EXCLUSIVE: Chris Welcker recalls working with Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar-nominated sound mixer Chris Welcker recalls working with Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan in Sinners, reflects on time with Irrfan Khan in Jurassic World

Chris Welcker is an American Emmy Award-winning production sound mixer. A native of New Orleans, he transitioned from a career as a professional jazz saxophonist to film and television sound production.

Sinners has made history by becoming the first film ever to receive 16 Academy Award nominations. Ryan Coogler's critically and commercially acclaimed film, starring Michael B. Jordan in a powerful dual role as twin brothers, has shattered records worldwide, surpassing the previous 14-nomination benchmark set by All About Eve.

The film earned nominations across both major and technical categories, including Best Picture, Best Director (Ryan Coogler) and Best Actor (Michael B. Jordan) for his dual performance. Delroy Lindo received a nod for Best Supporting Actor, while Wunmi Mosaku was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, among several others.

Further cementing its dominance at this year's Oscars, Sinners also picked up nominations for Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling, showcasing its strong presence across every key Academy Award category.

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The film's Best Sound nomination was credited to the team of Chris Welcker, Benjamin A. Burtt, Felipe Pacheco, Brandon Proctor, and Steve Boeddeker.

In an exclusive conversation with Zee News, marking his first interview with an Indian platform, Oscar-nominated sound designer Chris Welcker opened up about the film's historic Oscar run, his experience working with Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan, and his memories of collaborating with Irrfan Khan on Jurassic World.

Q. This is your first interaction with an Indian audience. Could you share a little about your journey into sound and what filmmaking through sound means to you?

I grew up as a musician. I have always been into music, jazz, electronic. I went to school thinking I would want to be a musician or a composer. I kind of fell into this career where I work on movies and record sound. But I think because of my background in music, it gave me the opportunity to really be more specialised for the types of projects I could support in terms of sound.

Finding my way into working on music movies has been a big opportunity for me, where I could use my experience of playing different instruments and understanding recording and things like that, and bring it into the filmmaking side of things.

Because it's a whole different thing working on a movie than on live sets or concerts. So it's good to be the person who can help both the musicians understand the filmmaking process and vice versa, because they don't necessarily speak the same language.

Q. You started your career as a jazz saxophonist and could have been at the centre of attention on stage. What was the turning point when you realised that production sound mixing , being behind the scenes was your true calling over performance?

I think some of it is because I have an interest in technology and equipment. I gravitated towards that because when I was in college, I did performances with electronic music and DJing, and there was so much that you had to connect in terms of equipment. I always found myself being the one troubleshooting. I think it kind of found me.

Q. Of all the projects you have worked on so far, which one has been the most meaningful or memorable for you, and why?

It's hard to say. Each one has a special place for me. I think a big one would be Daisy Jones & the Six, an Amazon series I worked on. In terms of the music side of it, it was much bigger than anything I had worked on before, so that gave me a lot of experience. Even for an upcoming project that I am working on, my work on Daisy Jones & the Six will be a big asset for me.

On top of that, we won for Best Sound at the Emmys that year, so that project opened a lot of doors for me and led to conversations with Ryan Coogler for a project like Sinners. So that one changed a lot for me. But I am curious to see how Sinners does the same with an Oscar nomination. I cannot even begin to understand what it would mean for my career. Hopefully, it will open more doors for me.

Q. Congratulations on your Oscar nomination for Sinners. What was it like working on such an intense film with big names like Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan? And is there a particular scene in Sinners where sound played a crucial role in shaping the emotion of the story?

There were a few of them in this particular movie. I think one of the first things we see is a musical performance when we see the character Sammy (Miles Caton) sitting in a car with his uncle Stack. His uncle asks him to play guitar and sing. He knows he is supposed to be this up-and-coming blues musician, and I don't think he has ever heard him or hasn't heard him recently.

So in that scene, he is playing and singing the guitar, but it is happening in conditions that are not very ideal for recording music. They are driving in a 1930s car with a loud engine, so you are dealing with the sound of the road and wind. These are big challenges when you are recording a musical performance. But we pulled it off. It was a collaborative effort.

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By doing that, it allows the truth of his performance to be seen and experienced by the audience. It's a cool thing to carry that on the big screen. Normally, we do that through music playback , we would pre-record the song to pull that off. And that was the first day of shooting. It set the tone for what we did for the rest of the movie and helped us overcome many technical challenges, which makes the movie special and different.

Q. Congratulations on your Oscar nomination for Sinners. What was it like working on such an intense film with big names like Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan? And is there a particular scene in Sinners where sound played a crucial role in shaping the emotion of the story?

There were a few of them in this particular movie. I think one of the first things we see is a musical performance when we see the character Sammy (Miles Caton) sitting in a car with his uncle Stack. His uncle asks him to play guitar and sing. He knows he is supposed to be this up-and-coming blues musician, and I don't think he has ever heard him or hasn't heard him recently.

So in that scene, he is playing and singing the guitar, but it is happening in conditions that are not very ideal for recording music. They are driving in a 1930s car with a loud engine, so you are dealing with the sound of the road and wind. These are big challenges when you are recording a musical performance. But we pulled it off. It was a collaborative effort.

Oscar-nominated sound designer Chris Welcker talks to Zee News about Sinners' historic Oscar nominations, working with Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan, and his special memories of collaborating with Irrfan Khan on Jurassic World.#ChrisWelcker #sinners #oscarnominations… pic.twitter.com/wEBwtTb2g5 — Zee News English (@ZeeNewsEnglish) January 31, 2026

By doing that, it allows the truth of his performance to be seen and experienced by the audience. It's a cool thing to carry that on the big screen. Normally, we do that through music playback — we would pre-record the song to pull that off. And that was the first day of shooting. It set the tone for what we did for the rest of the movie and helped us overcome many technical challenges, which makes the movie special and different.

Q. What is one thing people don't see about Ryan Coogler or Michael B. Jordan behind the scenes that really impressed you professionally?

For one, Ryan Coogler is the nicest person I have come across. It's not very common, unfortunately, to find a director who is not only friendly but also genuinely kind. He invited my family to celebrate his daughter's birthday at one point while we were shooting the movie. He is a really family-oriented person.

He is also a great collaborator. He wants to hear ideas to make the project better, and he will listen to anyone's ideas. There are people in the past whom I thought were collaborative, but Ryan takes it to a whole different level. He and his wife even sent me flowers the other day. He is a true gentleman. He is so funny and smart, and I really appreciate that about him.

As for Michael B. Jordan, he is also a very kind person. As long as he is not playing a character that requires him to be intense for the scene, he will be joking with people on set. That makes it so much easier, because he is someone who is in such high demand and people are always needing things from him, yet he is always willing to give. I really appreciate that too.

I think that's a really hard one to answer because I can't think of one particular moment that got me to this point. Everything is cumulative, every choice you make and every connection you make throughout your career has the potential to be that thing. Every combination of interactions and networking with people opens up opportunities down the road.

For me, it's about treating everyone with respect. You know, there's no one who's too small to pay attention to. I have had situations where I was offered a job because somebody recommended me, and when I found out who that person was, he was actually someone from craft services who provided snacks. So you never know who could change your life and open up a door for you.

I think being humble, respectful, and appreciative of the people and things around you is important. And also keep studying and learning new things and never settle — that has kept me moving.

I have worked with an Indian filmmaker named Tarsem Singh, who did a movie called The Fall. It was one of my favourite movies, and I got to work with him many years ago.

I also worked with Irrfan Khan from Life of Pi. I worked with him in Jurassic World. It was cool to work with him , he was a very nice guy.

Source: ZeeNews
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