Today at D23 Expo 2019 the creative team behind the next-level experience of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge took fans behind the scenes to find out more about how they used sounds to fully immerse park goers in a world far, far away.
Here’s a quick panel recap:
- Cory Rouse show director instructed the team that the experience needed to speak to “not just the story of the Jedi, but to anyone who wields a lightsaber and chooses to walk the way of the force”. Together with John Williams who worked remotely on the Galaxy’s Edge Symphonic Suite and WDI’s audio designers, they all aimed to bring together the iconic ambiance of the Star Wars Universe that would make park-goers believe they were living the stories we’ve all grown up with.
- WDI’s John Kessler and Lucasfilm’s Gary Ridestorm worked closely to create the mix for the land including snippets of original sounds like a Wookie taking a shower.
- DJR3X was originally going to have an in land radio signal that would have been a simulcast from his sets at Savi’s Cantina. They ended up adding a Podcast announcement which led to the team having fun creating in-world ads.
- Senior music producer Yaron Spiwak talked about how John Williams was unhappy with the Cantina Music remixes of the past but was pleased with the care the Galaxy’s Edge team took with DJR3X’s take on “Mad About Me”. He described it as “Well, that’s perfectly lovely.”
- More music is coming! They’re currently working on the music for the Halycron’s Upper Crust Supper Club, which will be a part of the offerings on the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser multi-day experience at Walt Disney World. They hope folks will be able to see it in about a year. So fingers crossed!
- We got to experience a live performance of Oola Shuka and a got a in-world card with a download of a playlist (available to listen to online here) of music!
We’re so excited about the level of dedication and immersion coming into Galaxy’s Edge. Hopefully, with the ongoing world building, we will get more variations on transmissions overheard in the land and in the Disney Play App experience. We’re still hoping that Disneyland will get some live performers as well in it’s future and maybe that sit-down restaurant. We can’t wait to get more news and revisit the land in the hopes of hearing something new every time we go!
Visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland in Anaheim CA and Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida!
