Over the past 35 years, Burning Man has brought a mystical energy to the Black Rock Desert. Every year, shortly before Labor Day, tens of thousands flock to northwestern Nevada for a week of art, music, and community. As anyone who is a dedicated “Burner” will tell you, it’s difficult to describe the exact magical feeling that takes over the event. But thanks to an audiovisual short from BonaMaze, it just got a little easier to enter the world of Burning Man.
The Sound of Burning Man is a two-and-a-half-minute crash course on the event. For those who have been, it’s like coming home; for anyone who’s never gone, it’s a tantalizing invitation to attend. Emmy-winning duo BonaMaze used their signature style to bring the playa to life by recording the sights and sounds that make it memorable. Similar to their The Sound of Skateboarding with Tony Hawk, the duo used Burning Man’s ambient noise to create the video’s soundtrack.
The result is a sensory explosion where everything from the laughter of participants to the crackling of fire becomes part of the narrative. So sit back, turn up the volume, and prepare to be delighted. Then, scroll down for My Modern Met’s exclusive interview with The Sound of Burning Man’s executive producer Ben Jacoby, as he shares the secrets of BonaMaze’s creative process and talks about the reception the film has received from the Burner community.
Where did the idea for The Sound of Burning Man come from?
Back in 2017, BonaMaze experienced their first Burning Man. Like many first-timers, the gifts they brought were small and symbolic. After such a mind-blowing experience, they promised themselves that if they ever returned, their gift would be something deeper, something that reflected who they are as artists and their passion for life and craft. No matter how many videos they had seen before, it was only by being in the Black Rock Desert that they understood what Burning Man really is. That realization became the seed for a project that could translate the essence of Burning Man into a sensory experience of sound and video in a way that had never been done.
They had already explored the “Sound Of” concept in other projects, but Burning Man felt like the perfect subject. For years, it was “maybe this year” or “next year for sure.” Finally, in 2024, they returned with a small, dedicated team to bring the vision to life. And as the playa always does, it surprised them with moments they could never have scripted. The finished piece is their gift to the community, something meant to inspire year-round until we meet there again.
How did the soundtrack develop with the visuals?
BonaMaze treated sound as the lead character. They recorded over 3,000 raw samples on the playa, including fire bursts, bikes on gravel, laughter, voices, and art car engines. These became the instruments of the soundtrack. The visuals were edited in rhythm with those sounds, so the film breathes in step with Burning Man itself rather than layering music on top of footage.
How long did it take to pull this together, and how much material was captured?
The process took about a year. BonaMaze returned with hours of footage and thousands of sounds, then spent months refining every cut and beat. Their editing process is as musical as it is visual, and the biggest challenge was distilling the chaos and beauty of Black Rock City into two and a half minutes without losing its essence.
For people who have never attended Burning Man, what do you hope they take away?
That Burning Man is something you feel as much as you see. BonaMaze created a way to experience that pulse even if you have never set foot on the playa. The goal is to let people sense the rhythm of the city and the communal spirit that makes it unlike anywhere else.
What has the reaction been from the Burner community?
The response has been overwhelming. Burners are discerning, and they know when something feels inauthentic. Many have said this is the first time a film has captured the true energy of the Burn rather than just documenting it. Some have even called it the best Burning Man video ever produced, which speaks volumes about BonaMaze’s artistry.
What is next?
For BonaMaze, this project builds on their Emmy and Webby Award-winning work, and the “Sound Of” series continues to evolve into new cultural spaces. For me, as Executive Producer, I am committed to supporting projects that merge storytelling, sound, and human experience in unexpected ways. Burning Man was the perfect subject for this collaboration, and it feels like the beginning of much more to come.