Sound Design for the Urwerk campaign

Mooders is responsible for the composition, music production and sound design of the campaign for the latest creation by the prestigious Swiss watchmaker Urwerk.
A campaign to match the latest creation from the prestigious Swiss watch brand Urwerk

THE CONTEXT

Urwerk unveils its new watch: UR 220. The launch of a new watch is always a highly strategic moment for the brand. The jeweler entrusted I-Réel with the mission of imagining a campaign to match its ambitions. The result : a full 3D film in 6 parts, in which the succession between UR 210 (the old model) and UR 220 (the new model) is represented by a fight between two futuristic falcons. Each watch model will be embodied by a falcon. The heir, metallic and grey, represents the UR 210. Its descendant, in black carbon, embodies the UR 220. The former symbolizes the watch’s origins, while the latter embodies its evolution. By leaving the nest and coveting the same prey as his progenitor, the youngest becomes his progenitor’s adversary. He draws inspiration from his heritage to surpass it and seize his prey. From this confrontation, the young falcon emerges victorious, sharper and taller, worthy successor to his ascendant. To illustrate this confrontation, we have composed a music that is ethnic, percussive and warlike.

Drawing on both modern and technological musical textures, and traditional instruments. Powerful percussion illustrates the strength of the animals and the stakes of combat, while meticulous, organic sound design brings the animals to life and gives rhythm to the film.

Music and sound design for excellence and precision

The brief for this sound creation was quite clear:

Respond to the values embodied by the brand : prestige, excellence, precision and accuracy ;

Symbolize the notions of heritage and evolution present in the battle of the two falcons;

Illustrate the confrontation between the two falcons: power and stakes.

Embody the modernity, know-how and technological innovations present in this watch;

Add rhythm to the film and bring the falcons to life through sound;

Blending traditional instruments with more modern textures

We composed and produced the music in this spirit, in close collaboration with the agency, first creating the soundtrack for the main film to create the musical and sonic vocabulary we would use on the 6 short films. To work on the music and sound design for this film, we were given the film’s animatics as well as a playlist of musical references, including music from the series The Mandalorian and the film Ghost in the Shell. It was up to us to absorb these elements and translate them into an original theme evocative of these universes, without getting bogged down in them.

Creation and production of the musical universe, music and sound design

Our composition alternates powerful passages with more contemplative moments, to match what’s going on in the image and reinforce the film’s dynamics. To illustrate the confrontation between the two falcons, the music will be percussive, tribal and warlike.

Traditional instruments, for escapism and heritage

The main theme is played on the duduk. This traditional wind instrument from the Caucasus region and Armenia is much in evidence in film soundtracks (Gladiator, The Crow…) and video games (Uncharted, World of Warcraft…). With its soft sound and ability to produce variations in tone and texture, it has the advantage of being highly expressive and able to convey strong emotions. The other advantage is that from the very first notes, you’re transported elsewhere. Its timbre is reminiscent of travel and elsewhere. It lends breadth to the music and evokes a sense of grandeur and beauty. The duduk is also used to evoke the flight and grace of the bird. Other traditional instruments are used in the musical composition, such as the saz, a lute of Persian origin which here is used in tremolos to give the music an extra texture, or the kalimba, an African thumb piano with an intimate, woody sound. The use of natural sound elements and traditional world music instruments gives warmth and a pulse of life to the animals. The duduk brings the bird’s breath and the sensation of wind through its feathers.

Massive percussion for power and stakes

The percussion adds power and tension to the battle between the two falcons. These are taikos, massive Japanese drums often used in film soundtracks for scenes of action or tension. The crescendo of these percussions instantly evokes an epic feeling.

Synthetic textures for modernity

Finally, analog keyboards and an electro rhythm at the end of the film bring modernity and energy to the message values : the evolution and heritage of the UR 220 watch. The addition of aggressive synth bass immerses the viewer in the heart of the battle and the stakes between the two animals.

Organic, immersive sound design

When creating the sound design for the falcons, we left out mechanical sounds, which would give them an overly robotic connotation, something the brand wanted to avoid. It had to be felt that the falcons were living beings, not mechanical creatures. So we brought the metal falcons to life through organic sound design, using real wingbeats and a maximum of natural sounds. We then emphasize camera movements, shot changes and impacts with dynamic, powerful sound effects that logically accompany a contested battle.