The Secret World of Sound

My Role

As offline editor on The Secret World of Sound, I cut episode two, Love and Rivals, working closely with producer Gemma Brandt, series producer Shamila Chowdhury and executive producer Stephen Dunleavy. The series places sound at the centre of the storytelling, and the editorial challenge was to construct narrative and emotion while allowing sequences to breathe — trusting silence, texture and acoustic detail as primary story drivers.

My work focused on shaping structure, pacing and performance while giving space for the soundscape to lead, ensuring that image, narration and sound design operated as a single, unified language rather than competing layers.

Editorial Approach

This episode required a restrained, precise editorial rhythm. Rather than building momentum through rapid cutting, the structure relied on anticipation and release, holding on moments long enough for subtle sonic behaviour to emerge and for emotional tension to develop organically.

The cut was designed to support Sam’s narration with clarity and calm, allowing the audience to lean into the listening experience. Silence, duration and micro-detail were treated as narrative tools, with transitions shaped as much by acoustic continuity as by visual logic.

Why This Project Matters

The Secret World of Sound reframes natural history through perception rather than spectacle alone. By allowing sound to lead, the series reveals behaviour, tension and intimacy that might otherwise go unnoticed, encouraging a more attentive way of experiencing the natural world.

Episode two, Love and Rivals, explores communication, competition and connection through acoustic storytelling, demonstrating how editorial restraint and sonic focus can create emotional depth without visual excess.

Credits Block

Platform: Netflix
Production Company: Humblebee Films
Executive Producer: Stephen Dunleavy
Series Producer: Shamila Chowdhury
Producer: Gemma Brandt
Narrator: Sir David Attenborough
Episode: 2 — Love and Rivals
Role: Offline Editor
Software: Avid Media Composer
Year: 2024