Conflict: Sound Design

”Conflict”, released in December 2024, is a 6-part drama series directed by Aku Louhimies. It follows the unfolding situation from both the perspective of soldiers and political leadership during a crisis, as unidentified troops take control of the Hanko Peninsula. The series was produced by Backmann & Hoderoff.

A Massive Project

In terms of its budget, Conflict is one of the biggest TV-shows ever made in Finland. From the outset, the production company’s intention was to create a show stand up to international comparisons in terms of quality.

From the point of view of sound, it was clear that a series full of action scenes, weapons, and vehicles would require extensive resources and meticulous pre-planning. Instead of thinking of it as a TV series, we often felt like we were making three consecutive feature films.

The production was highly international, both in front of the lens and behind the scenes. ADR sessions were held remotely from at least the USA, the UK, Ireland, France, and Ukraine.

Reality vs. Hollywood

One of the first things I discussed with the director was the level of realism he was expecting from the guns and vehicles in the series. In reality, firearms rarely sound the way we’re used to hearing them in movies. In collaboration with Aku and sound effects editor Timo Säilä, we quickly discovered the right balance somewhere between the two extremes: the guns needed to sound believable but also cinematically powerful and threatening. The same kind of judgment was applied, for example, to the sound of helicopters.

Nature and heavy machinery

For me, one of the most interesting aspects of Conflict’s sound design, is the contrast between the sounds of nature and machinery. Finnish midsummer nature is full of life, even at night. This harmony of birds, insects and quietly fluttering leaves is destroyed when the tanks and trucks of the invading forces come rolling in. I think the dynamic between quiet and extremely loud moments works beautifully in the series.

Inside and outside the mind

”Conflict” often aims to portray how the characters experience the events happening around them on emotional level. The fear, pressure, anxiety or confusion felt by the characters can be effectively communicated with sound. When timed right, distorting, diminishing or eliminating sounds can place the viewer inside the head of a character, in a subjective state, allowing us to hear what the character hears. The deliberate and controlled movement between subjective and objective perspective is a great way to increase the effectiveness of cinematic storytelling.

A conversation starter

As expected, Conflict sparked much conversation after its release and received both praise and criticism. The technical quality of the show has generally been regarded as high. The first episode of the series gathered over 1 million viewers, and the numbers stayed high throughout. It also won the Kultainen Venla-award for the best drama series of the year. So far, the show’s rights have been sold to France, Spain, Poland, and the Baltic countries.