Our Head of Sound, Debajit Changmai has been featured in Raindance reminiscing on a career spanning two decades. From his role at FutureWorks to unpacking the many intricacies of working in a sound department, Debajit sheds light on his collaborations with some of the most-respected directors in the film industry.
“Sound should be felt, rather than heard,” says Debajit. “We have the creative freedom to add any sounds, as long as they match the creative vision and the mood of the film. The beauty of sound mixing is that it's not a technical thing— it's all about flowing with the scene.”
Debajit unearths the mysteries surrounding the mixing studio, explaining how it's the one place where all the sound elements come together. Without mixing sound properly, it can spoil elements of the movie — it's an integral part of the filmmaking process.
As a mixing engineer, Debajit believes that audio should be aesthetically correct rather than technically correct. It's not just the attention of the audience that needs guiding, but their emotion too.
Speaking on advances of the future, he identifies that irrespective of the technology, “the core of the film remains the same.” Although it gives mixers more creative freedom, it's constantly changing. Technology is a continuous learning opportunity that shouldn't be misused.