You might say that Karen Baker Landers’ career began as a little girl when her parents gave her a tape recorder. “I used to create stories through sounds,” she remembers, “using footsteps or maybe a soap bottle dropped into the tub as the sound of a body, and then ask my parents to figure out the plot.” From that early beginning, Landers found herself years later as an assistant to legendary sound editor Frank Warner. Her first two films were his last two: Everybody’s All-American and Arthur 2: On The Rocks (1988).
“Frank would get so excited when he found the right sound,” she recalls. “”His enthusiasm was infectious and really gave me a great start in this industry.”
As a contributor to numerous blockbusters and award-winning films since joining Soundelux in 1987, Landers’ enthusiasm continues unabated today. “I really enjoy preparing for a film, reading the script, talking to the director and also doing my own research. The deeper you get into a project the more you are able to bring a new level of intensity or impact to the visual images.” Two of Landers’ projects, Gladiator and Matchstick Men were with director Ridley Scott. “He really loves sound and is so great to work with. For Gladiator we came up with a rich tapestry of strange sounds for ancient Rome, such as the muted trumpeting of elephants to the clanking of metal and hammers hitting stone, which helped create an eerie dramatic presence.”
“I feel very fortunate to be doing this -- it’s really a blast!”
|