Dave Whitehead’s Approach to Alien Vocals

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How the District 9 and Arrival sound designer brought some of cinema’s most unique aliens to life.​

“Wiqkat kasibrlackg ckag. Ckpyokc kasipuyat. Naaa. Walalalalala.” – Dave Whitehead, MPSE

With credits on major sci-fi blockbusters like District 9, Arrival, Project Hail Mary, and James Cameron’s Avatar franchise, Dave Whitehead has become a go-to Sound Artist for out-of-this-world sounds. Learn how whale songs and throat singing inspired the language of the Prawns in District 9, how Whitehead blended sound effects with his own voice to make it more alien, and how he and his partner Michelle Child impressed Denis Villeneuve with their take on the Heptapods in Arrival.