V Renée

If you aren't thinking about spatial audio as early as your storyboard, you’re leaving half the story on the table. That's a sentiment the "Audible Dimensions" panel made perfectly clear at this year's SXSW. As filmmakers, we often treat audio as the "last mile" of post-production, but in the world of XR (Extended Reality), VR, and even "spatial cinema" on devices like the Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest 3, sound isn't just a supplement—it’s an element that really sells immersion.

The brand new trailer has dropped for Stranger Things 5 | Volume 2, and like everyone else in this dimension (and beyond), I'm absolutely obsessed and shaking about it. Just like the trailer for Volume 1, this one is opening up doors for us to see what the next three episodes will reveal about Vecna, the nature of the Upside Down, and what the endgame could possibly be in the battle for Hawkins.

If filmmakers know one thing, it's that the tools of our trade are expensive. From cameras and lenses to software and online courses, the things that can help us take our skills to the next level don't come cheap — except during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.