The Horror in What You Don’t See—How Sound and Rhythm Build Suspense in 'Undertone'

About this episode

The episode explores how sound and rhythm contribute to building suspense in the horror film 'Undertone' through a conversation between host GG Hawkins and editor Sonny Atkins.

In this episode, No Film School host GG Hawkins speaks with editor Sonny Atkins about shaping fear through sound, rhythm, and restraint in the horror feature Undertone. Atkins breaks down how the film’s audio-first concept influenced everything from the script to the cut, why long pauses and musical timing can heighten dread, and how a deeply personal story about grief and caregiving evolved through the editorial process. He also shares practical insights into working scrappy on a low-budget feature, using Premiere Pro’s Productions workflow, speech-to-text, temp sound design, and test screenings to refine both story and suspense. In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Sonny Atkins discuss... How Undertone began as an audio-driven concept and why that immediately stood out in the script Why sound design became central to the edit, not just an atmospheric layer The challenge of building horror around what the audience hears instead of what they see How Ian Tuason’s personal experience with caregiving and grief shaped the emotional core of the film Discovering story solutions in post, including the addition of a saved voicemail from the protagonist’s mother Creating…

People in this episode

Host: GG Hawkins

Guest: Sonny Atkins

Topics covered

• sound design
• horror filmmaking
• editing process
• low-budget production
• emotional storytelling
• suspense building

Keywords

• horror
• sound design
• editing
• suspense
• low-budget film
• Premiere Pro
• storytelling
• grief
• caregiving

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Undertone

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