cues and vibrant colors, creating a sense of ease, which gradually shifts to unsettling audio landscapes that underline the film’s ethical dilemmas. Hay’s creative journey, alongside this tonal transformation, surprised both the crew and audiences alike. Their ability to pivot in sound production was vital for the film’s success, which impressively grossed $32.5 million worldwide against a modest budget of $6 million.

Anora has established itself as the highest-grossing limited-release film of 2024, further highlighting its impact on the industry.

Reflection on the Sound Team’s Behind-the-Scenes Experience

The Alignment of Misconception and Narrative Flow

Ivan and Anora hugging while walking around in Vegas with fireworks in the background in Anora-1

Hay’s revelation regarding the behind-the-scenes confusion adds a fascinating layer to Anora. It is rare for a film’s production process to echo the audience’s emotional experience, transitioning from one expectation to an entirely different reality. The sound design’s skillful adaptation to such a significant tonal shift is indeed commendable. Understanding that the sound team operated under such distinctive conditions only enhances the film’s allure, showcasing its intricate craftsmanship.

Source & Images