The ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ Filmmakers Terrified Bystanders With Their Monster Sounds

While introducing the New York Comic Con panel for Godzilla's 39th film, director Takashi Yamazaki emphasized that the movie's creators had crafted kaiju that felt "physically real and, trust me, emotionally terrifying." Much of the fear stemmed from Oscar-winning visual effects artist Tatsuji Nojima's work, but some came from the eerie shrieks of Godzilla and his three-headed foe, King Ghidorah. Those ominous roars were the result of sound designer Natsuko Inoue and her team's efforts.

Inoue and her team devised the monsters' massive vocalizations by placing speakers atop an outdoor dam, much to the dismay of nearby picnickers and dog walkers. "People walking their dog had the worst time, because the dog was freaking out and barking back at us," Hisafumi Takeuchi, another sound contributor, explained during the panel.

Creating convincing kaiju sounds was crucial to the film's success, as their imaginary nature demanded realism to appear believable and genuinely frightening on screen. Initially, Inoue doubted the idea of recording at the dam. However, her concerns were swiftly alleviated. "The first time we sent that roar out on the speakers, I could see the relief and confidence in everyone's eyes," she stated.

By projecting the sound into the real world, capturing its reverb, echo, and reflection with a microphone, the team was able to manifest the sound in our world.

For other kaiju sound effects, Inoue's team employed an analog foley approach. To mimic Ghidorah's dragon-like wings, they flapped a rubber fisherman's suit and combined that noise with the sounds of an accordion-like air duct. Producing accurate renditions of Toho's most iconic monsters proved to be a monumental challenge, especially following the success of Godzilla Minus One, which earned $114 million globally in 2023.

The sequel's trailer, showcased during the panel at NYCC, hinted at aerial dogfights and an intense showdown between Godzilla and Ghidorah. Both films are helmed by Takashi Yamazaki and feature visual effects by Tatsuji Nojima, dubbed "the first Gen Z Oscar-winner" for his work on Godzilla Minus One.

Nojima, who started doing visual effects as a teenager, gained recognition after impressing director Yamazaki with a realistic rendering of ocean waves over rocks. After witnessing this talent, Yamazaki entrusted Nojima with developing the idea further. The director then tasked Nojima with creating a complex shot from the trailer, showcasing Godzilla emerging from the ocean and chasing a seaplane.

Nojima explained that the project required 2 billion particles due to the new IMAX aspect ratio and the absence of live-action plates. Godzilla Minus Zero is scheduled for release in US theaters on November 6 and Japanese theaters on November 3, marking the latter's birthday, as it commemorates the date in 1954 when Ishirō Honda's original film debuted in Japan.