Gramercy Park Recreates the Sound of the Ford GT as its Le Mans Return is Announced

Gramercy Park Studios has completed the Sound Design on a new film from Ford, announcing the return of the Ford GT to the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Created by The Intro Partnership, the film is divided into four distinct sections - history, transformation, city and circuit - and celebrates the car’s return, fifty years on from its historic win in the GT40 at Le Mans in 1966.

Aimed at both motorsport fans and the casual viewer, the brief was to create an impactful and exciting film to announce the legendary car’s return. 

Having recently worked on The Intro Partnership’s high octane opening sequence for the BBC’s 2015 Formula 1 coverage, Gramercy Park Studios’ expert automotive Sound Designer, Toby Griffin, was tasked with replicating the exact sounds of the engine to soundtrack the film.

“As is often the case with new car launches, getting the actual engine sound can be very difficult. It’s absolutely essential to get it right, no-one wants their new car to sound like a 60s VW Beetle!” says Toby.

“On this shoot, despite the car being restricted to third gear, the sound recordist managed to capture enough for me to rebuild all the car shots, inside and out,” he adds. “It was challenging and I had to manipulate the pitch and time stretch of some of the engine noises to fit the action.”

The film’s transformation phase – where the car changes from the original model into the modern day version – required a lot of sound design as the car morphs from one shape to the other. “The wheel and rear sections required a lot of detail in order to make all the visual elements work,” says Toby. “A latex glove effect provides the audio backdrop for the overhead shot in the pit garage as the car alters shape.”

A packed out audience attended the launch event, as the world’s press caught a glimpse of the film for the first time.