In Top Gun: Maverick, the actors trained for months to pull up to eight G’s and cameras mounted inside F-18s captured real intense flying. To make the scene of Maverick using the Darkstar, a plane that doesn’t exist yet, feel real, sound designer Al Nelson worked to create a soundscape to capture all the intensity of Maverick pushing the Dark Star to its limits. He started with sounds of technology that we’re familiar with and added a subtle beep to create a simmering build of tension. When Maverick transitions to scramjet, a new technology, a flow of air is articulated sonically. The soundscape also reflects Maverick’s joy of being in the flight and achieving something no one has done before. The sound design pulls back and other elements take the forefront when Maverick says “Talk to me Goose”, creating an emotional connection for the audience. You can see the Dark Star go off in the distance, creating a music moment. We don’t need a lot from us at that point, just a dot and a little rip as you hear it scan across the sky. The music drops out dramatically and we cut to him, with a boom and a little bit of shaking. You hear the turbine kick on and feel the thrusters. Tom was very emphatic about the cuts needing to punch, establishing an aggressive cutting style from inside and being just dialogue to banging on to the exteriors. To ratchet up the building tension, Al’s team used a Shepard Tone, an auditory illusion that tricks your brain into thinking that it’s a continually rising pitch. You can also hear the Roebling Suspension Bridge in the mix, which adds unique sonic textures. When the Dark Star launches, the roof of the shed actually blows off, which was an unexpected addition. Ed Harris’ reaction was something else.