In his School of Sound talk, Paul Davies explores the role of sound design for film in conveying emotional narrative. He will emphasise that sound design is not merely a functional component or “finishing” process in cinema, but a crucial tool for filmmakers to immerse the audience in the minds of the characters and the story told onscreen. He is particularly interested in the expressionistic use of atmospheres or backgrounds and their ability to convey emotion and the subjective experience of the film, suggesting they can be used in a similar fashion to the music score.
Drawing on examples from his 30+ year career, working with directors such as Lynne Ramsay, Steve McQueen, John Maybury and Rose Glass, Davies will explain the concept of subjective space in film. He’ll focus on how choices in sound design reflect the internal world of characters and what the audience is guided to hear, and the collaborative process with directors who are interested in the art of subjective filmmaking.
Seminar led by Paul Davies
Saturday, 29 November 2025, 11:00AM – 1:00PM (GMT UK)
Online
Following his online talk earlier in the month, Paul will lead a small-group seminar.
This session is designed as a close, conversational exchange—just 20 participants gathered around a virtual table with Paul to explore his themes and artistic practice in greater depth. It will be informal, personal, and responsive, allowing time and space for genuine dialogue.
How to apply
- You must have attended his online talk on 6 November.
- Write to sos@schoolofsound.co.uk with a brief summary of your background, experience, and why you’d like to take part.
- The fee is £40, payable upon confirmation of your place. Fees are not refundable.
Please note: attendance is required. To preserve the immediacy of the event the seminar will not be recorded.
Contact sos@schoolofsound.co.uk if you have any questions.
PAUL DAVIES
With a background in electronic music recording and composition, Paul Davies graduated from the sound department of the National Film and Television School (U.K.) in 1993. After graduation Paul worked as a freelance sound recordist, sound editor and re-recording mixer on a variety of feature, broadcast, and corporate projects. In 1995 Paul joined the sound postproduction company Videosonics as a sound editor rising to become head of the sound editorial department. Whilst with Videosonics Paul continued to hone his craft on a large range of feature film and television dramas. In 2000 Paul left Videosonics to become a freelance Supervising Sound Editor and Sound Designer and continues to work in these roles to this day. Notable directors Paul has worked with include Stephen Frears, John Hillcoat, Lynne Ramsay, Guillermo Del Toro, Steve McQueen, Hideo Nakata, Rose Glass, Bart Layton, Anton Corbijn, Saul Dibb, Julian Jarrold, Nick Broomfield and Julien Temple amongst many others, on films such as The Queen, Kinky Boots, You Were Never Really Here, American Animals, Hunger, Mrs Henderson Presents, The American, The Proposition, We Need To Talk About Kevin, Saint Maud and Mogul Mowgli.
In addition to his work in sound postproduction Paul is a regular visiting tutor at the National Film and Television School in the U.K. The Baltic Film School in Estonia and the IFS in Cologne. Paul has also held sound design workshops at The School of Sound, BAFTA, CPH Dox Festival-Denmark and The Sound of Story in Brighton U.K. Paul is a film voting member of BAFTA and AMPAS and a past chair of AMPS the U.K.’s film and television sound craft guild. Paul has received nominations from Bafta and The Royal Television society for his sound design work and in 2018 won a British Independent Film Award for his sound design on You Were Never Really Here.