Season 2 of Arcane concluded the Netflix animated series with intense drama and grandeur, while also laying the groundwork for future League of Legends-inspired projects from Riot Games.
The series masterfully portrayed the complex relationship between sisters Jinx and Vi with mature themes and stunning visuals, thanks to Fortiche’s exceptional animation, while also introducing other League of Legends champions like Heimerdinger, Ekko, Caitlyn, and Viktor.
The Season 2 finale featured the most heart-wrenching scenes, as Vi helplessly watches Jinx appear to meet her end.
The success of that scene, along with the rest of the series, is partly due to the expertise of re-recording mixer Penny Harold and sound mixer Andy Lange, both recognized with Emmy nominations for their contributions to shows like Only Murders in the Building.
From the early action-packed sequences to the pivotal scene of Jinx’s presumed demise (or survival?), Harold and Lange masterfully crafted a balanced blend of music, dialogue, and sound design, ensuring the story remained emotionally impactful and focused.
Harold’s role as a re-recording mixer involved primarily working with dialogue and music, while Lange’s expertise was in crafting the sound effects.
ScreenRant interviewed Penny Harold and Andy Lange to discuss their roles in shaping the sound for Arcane, especially in the impactful finale.
They both discussed their role in crafting the ending of Arcane season 2, including how they teamed up with sound technicians and Alex Seaver, the show’s music producer, co-composer, and songwriter.
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Andy Lange & Penny Harold Discuss Crafting the Powerful, Immersive Sound of Arcane for Audiences
Penny Harold while replying to Screen Rant stated that they simply focused on making the sound as immersive and emotional as the visuals, using dialogue to match the intensity of each character’s moment. For action scenes, we added powerful industrial sounds to enhance the stakes.
Andy Lange said that they better crafted the sound design to reflect the show’s grand yet intimate tone, balancing intense action with subtle moments. The goal was to make every scene feel both epic and emotionally grounded.
When he was asked the way he manages to collaborate, he stated they We often work separately, tackling different scenes at the same time. For most shows, this would be simpler, but with Arcane, it’s more challenging because it’s such a loud, dynamic series.
Penny Harold: For big sound design sequences, like the Black Rose scenes in season two, I would have to step back while Andy focused on that part of the work.
Andy Lange further stated that they tend to work on separate premixes for scenes, with me holding off on the music and Andy delaying the Foley mix. Once wthey’re in sync, they handle those elements in the final pass.
Penny was further asked by Screen Rant about the kind of things they are inclined to so that viewers never lose their interest hearing the dialogue, especially things go crazy in the show.
Penny Harold further stated that they had to handle it with precision. While season one presented its challenges, season two raised a few stakes with a larger scale, especially with the inclusion of more major needle-drop songs, which made some scenes even more difficult to mix.
Penny Harold said that they tone down the music to highlight a dramatic sound effect, and Andy adjusts swiftly to bring the music back in. The music is the focal point, especially during those crucial scenes.
When Penny was asked if there was any specific composer he dealt with, he said We ultimately chose the CLA-76 after experimenting with various options. It was the one that fit our needs perfectly.
He was again asked if sound effets were placed later than their effects, he chose to say that Our skilled sound designers, Eliot Connors and Brad Beaumont, are internal Riot team members who collaborate closely with Alex Seaver and Alex Temple from the music department, well before the sound reaches us.
They have a deep understanding of both the music and sound design, enabling early collaboration, which is unusual in TV production. Usually, sound supervisors and editors work separately, making this process particularly unique.
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In episode nine, certain sounds were filtered and creatively modified. Is that mainly the result of sound design, or do you apply additional effects to amplify the scene.
Animation typically undergoes many revisions. Were there any scenes in Arcane Season 2 that looked drastically different in their initial stages compared to the final version?
We had an extended three-week period to mix episode nine, which is unusual for TV. While it was a considerable amount of time, every second was essential, with a brief pause between the first and second week.
The very first week consisted of a rough mix, with some picture modifications made afterward. Scenes were either shortened or lengthened, but there weren’t any significant changes. The final picture wasn’t ready during our initial pass.
Discover BTS Process of Arcane Season 2 Through These Fascinating Making-Of Videos
Lange & Harold Reflect on the Lessons Gleaned From Their Work on Arcane
From your experience on both seasons of Arcane, are there any valuable takeaways or practices you’d like to see other League of Legends shows adopt?
Penny Harold reacts by saying Riot Games is unique in that linear entertainment isn’t their primary focus, yet they consistently set incredibly high standards for themselves. Frankly, I don’t feel the need to advise them—they’re naturally driven to make their projects as grand and impactful as they can be.
He further continued with the conversation by saying, “I’ve carried the lessons from working on this show into other projects and universes, always asking, “Is this good enough? Yes. But how can we elevate it further?”
As per ScreenRant.com, he elaborated by saying that in post-production, we often follow established processes, but sometimes it’s worth questioning if things must be done a certain way. It’s about approaching work with openness, embracing creativity, and letting inspiration guide the direction.
Discover BTS Process of Arcane Season 2 Through These Fascinating Making-Of Videos
ARCANE
In the midst of the intense conflict between the twin cities of Piltover and Zaun in Arcane Season Two, two sisters find themselves on opposing sides of a war driven by magical technologies and conflicting ideologies.
Arcane has become so popular right from its inception. You can watch both the seasons of Arcane on Netflix.
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