meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Slate Culture Feed

Working: How Sound Editor Ai-Ling Lee Creates Immersive Soundscapes for Movies

Slate Culture Feed

Slate Podcasts

Music, Tv & Film, Arts

4.22K Ratings

🗓️ 12 December 2021

⏱️ 45 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Ai-Ling Lee, a movie sound editor whose long résumé includes the critically acclaimed films First Man, La La Land, and Jojo Rabbit. In the interview, Lee explains what a sound editor does and how it’s different from the work of a sound mixer. Then she delves into the many creative decisions that go into crafting an immersive soundscape for movies.  After the interview, Isaac and co-host Karen Han discuss Lee’s early career strategy of cold-calling people in the movie business. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Lee explains how technological advancements have changed the way she works.   Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

They mean she's out the director and we go like, you know, in this one rocket launch sequence

0:11.3

he wants it to feel like a saving private Ryan or Das Boot.

0:18.4

I kind of like a director who with film references that is like totally not what you think.

0:24.4

It makes me try to think of the box.

0:30.2

Hello and welcome back to working.

0:32.5

I'm your host Karen Han and I am your other host Isaac Butler.

0:37.1

And whose voice were we just listening to?

0:39.5

So we were just listening to the voice of this week's guest Eileen Lee.

0:44.3

She is a prolific, very highly acclaimed and in-demand sound editor.

0:48.7

She's actually even been nominated for the Oscar.

0:50.4

I think twice who worked on Lala Land, first man, free guy, JoJo Rabbit.

0:57.3

I mean, it's a really wide filmography.

1:00.2

She's worked on literally dozens of movies.

1:02.5

That's amazing.

1:03.6

And so what do slate plus listeners have in store for them this week?

1:08.0

So slate plus listeners get a couple bonus tidbits from the interview that we're left on the cutting room floor.

1:14.2

First off, we're talking with Eileen Lee about what sound scapes or kinds of movies she's never worked in

1:21.2

that she's always wanted to try.

1:22.7

And then we talk about how very big advances in sound recording and software technology

1:28.3

have changed her job over the last 20 years.

1:31.6

That sounds so cool.

1:33.2

So listeners, if you want to hear this and you are not a slate plus member,

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Slate Podcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Slate Podcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.