In a message via Facebook on Friday, David Snyder wrote that his son Michael committed suicide.
Michael Wolf Snyder, a production sound mixer in Nomadland, died. He was 35 years old.
Snyder’s aunt, Cathy, shared a Facebook message from her brother David – Michael’s father – confirming the death of his son. In the post, Snyder wrote that Michael took his own life last week and suffered from depression for many years.
The message said, in part: “Michael took his own life sometime last week and was not discovered until I went to see how he was on Monday, after he left contact for several days. He suffered from depression serious for many years. For most people, this is a disease that increases and decreases over the years. I’m sure it was difficult for Michael to have spent most of the last year alone in his small apartment in Queens, being responsible for dealing with the coronavirus Despite that, we all believed he was doing well and, for most of last year, I think he was. He looked especially cheerful and refreshed in the last few months as he was able to go back to work on several different film projects He certainly was thrilled with all the praise for Nomadland and told us a lot of happy stories about his work on the film and the amazing people he spent time with. “
About Michael’s career, Synder shared: “We always knew how much Wolf loved his film work; it was the brightest point of his life.” This year, Michael was nominated for best sound / effects at the CinEuphoria award by Chloe Zhao Nomadland. His additional credits in the sound department include Zhao’s The pilotmini series HodoBuzz and Good omens, and several short films. On set over the past decade, her roles ranged from sound mixer to sound operator, sound location recorder and sound director.
In sharing the circumstances of his son’s death, Synder, a psychiatrist, urged others struggling with depression to seek support. “I hope the shocking nature of Michael’s death will prompt others to speak up, risk becoming vulnerable and seek the help they need,” he wrote.
Searchlight Pictures shared the following statement with The Hollywood Reporter on Saturday night: “We offer our deepest condolences to Wolf’s family and our friends, the company of Nomadland. ”
Meanwhile, the producers said in a joint statement: “While our hearts break with the loss of Wolf, we hope it will be a comfort to know that your spirit will live forever on every laugh he recorded, every breeze and every gallop of a horse. He was part of our little film family and his kind soul touched us all. Wolf really brought our film to life. We send our condolences to his family on behalf of everyone Nomadland company. See you on the road, sweet friend. “
Nomadland star Frances McDormand shared in a brief statement: “Wolf recorded our heartbeat. Every breath we take. For me, he is Nomadland. “
Zhao wrote a tribute to Snyder in which she remembered his dynamics together on the set. “On The pilot and Nomadland, I always looked at Wolf after each take, “she wrote.” I didn’t use headphones on the set, so I trusted Wolf a lot to be my ears. He waved at me with a happy smile, or tears in his eyes, or sometimes he quietly signaled ‘one more’. During The pilot, Wolf suggested an idea that we later adopted Nomadland – record room tones for longer than necessary as a chance to experience silence. After touring each location, we sat together, in silence, attuned, listening and honoring the world around us and each other. I will always miss him. He would always be with me on the set, after each take, and in the silence of every tone in the room. See you on the road, my friend. “
The strait Nomadland The Hollywood production team and sound community were also sad and in shock on Saturday. “Your job is what makes the movie sound as beautiful as it looks,” NomadlandSound editing supervisor and re-recording mixer Zach Seivers said THR. “He captured the performances and all the emotions. Not only did he record the dialogue excellently, but he also recorded additional sounds. He saw himself as a storyteller. He took the time to get away from the team and record the environment and the elements textural. “
Seivers continued, recalling elements of the set, like geese in northern California and how Snyder responded to them. “It is highly unusual to capture the essence of the place … it lent the kind of authenticity to the film that Chloe envisioned,” he said.
This was the first time that Seivers and Snyder worked together, and Seivers remembered his colleague as “a lovely and cheerful person and our friendship was just beginning”. Seivers added: “He has a lot to give. I was really looking forward to continuing to build this relationship with him and the work ahead of me. I am very sad and very sorry for the loss of his family.”
The sound production mixer Don Hale, who did not work on Nomadland but he was Synder’s friend and colleague, he also shared a memory with THR. “When something like this happens, it comes to the heart of each of us,” he said, urging anyone with feelings like depression to get in touch with their friends and colleagues. Hale remembers Snyder as a very creative person, full of energy and enthusiasm and passion for his work. “He really loved working on [Nomadland]. There were so many elements that he liked the outdoors, the freedom. [He said] it was a great experience and he was very happy to be part of it. “
Among many tributes on Facebook, actor Yuval Davis wrote: “Michael Wolf Snyder was the super-cool award-winning sound mixer who recorded the set’s audio for the last film I directed. His tragic loss is painfully heard.” Filmmaker Craig Blair recalled Snyder as a “wonderful friend and talented collaborator”, writing on Facebook that he “embodied everything I love in the cinema and in the community he has made and will always be a part of”.
9:09 pm: Updated with statements by Seivers and Hale.
22:43: Updated with Searchlight claims, Nomadland film producers, McDormand and Zhao.