Kathleen Kennedy, the venerable filmmaker and former president of Lucasfilm, spent Sunday singing the praises of America’s sound designers.
The prolific producer-turned-executive received an Honorary Award from Film Sound Editor at the group’s annual Golden Reel Awards in Los Angeles, marking a distinguished career in which he was responsible for some of the most unforgettable moments in films including “Jurassic Park,” “Back to the Future” and “Schindler’s List.”
“Sound helps ground the story. It helps express where the characters are, not just geographically but emotionally. It helps foreshadow the intentions of the characters, it helps define what the characters are going through. In short, it takes the audience on a cinematic journey,” said director Kennedy, who accepted the award from iconic sound designer Ben Burtt (Movies, Series, and Games in the Star Wars Universe) at the Wilshire Ebell Theater.
“I’ve been incredibly fortunate in my career to have worked with some absolute giants of this technology who taught me early on that sound is the heartbeat of a story that should be conceived, designed and refined from the very beginning of the process, not just pasted on at the end,” Kennedy said.
Steven Spielberg’s “E.T.” is an important lesson, the producer said, and he collaborated with Burt to make it.
“[Steven and I]spent so much time worrying about what ET would look like, but it wasn’t until we heard the heavy shuffling footsteps and the harsh, melodic breathing that he felt real. He was no longer a puppet, he was a friend,” Kennedy said. “The friend’s voice was a recording of a woman named Pat Welsh, who smoked two packs of Kools cigarettes every day. Ben heard her voice at a photo shop in San Anselmo and waited outside on the sidewalk for her to come out. He asked her if she wanted to be an alien in a movie.”
Backstage, Kennedy spoke to Variety about the May release date for The Mandalorian and Grogu, which he greenlit and is also producing. When asked what it was like hearing Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) speak for the first time, she said the little green guy was “another perfect example of a character who has to express emotion and who has to feel a connection, and he doesn’t say a word.”
Kennedy said audiences will fall even deeper in love with this popular character “on the big screen, and he never says a word.” She admitted that despite Yoda’s oft-quoted broken English, Grogu will not gain the power of speech in the new film.
The executive also reflected on handing over the reins of Lucasfilm in January to longtime vice president Dave Filoni (now president and chief creative officer) and Lynwen Brennan (co-president).
“It’s not something that happened six months ago. I spent 10 years talking to Dave and gradually stepping into live action. He had a huge amount of experience in animation. He was very knowledgeable about Star Wars and It was really a 10-year mentorship process for both of us. Linwen comes from Industrial Light & Magic and she was my GM all the way through. I’d say the transition was really very smooth,” Kennedy said.
Patton Oswalt hosted Sunday’s Golden Reels ceremony. After Kennedy’s acceptance speech, the comic joked that she went backstage for a ceremony that “freed her from the geek mafia that had held her captive for years.” Mr. Oswalt said Mr. Kennedy had been “freed from the comments section” regarding his fervent (and sometimes toxic) Star Wars fandom.
Backstage, Kennedy reflected on his time at the top of Lucasfilm in terms of his relationship with the fan base.
“I really got into[the job]when fan expectations collided with social media. It really kind of exploded. It was always important to Lucasfilm that the fans were a big part of this series. So it was new to me and something that grew over time, but it continues to be very important to the company,” she said.
She ended her onstage address by mentioning the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark (the first film in the Indiana Jones series) and paying tribute to those involved in its sound design.
“What I love most about sound designers and editors is your curiosity. You’re the only people I know who can hear the sound of a toilet lid scraping and think that’s the end. That’s it! It’s the sound of the Ark of the Covenant opening,” she said.
In a recent interview regarding his departure from Disney, Kennedy said he is interested in exploring the potential of AI in relation to film production. She told Variety, “It wasn’t called artificial intelligence, it was called augmented reality. A lot of our industry is absolutely committed to humans and the human perspective. These tools are ultimately going to augment that process, speed things up, create “Can they find a place in the sexual flow (we’ll see)? That’s what’s so intriguing about some of these tools. But actually replacing humans in the process?”
Kennedy has been nominated for an Oscar eight times during his career. Films released under her watch include “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which became the highest grossing film in domestic film history, as well as “Rogue One,” “The Last Jedi,” and “Han Solo.” Her remaining projects as a producer at Lucasfilm include the upcoming “The Mandalorian and Grogu” and the upcoming Ryan Gosling-led Star Wars vehicle “Star Fighter.”
Prior to joining the Disney label, Kennedy served as a producer or executive producer on more than 70 feature films, earning a total of 120 Academy Award nominations and 25 wins. These titles include “Jurassic Park,” “The Sixth Sense,” “The Back to the Future” trilogy, “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” “Gremlins,” and “The Goonies.”
Kennedy’s other honors include a BAFTA Fellowship and a CBE Award. She serves as AFI’s board chair and was one of the founding council members of the Hollywood Commission to Eliminate Sexual Harassment and Advance Equality. Kennedy currently serves on the boards of the LA Promise Fund, the Library of America, and the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts.
