The Sounds of “Skate Kitchen”

An analysis of sound design in “Skate Kitchen” (2018). A coming-of-age film about a group of women skaters in NYC.

For Sound For Film/Video - FA ‘19

“We hear Camille swearing to herself which feels like an internal voice even though it’s aloud. We know she’s been hurt but listening to the audio alone, we don’t know how hurt until a boy says “I think she’s on her period.” In the film there’s an obvious visual cue of blood running down her legs, but she doesn’t say anything. It feels very hazy and dizzy with the sound of dragging footsteps where we’re like her, trying to get up and figure out what happened and what to do. I included the scene that follows where Camille’s in the hospital and you can somewhat hear hospital ambience in the distance. I thought it was interesting that in the beginning of that scene, we still hear the skateboards. Not like an L cut there the sound carries over from one scene to another. But as if we’re in Camille’s head and all she’s thinking about is skating.”

My first sound example is the opening scene of the film and it’s a quick introduction to a film that you already know is going to be about skateboarding.

My second example uses my favorite song of the score. It begins with Camille sneaking out of her house with her skateboard because her mom’s preventing her from skating after her accident.

My third example is very long (8 minutes) but I chose it because the score runs throughout the entire part, and it’s very subtle while linking everything together. The scene jumps around to different moments, places, times, people, summarising the reasoning or actions for the main conflict of the film, an hour and ten minutes in.