David Fincher On How 'Mank' Was Made Like A Movie From The 1940s

David Fincher recently opened up about his upcoming movie “Mank” and revealed how he managed to make the film look like a feature from Hollywood’s golden era, the 1940s.

In an interview with Vulture, the 58-year-old filmmaker shared some details about his upcoming project and noted that he wanted to make the film look like an outdated movie waiting to be restored from Martin Scorsese’s basement.

The “Zodiac” helmer further stated that everything in the movie has been “compressed” to make it sound like something from the 1940s.

“Ren Klyce, who is the sound designer, and I started talking years ago about how we wanted to make this feel like it was found in the UCLA archives – or in Martin Scorsese’s basement on its way to restoration. Everything has been compressed and made to sound like the 1940s,” Vulture quoted Fincher, as saying.

Later in the discussion, the Golden Globe-winning director explained how the film’s music was made to sound dated.

“The music has been recorded with older microphones so it has a sort of sizzle and wheeze around the edges – you get it from strings, but you mostly get it from brass. What you are hearing is a revival house – an old theater playing a movie,” Fincher said.

The acclaimed filmmaker also noted that those who have seen the movie in early screenings have reacted to the film’s audio quality and called it “warm.”

“It’s funny because I have played it for some people who ask, ‘What is going on with the sound? It’s so warm.’ And I respond, ‘Well, what you mean when you say warm is, it sounds like an old movie. It sounds analog,’” Fincher said during the interview.

Set in the late 1930s and early 40s, “Mank” tells the story of screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz and how he finished the screenplay for Orson Welles’ iconic movie “Citizen Kane.”

Academy Award-winning actor Gary Oldman is portraying the character of Mankiewicz in the movie while Lily Collins, Amanda Seyfried, Tom Burke, and Tuppence Middleton star in pivotal roles.

“Mank” will be streaming on Netflix starting Dec. 4, 2020.