Netflix sound designer 'La casa de papel' says

We had the opportunity to speak with José Ignacio Arrufat, who is the person responsible for the sound design of such series as “La casa de papel,” “El barco,” and “Vis a vis.”

When it comes to the alchemical jigsaw of components that are movies and television shows, it is one of the components that does not receive the most attention. Sound is like a younger brother; it is obviously less stunning than the image, but it is unquestionably just as vital in the end result as the image. Just like everything else that shines on the screen, it requires a very complex process of planning, production, and most importantly, post-production.

In this conversation, we had the opportunity to speak with a true specialist on the topic, one of the most relevant people in the industry, who has worked as a sound designer on a number of highly popular films and television programs. This is José Ignacio Arrufat, who is responsible for the sound design of a number of hit television shows, including “La casa de papel,” “El internado – Las cimas,” and “La valla…” He has been responsible for the sound design of a number of films in the film industry, including “A todo tren 2” and “Vacaciones de verano,” both of which were directed by Santiago Segura.

While he is the one who tells us that “it is just another tool to tell the story,” he also reminds us that there are specific circumstances in which it takes on unprecedented significance. “According to George Lucas, it is responsible for more than fifty percent of all films, and there are certain categories of films in which it is particularly significant. These categories include films that would not be understood without sound, such as those that are about war or action, as well as those that are about science fiction or comedies. terrifying”

Arrufat was given his first opportunity in the industry when he delivered the full sound of a series, which was a Spanish-style version of ‘Lost’ created by Atresmedia and given the title ‘El barco’. “It was a science fiction series, which was a departure from what had been done so far in Spain: giant storms, submarines, rains of fish… all of this had to be told with sound, and I had to put on the between being inspired by American references and films and avoiding the times and budgets of simpler series, which were much smaller,” he tells us. “It was a departure from what had been done so far in Spain.”

“From there, I went to Vis a vis,” which was a series that came at a period when series were becoming increasingly akin to film, and this one came with highly cinematic ideas and images. This was an essential step that I took after that. Also, the sound ought to be of a satisfactory quality. It was Arrufat’s skillful arrangement of sound that allowed him to give the prison where the action took place “one more character.”

‘La house de papel’ was the next step that Arrufat took, which was at a time when he already had experience and a team in place. According to him, “from the very first season onward, it was a very demanding and cinematic series of television.” The fact that it had to be ready with very little margin for error added to the amount of time it took. The nature of the series was odd due to the fact that it initially aired on Antena 3, but later went to Netflix, “which had its own demands, such as finishing in 5.1 so that it could be dubbed for everyone.”

Suddenly, with the introduction of Netflix, the audience began to include not only Spanish speakers but also people from all over the world. In terms of technology, “they put us on the same level as ‘Stranger Things’ , which was a challenge.” In addition, this is not the only time that this has occurred to him; after working with Netflix for a number of seasons, “they made the jump to Dolby Atmos, and they also tested a new workflow with me for international dubbing.” The latter also prompted him to make a trip to Hollywood in order to get knowledge regarding these new procedures.

Arrufat responds to our inquiry regarding the manner in which he collaborates with Netflix by stating, “At first, it’s scary, because it’s a giant, but they have a philosophy that makes you think that you are the expert and the one in charge.” According to what he has shared with us, this facilitates the seamless flow of work, comments, and corrections, which is advantageous for both parties in the relationship.

On the other hand, Arrufat’s actions in “La casa de papel” are not entirely clear. “I was in charge of sound supervision at that time. As part of the post-production process, we separated ourselves into four categories: dialogues, effects, foley (also known as sound effects), ambiences, and a person to premix. Following that, I either supervised it or mixed it with the director. The majority of the time, I was in charge of the dialogues and dubbing, and I served as the link between the director and executive production on one side and sound on the other.

Over the course of all these years of expertise, Arrufat has been able to witness a great deal of change in the industry, particularly from a technological standpoint: “The tool that we typically use (after experiencing the transition from analog to digital, which I experienced) is Pro Tools, which has evolved quite a bit.” In the beginning, it made use of tools that were somewhat more fundamental; however, in recent years, a plethora of plugins have been developed that assist us in performing day-to-day activities such as cleaning up dialogues, improving sound, and so on. In the midst of all of this, fresh people arrive quite well equipped. An other significant advancement in technology that has occurred in recent times is the transition from stereo to Dolby Atmos, which has then progressed to 5.1.

On the other hand, the most significant development that has taken place in Spain is not related to technological advancements; rather, it is a reference to “professionalism.” The year 2008 saw the arrival of a number of productions, particularly on television, that demanded a higher level of sound quality. One of these productions was the aforementioned “Vis a Vis,” which demanded a higher level of sound quality. “We all adapted to those new budgets, to the new deadlines that were required, and that It made many studios sharpen their creativity to be on par with other foreign countries,” This has resulted in the establishment of a great number of studios in Spain that are of a world-class standard.

Beyond the fact that the technology that we viewers use to play movies and television shows is of a higher quality and, as a result, more loyal to the vision that sound designers have in their studios, we are curious as to whether or not there have been any improvements that are both tangible and practical. Arrufat provides us with information that “in reality things have not changed that much in terms of quality since the days of analogue: the direct sound with the actors’ dialogues has had the same quality for many years, and the problems are also comparable: actors who They do not vocalize well, a background noise that is annoying… what we have gained is in tools that give us the possibility of cleaning audio that before we would have had to reject due to lack of quality.”

Netflix sound designer ‘La casa de papel’ says

We had the opportunity to speak with José Ignacio Arrufat, who is the person responsible for the sound design of such series as “La casa de papel,” “El barco,” and “Vis a vis.”

By triji

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