Out of Bounds

Case Study:

Date: July 2023

Client: Rob Ulitski

Services: Production Sound Mixing, Dialogue Editing and Final Mix, Sound Design

Out of Bounds is a short horror film directed by Rob Ulitski. The story follows a woman who has fallen outside the boundaries of reality and must remain motionless in the beam of a flashlight to avoid a malevolent force in the dark. The film’s concept relies heavily on atmosphere and tension, with most of the threat conveyed through sound rather than visuals. Our role was to capture clean, usable dialogue on location under tight visual constraints, create a convincing and unsettling sound design for the unseen presence, and complete the final dialogue mix in post-production.

The Challenge

Out of Bounds was shot using a custom-built flashlight rig designed to create a narrow, fixed beam of light, which meant the camera setup was highly restrictive and space on set was extremely limited. All crew had to work carefully around the rig without disrupting framing or shadow lines, placing constraints on mic placement and movement. Additionally the film’s antagonist never appears on screen – but Rob wanted its presence to be felt through sound alone. The goal was to create a vocal design that was unnerving, textural, and unnatural—something that hinted at intelligence without resembling anything recognisably human or animal.

Our Strategy

Production Sound Mixing

We managed all on-location audio during principal photography. The shoot was built around a custom flashlight-based camera rig, which created a narrow beam of light and required tightly controlled framing. We used a shotgun mic on a boom, working in close coordination with camera to avoid casting shadows or interfering with frame lines. The shooting space was small, so mic placement and movement had to be precise. We performed live mixing on set to ensure performance clarity and monitor for noise issues. Equipment setup was kept flexible to allow fast resets and minimal disruption to filming.

Sound Design

The presence in the film is never seen, but its voice plays a central role in building tension. We created a custom vocal design using a combination of synthesis and heavily processed animal recordings. Source material included growls, low breathing, and insect textures, which were layered and manipulated using granular techniques and pitch shifting. The final result was intentionally ambiguous—partially organic, partially synthetic—designed to feel present but never identifiable. The voice design was built to sit inside the soundscape, emerging from the shadows rather than being placed on top of the mix.

Dialogue Editing & Final Mix

In post-production, we mixed and edited all dialogue to support the film’s pacing and mood. The performances were physical and minimal, so the mix focused on clarity without flattening natural variation. EQ, gain shaping, and subtle reverbs were applied to match the spatial tone of each scene. The mix was handled with attention to timing and silence—allowing the soundtrack to carry tension without overfilling the space. The monster voice was integrated directly into the mix environment to maintain cohesion between character performance and sound design.

The results

Out of Bounds was selected for screening at the Unnamed Footage Festival in San Francisco, a festival known for showcasing experimental horror and found-footage storytelling. The film’s audio received positive attention for its ability to carry tension in a minimalist narrative. Viewers responded to the way the creature’s voice was used to fill the space without revealing its form, and the dialogue remained clear and emotionally grounded throughout. The production reinforced our collaborative relationship with the director and demonstrated our ability to deliver high-quality, creative sound work under independent film constraints.

In their own words

Working with Contento Media was a brilliant experience; professional, friendly and above all, they’re really damn great at what they do. For the Out Of Bounds short film project we did together, Charlie and Alicia brought a wealth of knowledge to a difficult environment, which included recording sound in the middle of a forest at night, with no control whatsoever over the location. The quality of their work was top notch, and elevated the project to a whole new level. It’s safe to say that Contento are the first people I will be going to for all future sound work (and there’s already a couple of project in the works). I would highly recommend reaching out to talk to Charlie and Alicia about your project – you won’t find anyone more passionate, creative and professional.

Rob Ulitski