Darin Heinis (FBI, Doom Patrol, The Chi) provided all-in-one post sound services, including sound design, editing, and mixing for
Art Happens Here, a one-hour PBS special with John Lithgow as he returns to high school to showcase the transformative power of arts education. Heinis brought his years of television and film post sound experience to the sonic landscape of
Art Happens Here. The film incorporates Lithgow’s own drawings and watercolors as transitional moments, which led Heinis to craft unique “pencil to paper” sound effects for the graphic content as the animation created the words and drawings to further engage the audience in Lithgow’s celebration of arts education in Los Angeles.
I recently spoke with Darin Heinis (pictured) about his work on this special.
How did you become involved in this project?
“My colleague Steve Bucino recommended me for this project since we have similar tastes and skill. We’ve worked on many indie projects over the years and he thought I’d be great for this.”
What kind of creative guidance were you provided?
“The focus was on the segments where the characters are drawn, which were set to be animated. They wanted something creative that would complement the beautiful music for the project. So, that’s where the initial discussions began. I’d send over a few ideas, they’d pick what they liked, and we’d go back and forth like that.
“Beyond that, it was mostly about the nuts and bolts — cleaning up dialogue, ensuring everything was clear, and making the sound as full and polished as possible. But really, the main focus was on those transition pieces and the title sequence.”
What is your thought process when crafting transitional sounds, and what elements do you consider to create the perfect transition piece?
“For me, it's all about the motion — how the elements are moving across the screen and appearing in front of us. For example, when [John Lithgow] is singing, I focus on how the visual elements come into frame behind him. Then, I consider what the music is doing at that point. You can create all kinds of different sounds, but until you layer them over the music, you don't know if they'll work or clash. Especially with sound design, even something as simple as a whoosh transition or a cymbal swell has a tonality that needs to harmonize with the music.
“The key is ensuring everything works together seamlessly. It really comes down to how the sound complements the motion on-screen. That’s where I decide, ‘Let's try this type of sound,’ and then it becomes a process of layering and experimentation — that’s where the fun is. When it gets to the mixing phase, I start adding effects like reverb and delays. For this project, I primarily used reverb to achieve the desired effect.”
What unique challenges and differences do you face when working on narrative projects versus docuseries?
“For me, whether I'm working on a narrative project or a documentary, my focus is always on making things feel real. For example, when a scene takes place outside in LA, and the characters are singing, I like to add subtle elements like wind or background noise to make the environment feel more alive. These sounds are grounded in the real world, not overly fabricated or artificial.
“In narrative work, I take a similar approach, although there's more flexibility. For instance, I’ve worked on Law & Order and FBI at StudioPost at Universal Studios, where gunfights are a common element. Guns in real life don’t sound like they do on-screen, so we enhance those sounds for dramatic effect. However, all the other sounds, like street noise, sirens, Foley work and footsteps are rooted in reality.
“I think that’s the key difference between narrative and documentary projects. In a narrative, especially when designing something like a dream sequence, you have more freedom to stretch the boundaries and create sounds that evoke emotions based on the imagery. But in most situations, like when characters are on a street corner with traffic in the background, you want to stay grounded. The same applies to both narrative and documentary work, unless you’re working on something like a sci-fi film, where you can take more creative liberties.”
Finally, did you learn anything new from this particular project?
“I always take something away from every project I work on, which is one of the reasons I love what I do. Each project is unique, though they all follow a similar process from start to finish. For this particular project, it was a really enjoyable collaborative experience. The subject matter was fantastic, and I could listen to John Lithgow all day — he’s truly a fascinating individual.”
Working on the PBS special, Art Happens Here with John Lithgow proved to be a deeply rewarding experience for sound editor, designer and re-recording mixer Darin Heinis. His involvement in the project allowed him to blend his creative and technical expertise with his genuine passion for the arts, showcasing his versatility and commitment to authenticity through innovative transitional sounds that enhance the transformative power of creative disciplines. His reflections underscore the joy of collaborative work and the continuous learning that drives his career, reinforcing that, regardless of the project's scale or setting, his dedication to crafting meaningful and immersive audio experiences remains unwavering. Heinis is based at StudioPost at Universal Studios (https://universalstudioslot.com/studiopost).
Art Happens Here is streaming exclusively on PBSsocal.org and on the PBS app.