Crafting the sound for Adolescence was as intricate and immersive as the story itself. A deeply moving and harrowing series, it follows a 13-year-old boy accused of murder, leaving his family, therapist, and the detective in charge searching for the truth.
The film’s masterful one-shot storytelling demanded an audio approach that was seamless yet powerfully evocative - drawing viewers into the raw, unfiltered emotion of each moment.
The team at Splice worked meticulously to enhance the tension, intimacy, and realism of the narrative, ensuring that every sonic detail played a role in deepening the audience’s connection to the story. The sound design was led by Splice’s Head of Sound Editorial, James Drake, while the final mix done was by Splice’s Head of Scripted Sound & Re-Recording Mixer, Jules Woods AMPS CAS in Splice’s flagship Dolby Atmos studio.
Pre-Production
James Drake on the Early Stages of Adolescence
I started work on Adolescence in early 2024 when I first read the scripts. Even at this early stage, it was great to get a sense of each episode and the scale of what Director and Executive Producer, Phil Barantini, was aiming to achieve. It provided me with opportunities over the following months to properly digest the material, begin thinking about a sonic palette for the series, record new sounds, and start developing Pro Tools templates.
From my previous work on Phil Barantini’s previous single shot series, Boiling Point, I knew that one of the key challenges was to create a truly immersive soundscape where the audience feels that the frame is their point of view, that they are standing in those rooms or streets, or sitting in the backs of the cars. One integral part of this was to ensure that all sonic elements panned and moved around the frame and the wider sonic environment, including dialogue, footsteps, and bursts of birdsong.
Therefore, from the beginning, all the editing templates were created to move seamlessly in the mix, so panning could be written outside of the mix stage, all in Dolby Atmos, allowing us to use the internal Dolby Renderer to create a binaural output that would mimic the sound of the mix stage.
A key part of the templates was to link each character’s dialogue with their Foley footsteps and cloth tracks by creating multiple individual tracks for each element and character, then grouping them together so that if the panning was adjusted on one of these tracks, it would ripple through to all corresponding tracks for that character. This not only helped to speed up the process of panning all these elements but also minimized mistakes in the panning. For example, when a character is talking and moves left, their footsteps won’t suddenly be separated from their voice in the centre channel.
Production
James Drake on Capturing Sound On Set
For Episodes 1 & 2, we worked alongside the production sound team on set. The first goal was to support the team by providing technical feedback on what was working and what might need improvement to minimize the need for ADR in post-production. Due to the nature of the shoot, between takes, I could download the sound rushes, listen back, and attempt to clean up any problem areas. Then, I would speak with Production Sound Mixers Rob Entwistle and Kiff McManus to discuss what could be improved in the next take. Sometimes, this would involve something as simple as adjusting an auto-closer on a door to prevent it from banging on a line, and at other times, we would record wild tracks based on lists I compiled during the shoot week.
The second goal was to record the supporting actors (SAs)around the set to be used later in the sound edit. Phil was particularly keen, especially for Episode 2, to capture as much material as possible from the real kids working as SAs on set, allowing us to authentically rebuild the world of the school in post-production. When the camera moves through a corridor or playground and we hear a snippet of conversation, that voice is a kid from that area - or in many cases, from the actual school. It added a layer of realism and credibility that we could never have achieved otherwise in post.
The third goal was to create a library of sounds recorded on location. These could then be layered with our libraries to recreate the world, with the foundation being the real ambient sounds, doors, footsteps, and a plethora of other noises that make up these spaces. The opening moments of Episode 1 alone contain individual recordings of wind, trees, and sparrows from that exact location.
Sound Edit & Design
James Drake on Crafting the Sonic Landscape
When Phil and I first talked about Adolescence, the creative direction was very similar to that of Boiling Point in that, at all times, we should stay grounded in reality, that the sound should be organic and true to the point of view we’re experiencing, and that there would be no score. However, during production, this direction began to evolve. Early on, we temped sound design for the van sequence in Episode 1, which later became an incredible piece of score from Composers Aaron May and David Ridley. This really opened up the world of sound design for the project and allowed me to start making bolder creative choices; getting more inside the characters’ heads at times, adding more dynamism to the soundscape, and creating more bespoke sound design, particularly in the form of drones and tonal layers.
Though, that being said, the aim for the diegetic sound was very much to keep it grounded. Sounds were quickly discarded for being too clean or too heightened; for everything to work together, each sound effect had to have a sense of realness and grit to it. Special mention must go to Sound Effects Editor, Raoul Brand, who worked alongside me on Episodes 2 and 4 and made such a brilliant contribution to the soundscape of those episodes.
The dialogue edit was, in itself, very challenging. With large amounts of mics being recorded for some episodes, the first stages were primarily focused on working through the material and bringing the episodes together. From there, the focus shifted to cleaning the dialogue, finding alternate takes to address technical issues, and panning the voices around the environment. Phil’s brief is always to preserve the performances from the take and limit ADR. Thanks to the excellent work done by Rob and Kiff on set, along with the time spent in the edit really digging deep, we recorded very little technical ADR.
The great joy of recording ten takes of almost every episode was having a wealth of material to draw from so we could make creative performance choices in the edit if needed and also find additional material to add the presence of characters back into scenes. One of my favourite discoveries was the snippet of Eddie Miller (Stephen Graham) and Manda Miller (Christine Tremarco) we hear when Paul Barlow (Mark Stanley) leaves them in the Family Room in Episode 1, it’s just subtly played in the mix but gave us the opportunity to keep hearing the emotional toll it was having on them throughout the story.
Pre and Final Mix
James Drake on the Mixing process
This is by far and away my favourite project that I’ve mixed, and it was fantastic to be in the studio every day working alongside Jules, really getting into the minute details and bringing many months of work together.
More than any other project, we worked on making the mix sing on multiple output devices; on the mix stage in Dolby Atmos, on a soundbar, on a flat-screen television and on headphones. We were very aware that the audience would be watching on a range of devices, and it crucial to us to us that the effect of immersive audio would be felt on all of them, and that the experience of listening in Dolby Atmos on the mix stage could be replicated as much as possible on, say, a laptop with headphones.
Jules Woods on the Mixing process
The single-shot structure of Adolescence provides a distinct "first-person" perspective, immersing the viewer in the action rather than positioning them as an outside observer. Central to this experience were panning and perspective, which played a pivotal role in drawing the viewer into the world. The sound design and dialogue were mixed to mirror this approach - there’s never a moment where the sound feels static. Constant panning, along with dynamic level and reverb automation, creates a sense of perspective and draws the audience deeper into the emotional landscape. Mixing in Dolby Atmos expanded the possibilities, allowing us to fully utilise point-source panning to further enhance this effect.
In traditional TV shows, cuts between scenes offer a punchy way to establish new locations, both visually and audibly. These transitions mark changes and infuse character into the environments. However, with the seamless single-shot approach, we faced a unique challenge in maintaining the creative impact during these shifts between locations. James’ contributions were critical here - his use of subtle sound design during transitions, combined with carefully chosen and placed real-world sound effects, preserved the energy of each location while maintaining the flow of the narrative.
Realism was a central focus for me. The story itself is raw and emotionally charged, and the performances of the cast are incredibly powerful. To honor that, the dialogue needed to be front and center without the mix becoming sterile or clinical. The world of Adolescence is alive - busy at times, eerily quiet at others. It was essential to capture this organic dynamism. My goal was for viewers to feel as though they were truly there, hearing only the sounds that would have been present around the camera in each moment.
The dialogue edit was pristinely clean, offering us the flexibility to have absolute control in the mix. Every sound you hear is intentionally placed; though it may sound organic, it’s the result of careful and thoughtful shaping and design. In conclusion, the auditory landscape of Adolescence was not only essential in complementing the stunning visuals but also in elevating the emotional depth of the story. Every sonic element, from the dialogue to ambient sounds, was carefully crafted to deepen the viewer’s engagement with the narrative. The Splice team ensured that the audience was not a mere observer but an active participant in the unfolding drama. This meticulous attention to audio, combined with the innovative single-shot structure, resulted in a series that resonates deeply, pulling viewers into its world and leaving a lasting emotional impact.
Adolescence is now streaming on Netflix.
Click here for more info on Splice
The film’s masterful one-shot storytelling demanded an audio approach that was seamless yet powerfully evocative - drawing viewers into the raw, unfiltered emotion of each moment.
The team at Splice worked meticulously to enhance the tension, intimacy, and realism of the narrative, ensuring that every sonic detail played a role in deepening the audience’s connection to the story. The sound design was led by Splice’s Head of Sound Editorial, James Drake, while the final mix done was by Splice’s Head of Scripted Sound & Re-Recording Mixer, Jules Woods AMPS CAS in Splice’s flagship Dolby Atmos studio.
Pre-Production
James Drake on the Early Stages of Adolescence
I started work on Adolescence in early 2024 when I first read the scripts. Even at this early stage, it was great to get a sense of each episode and the scale of what Director and Executive Producer, Phil Barantini, was aiming to achieve. It provided me with opportunities over the following months to properly digest the material, begin thinking about a sonic palette for the series, record new sounds, and start developing Pro Tools templates.
From my previous work on Phil Barantini’s previous single shot series, Boiling Point, I knew that one of the key challenges was to create a truly immersive soundscape where the audience feels that the frame is their point of view, that they are standing in those rooms or streets, or sitting in the backs of the cars. One integral part of this was to ensure that all sonic elements panned and moved around the frame and the wider sonic environment, including dialogue, footsteps, and bursts of birdsong.
Therefore, from the beginning, all the editing templates were created to move seamlessly in the mix, so panning could be written outside of the mix stage, all in Dolby Atmos, allowing us to use the internal Dolby Renderer to create a binaural output that would mimic the sound of the mix stage.
A key part of the templates was to link each character’s dialogue with their Foley footsteps and cloth tracks by creating multiple individual tracks for each element and character, then grouping them together so that if the panning was adjusted on one of these tracks, it would ripple through to all corresponding tracks for that character. This not only helped to speed up the process of panning all these elements but also minimized mistakes in the panning. For example, when a character is talking and moves left, their footsteps won’t suddenly be separated from their voice in the centre channel.
Production
James Drake on Capturing Sound On Set
For Episodes 1 & 2, we worked alongside the production sound team on set. The first goal was to support the team by providing technical feedback on what was working and what might need improvement to minimize the need for ADR in post-production. Due to the nature of the shoot, between takes, I could download the sound rushes, listen back, and attempt to clean up any problem areas. Then, I would speak with Production Sound Mixers Rob Entwistle and Kiff McManus to discuss what could be improved in the next take. Sometimes, this would involve something as simple as adjusting an auto-closer on a door to prevent it from banging on a line, and at other times, we would record wild tracks based on lists I compiled during the shoot week.
The second goal was to record the supporting actors (SAs)around the set to be used later in the sound edit. Phil was particularly keen, especially for Episode 2, to capture as much material as possible from the real kids working as SAs on set, allowing us to authentically rebuild the world of the school in post-production. When the camera moves through a corridor or playground and we hear a snippet of conversation, that voice is a kid from that area - or in many cases, from the actual school. It added a layer of realism and credibility that we could never have achieved otherwise in post.
The third goal was to create a library of sounds recorded on location. These could then be layered with our libraries to recreate the world, with the foundation being the real ambient sounds, doors, footsteps, and a plethora of other noises that make up these spaces. The opening moments of Episode 1 alone contain individual recordings of wind, trees, and sparrows from that exact location.
Sound Edit & Design
James Drake on Crafting the Sonic Landscape
When Phil and I first talked about Adolescence, the creative direction was very similar to that of Boiling Point in that, at all times, we should stay grounded in reality, that the sound should be organic and true to the point of view we’re experiencing, and that there would be no score. However, during production, this direction began to evolve. Early on, we temped sound design for the van sequence in Episode 1, which later became an incredible piece of score from Composers Aaron May and David Ridley. This really opened up the world of sound design for the project and allowed me to start making bolder creative choices; getting more inside the characters’ heads at times, adding more dynamism to the soundscape, and creating more bespoke sound design, particularly in the form of drones and tonal layers.
Though, that being said, the aim for the diegetic sound was very much to keep it grounded. Sounds were quickly discarded for being too clean or too heightened; for everything to work together, each sound effect had to have a sense of realness and grit to it. Special mention must go to Sound Effects Editor, Raoul Brand, who worked alongside me on Episodes 2 and 4 and made such a brilliant contribution to the soundscape of those episodes.
The dialogue edit was, in itself, very challenging. With large amounts of mics being recorded for some episodes, the first stages were primarily focused on working through the material and bringing the episodes together. From there, the focus shifted to cleaning the dialogue, finding alternate takes to address technical issues, and panning the voices around the environment. Phil’s brief is always to preserve the performances from the take and limit ADR. Thanks to the excellent work done by Rob and Kiff on set, along with the time spent in the edit really digging deep, we recorded very little technical ADR.
The great joy of recording ten takes of almost every episode was having a wealth of material to draw from so we could make creative performance choices in the edit if needed and also find additional material to add the presence of characters back into scenes. One of my favourite discoveries was the snippet of Eddie Miller (Stephen Graham) and Manda Miller (Christine Tremarco) we hear when Paul Barlow (Mark Stanley) leaves them in the Family Room in Episode 1, it’s just subtly played in the mix but gave us the opportunity to keep hearing the emotional toll it was having on them throughout the story.
Pre and Final Mix
James Drake on the Mixing process
This is by far and away my favourite project that I’ve mixed, and it was fantastic to be in the studio every day working alongside Jules, really getting into the minute details and bringing many months of work together.
More than any other project, we worked on making the mix sing on multiple output devices; on the mix stage in Dolby Atmos, on a soundbar, on a flat-screen television and on headphones. We were very aware that the audience would be watching on a range of devices, and it crucial to us to us that the effect of immersive audio would be felt on all of them, and that the experience of listening in Dolby Atmos on the mix stage could be replicated as much as possible on, say, a laptop with headphones.
Jules Woods on the Mixing process
The single-shot structure of Adolescence provides a distinct "first-person" perspective, immersing the viewer in the action rather than positioning them as an outside observer. Central to this experience were panning and perspective, which played a pivotal role in drawing the viewer into the world. The sound design and dialogue were mixed to mirror this approach - there’s never a moment where the sound feels static. Constant panning, along with dynamic level and reverb automation, creates a sense of perspective and draws the audience deeper into the emotional landscape. Mixing in Dolby Atmos expanded the possibilities, allowing us to fully utilise point-source panning to further enhance this effect.
In traditional TV shows, cuts between scenes offer a punchy way to establish new locations, both visually and audibly. These transitions mark changes and infuse character into the environments. However, with the seamless single-shot approach, we faced a unique challenge in maintaining the creative impact during these shifts between locations. James’ contributions were critical here - his use of subtle sound design during transitions, combined with carefully chosen and placed real-world sound effects, preserved the energy of each location while maintaining the flow of the narrative.
Realism was a central focus for me. The story itself is raw and emotionally charged, and the performances of the cast are incredibly powerful. To honor that, the dialogue needed to be front and center without the mix becoming sterile or clinical. The world of Adolescence is alive - busy at times, eerily quiet at others. It was essential to capture this organic dynamism. My goal was for viewers to feel as though they were truly there, hearing only the sounds that would have been present around the camera in each moment.
The dialogue edit was pristinely clean, offering us the flexibility to have absolute control in the mix. Every sound you hear is intentionally placed; though it may sound organic, it’s the result of careful and thoughtful shaping and design. In conclusion, the auditory landscape of Adolescence was not only essential in complementing the stunning visuals but also in elevating the emotional depth of the story. Every sonic element, from the dialogue to ambient sounds, was carefully crafted to deepen the viewer’s engagement with the narrative. The Splice team ensured that the audience was not a mere observer but an active participant in the unfolding drama. This meticulous attention to audio, combined with the innovative single-shot structure, resulted in a series that resonates deeply, pulling viewers into its world and leaving a lasting emotional impact.
Adolescence is now streaming on Netflix.
Click here for more info on Splice
We are Post Super Ltd , your ultimate destination for all things post-production management.