Interview: The ‘A Complete Unknown’ Sound Team Explains How the Timothée Chalamet Drama Broke New Ground

Ted Caplan (Supervising Music Editor), Tod Maitland (Sound Mixer), Paul Massey (Re-Recording Mixer), David Giammarco (Re-Recording Mixer), and  Donald Sylvester (Supervising Sound Editor )—the Oscar-nominated sound team behind A Complete Unknown – join Awards Buzz for a wide-ranging conversation that celebrates their work on the James Mangold-directed drama about the music of Bob Dylan (Timothée Chalamet).

Each member of the quintet has worked with Mangold before but agrees that, from the outset, A Complete Unknown felt different. The goal was to put movie audiences in the shoes of concertgoers experiencing Dylan’s genius for the first time. The film features dozens of live musical numbers, some intimate and some wild and raucous—but each equally captivating, unique, and challenging to create. The magnitude and sheer scope of the sound design in A Complete Unknown is impressive. And the team is rightfully proud. What also stands out is how much the opportunity to push the bounds of their craft further has meant to them. A reminder that even at the top of your game, there will still be opportunities to learn and new ground to break. A good lesson for us all. And one worthy of Dylan’s talent and legacy.

A Complete Unknown will be released on VOD on February 25th.