As “Spider-Man 3” made headlines for its record-shattering box office intake opening weekend, the movie-going public received the first true blockbuster and spectacle film of the summer 2007 movie season. It was also a film that offered fantastic opportunities for the wizards of sound mixing and effects editing to chew on. I recently spoke to two members of the team about their experience with what was destined to become a new box office benchmark.

Supervising sound mixer Greg P. Russell has worked with director Sam Raimi on the entire “Spider-Man” trilogy, along with long-time partner Kevin O’Connell. Supervising sound editor Paul N.J. Ottosson joined the series for its second instalment. Both have received Oscar nominations for their efforts on the webhead soundtracks.

Ottosson is quick to admit that he found “Spider-Man 3” more challenging than the previous film in the franchise. He says that adding three new villains, as well as the evolution apparent in Spider-Man himself, resulted in the need to fashion several unique sounds to accompany thes characters.

Russell acknowledges the series’s third instalment had unique obstacles that had to be overcome. He notes the scene in which a crane crashes into a building as being especially challenging to pull off. In general, he spoke of the specific desire to have the audience hear what they’re seeing while also not overwhelming them and making the sound interesting.

But Russell also adds that many advantages came from having grown familiar with what Raimi liked and having developed a shorthand. “In that sense,” he explains, “the first two movies prepared us for the third.”

Russell and Ottosson spoke at length about their relationship with Raimi; both said he would at times have very specific ideas while still allowing them a great deal of freedom. In particular, Ottosson recalls his openness with respect to the “razor bats” of the Goblin which “could have sounded like anything.”

Villains were particularly important for the success of the film. In addition to the Goblin, both Russell and Ottosson recall the Sandman as being a character which was particularly memorable to aurally fashion.

Venom’s sounds were of particular concern to Raimi. Russell explains that the director wanted a very piercing, high-pitched sound but also one that didn’t hurt the ears of the audiences. Ottosson had to hunt for such a sound while also seeking to ensure it did not sound fake. As the task proved challenging, it was not included until the final mix. Russell describes the sound Ottosson eventually found as a “hideous sounding creature."

As it turns out, that “hideous sounding creature” was a Tasmanian Devil. The carnivorous marsupial is found only in Tasmania and is highly protected as it is endangered. (It goes without saying it bears no resemblance to the infamous Looney Toons character). It gets the “Devil” part of its name from the sounds it makes.

Ottosson had to find an Australian to record the animal’s shrieks due to their lack of being readily available to record. Describing the rare animal’s sounds as “hideous but with lots of emotion,” Ottosson found it a fit for the desired sounds of Venom, particularly when the character was in pain. Though very happy with the mix, Ottosson is the first one to admit that “from 9AM to midnight there are a lot more calm sounds I would prefer to listen to” than Venom’s shrieks combined with the bell sounds!

But ultimately both artists found their principal duty on the film to be making the film better. “Anyone can do loud,” Russell explains, “if we did our job right, we made it interesting yet not overwhelming.”

While the crafts of sound mixing and sound effects editing are certainly different, Russell and Ottosson had to work together at key points throughout the process. “Greg and Kevin would give us suggestions,” Ottosson recalls. “Sometimes, it turned out great; on other occasions, we’d already talked about it and decided against it. But when we went to them, we were always confident they’d take it to the next level.”

Russell also fondly remembers the role of the sound editor on the film, particularly being impressed by the sheer variety of sources Ottosson used to create particular sounds. But Ottosson also freely concedes his role as part of a group effort. “The most important part of any movie is trying to help the director,” he says. “I try to think not of the sound but how the sound can tell the story better.’

In thinking back, Russell noted that it is “rare you get to work with essentially the same team on three films. We’ve become almost a family unit. I’m proud to have been on board all three of them.” But fundamentally, he’s most impressed by the work of his director, who has now put years of his life into creating an extremely successful franchise. “You love to see a good guy win,” he says.

The film is certainly winning at the office. And for those with an ear for a film’s soundscape, it’s hard not to consider Ottosson and Russell winners as well.