James Ashton is an AACTA Award winning sound designer, known for his work on Lion (which he shared in the Best Sound award at the 2017 AACTA awards), Mortal Kombat, Tanna, and Justin Kurzel's latest film, Nitram. In this deep discussion about Nitram and Lion, James talks about his creative process, the art of building a soundscape, and how one of the most intense and powerful scenes in a film this year was sonically crafted.

It was a genuine treat to be able to explore a different side of fimlmaking with James, and we wrap up this interview discussing what the future of sound design might be in Australia, highlighting the hopeful aspect of how having major Hollywood films like Mortal Kombat and Shang-Chi being made here will strengthen and showcase the excellent talent of Australian creatives.

Make sure to see Nitram in cinemas from Sept 30th 2021, with an eventual release on Stan. down the line.

Read Andrew's review of Nitram here, and listen to Matthew Eeles from Cinema Australia interview Justin Kurzel and Shaun Grant here.

Clips in this episode: Nitram trailer // Cannes first look at Nitram // Rider from True History of the Kelly Gang.

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