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A Sound Education

Last week the GCSE results were published in England. These qualifications mark the end of key stage 4 and are increasingly feeling like a relic left behind from old-style O-levels which, in the past, marked the end of formal secondary education. In the future, England is looking to working towards a ‘Baccalaureate’ system that aims to draw together three features:

What should assessment look like in 2025’ AQA 2015?

By including ‘personal development’ it is recognised that this is a key element in the needs of future employment.

Why is this important to those of us working in the sound industry?

A hot topic on the SoundGirls Facebook page is the need (or not) for formal qualifications in our industry. Putting student debt aside, a large majority of those against formal qualifications would cite on-the-job training as a far more effective means of achievement. In fact, this is a well-researched area. Carr (1999) says,

‘It is possible for someone to have a mental grasp of procedural knowledge, but no ability to perform the given task’.

I’m sure many of us can recall a course or training programme we’ve attended whereby at the end of the day we have understood all of the procedures being demonstrated but have very little idea of how to apply it in a real-life situation.

The issue that we recognise here is that we are being assessed on one topic and being expected to perform another. Therefore the assessment needs to reflect the practical nature of our industry.

When looking for a course it goes without saying that you need to be as thorough as possible when checking out the credentials. Importantly, check that the assessment opportunities being offered are intrinsically linked to the teaching.

Choose a course where the outcomes fit with your future plans. Even if these plans change, a good course will allow you to develop the skills to continue lifelong learning.

Student Debt

Going back to the issue of student debt, if you speak to any teacher about their students they will without fail at some point speak of inclusion.

Affordability of undergraduate courses in the UK ( and elsewhere) has shot through the roof in recent years. This has naturally increased the doubt surrounding if a course in sound is actually needed or not.

There is no straightforward answer to this other than to say that you need to seriously consider the opportunities that you will be afforded. Would you have the same networking opportunities if you didn’t do the course? Will you receive a rich and rounded mentorship away from the structure of an institution? You are quite likely to find that there are as many professional sound engineers that followed an academic route as followed an amazing mentor or mentors within the industry. The decision of which route to take can only be decided by you.

Community Support

Living in a country that has seen an enormous leap in the availability of public education, highlights the importance of grassroots support and encouragement for young people joining the workplace. Music is one area where traditionally, Oman is rich in heritage.

Whichever path you decide to take, ensure that you have taken every opportunity around you. The number one piece of advice I’ve always given to students wanting to get into sound is… get into sound! Find your local amateur dramatic society/ a band/ music venue/ recording studio and get involved as much as possible. If a group doesn’t exist then create one.

In Muscat, there is a huge variety of musicians from different backgrounds and cultures. They are often brought together on my ‘open mic’ nights. This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to showcase their skills but also to learn new insights. Look hard enough and there will always be a way forward and it doesn’t have to involve spending any money.

Huddleston, Prue. “Http://Www.aqa.org.uk/about-Us/What-We-Do/Policy/the-Future-of-Assessment-2025-and-beyond/How-Should-We-Assess-Vocational-and-Practical-Learning.” Http://Www.aqa.org.uk/, filestore.aqa.org.uk/content/about-us/AQA-THE-FUTURE-OF-ASSESSMENT.PDF.

The Future of Assessment

Some Great Gear

Over the last year, with a brand-new facility, I’ve been able to purchase a lot. Here are some of what I would consider being the best small to medium-sized purchases of the year.

First, the most lifesaving (ok, more time and ease saving) items would be road cases! Going from a building where everything was within 30ft to a building where everything is two floors away is a change. I purchased road cases and created packs to go to each area. This made everything much simpler, and likely shaves off more setup time then when everything was stored closer. There are hundreds of case companies out there. My recommendation is to check out the case companies closest to you. This can save you time and money in shipping, plus you are also supporting a local or regional business. Just make sure the cases will hold up to abuse and fit your need for size and height.

Second, functional clothing, which is needed all the time but worth highlighting here. For me, there are two key items for functional clothing: pants with pockets and well-supporting shoes. Another SoundGirl posted some leggings with pockets a while back. Now, I’m not a legging person myself but it shows that someone is finally getting it: Pockets are needed! I usually get jeans that are a little cheaper and have well-built pockets. This way I can carry essential tools and then, if something happens to the jeans, they aren’t expensive to replace. For shoes, I prefer closed-toed with good support. Generally, I pick a hiking shoe for long days and keep some steel-toed shoes around for load-ins/outs. I find that hiking shoes provide support for longer than a general tennis shoe.

Third, a fun piece of equipment to get to know: a Shure ULXD wireless mic setup. (Just in time for the bandwidth chaos too!) We went the digital route and I couldn’t be happier with them for our meeting rooms. They work great with a lot of the other wireless mic setups throughout the campus and building. Batteries seem to last long enough and the pickup is awesome, even for those who don’t hold the mic properly. I’m hoping to add more of these to the inventory soon.

Finally, fourth, a hand-held little tool that is easy to take everywhere: The Gerber Shard keychain. This tool has been great to keep attached to my keys as I have encountered different power panels and boxes that needed opening. It’s lightweight and sturdy making it much nicer to carry all the time than a full multi-tool. It will never replace a good multi-tool, but it’s great to always have around.

What are some of the best purchases you’ve made this year?

 

The “Game” of Finding Work in Los Angeles

When I moved to Los Angeles, I knew three people including a friend from home named Dustin. On my first night in town, I went for dinner with him and a few of his friends. One asked the waiter about something on the menu. The waiter replied, “Well, as long as I’ve been here – which is five years now – this has been the most popular item on the menu. But the only reason I’ve been here five years is because I’m still trying to get my screenplay published.”  The waiter then took our order as nothing had happened.

After he left, I asked if the waiter’s comment struck anyone as odd. “Nah,” Dustin said, “you get used to it after a while. Everyone wants to be doing something else in this town.” His friend shared a story about a colleague who recently landed a job. The colleague was at Starbucks venting about how she couldn’t find work. The guy at the next table overheard her and said he needed to hire someone to do exactly what she was talking about. They exchanged information and she was hired a few days later.

Since I didn’t move to LA with a job, my first couple months were spent taking “meetings” (aka lunch, coffee, or a drink) with “connections” (aka friends of friends or people I met through an ad on Craigslist). I tried the regular job channels like applying to job listings or sending my resume to studios but got no response. It was so bizarre that all of this was the reality of starting a career. It felt more like a game making friends using code words versus job seeking.

Instead of seeking work, I started seeking information. I wanted to know how others got their start or what their career paths were like. How did they get interviews or job offers? What could I do to find more opportunities? What path should I be taking? It was those questions that lead to more meetings and more connections and eventually to work and more opportunities. The more I got to know people the more they offered to help.

I also met up with a college friend (one of the three I knew when I moved out). She worked at a post-production studio. She said the studio received at least 30 resumes a week and if they have an opening (even for receptionist) the owner would give an interview to someone an employee knew over a no-name resume from the pile. She showed me the cabinet full of resumes – all people who never got an interview.

I got a great piece of advice during one of those first meetings: “It’ll take six months just to make the connections to start looking for work in Los Angeles.” Once you start seeing the web of connections and how it works you realize opportunity could be anywhere – even from a stranger at Starbucks or a friend from college. The hard part is getting used to selling yourself in unexpected situations. There’s a balance, though, in knowing when it’s appropriate to talk about your skills or work. The waiter, for example, may have been too forward bringing up his screenplay while he was working another job. It takes some practice but if you’re comfortable sharing about yourself (and knowing how much or when to share) a stranger can turn into a connection or even lead to a great job.

 

Time for a Change

Recently I decided to make a significant change to my business. From the end of this year, I have decided to limit my voice-over demo production services to character voice demo production only. I’ve worked hard to grow the voice demo side of my business for the past six years, so it wasn’t an easy decision.

When I decided to start offering voice demo services, it seemed perfect for a freelance sound designer/voice actor. Actors, broadcasters, and anyone else who wants to work professionally as a voice-over artist or voice actor need professional voice-over demos to showcase their voice-over work. I wrote scripts, directed and recorded the actors in my studio, and mixed their demos. As my voice-over career grew, I also offered advice about the industry.

For a few years, producing voice demos felt like a way I could creatively combine voice-over, sound engineering, and sound design skills. And because I managed all my bookings through my personal studio, it was also flexible enough to allow me to do other sound design and voice-over work. After a few years it made up 60% of my income and bookings were steady enough for me to fill all the available slots I had every month, without almost any marketing.

As I write this, I am booked up for voice demos until the end of October, with people on the waiting list for when I open bookings again for November/December. This is the closest I have come to a guaranteed income since I went freelance for the second time. Once I stop producing commercial and narrative demos, I don’t have work readily lined up to replace this. Until I do, I’ll be losing around 50% of my monthly income. So, yeah – not an easy decision.

So why do it? Over the past year, I’ve felt it was time for a change for a number of reasons. Here are a few signs that you might recognise if you’re considering a similar change:

It stopped being challenging

Producing voice-over demos has taught me a lot. I learned how to write effective commercial, narrative and animation and gaming character scripts. My voice-over editing skills improved, and I discovered how to mix demo radio and TV commercials to sound like the real thing. I developed directing skills and eventually, an individual style and technique. But about 18 months ago, I realised I wasn’t learning anything new. I’d reached a point where I had all the skills and experience I needed to keep producing quality commercial and narrative voice demos, and I had no real drive to add to these. Which was compounded by….

I achieved all my goals

Once I was satisfied that producing voice demos would be commercially viable, I set goals for myself. Earlier this year, I ticked off the last of those goals. While there are other directions I could take this side of my business – expanding into commercial premises, hiring staff, offering different packages – none of these are appealing. I still want to produce character voice demos (for performers who want to showcase their voice acting skills for animation and gaming), but  I’ve reached my upper limit of what I want to do with commercial and narrative reels.

I wasn’t doing the work I really wanted to do

I am drowning in admin. Responding to emails, writing scripts, creating downloadable resources for clients, is overwhelming, and it’s taking time away from the sound design projects I want to do. One solution I considered was hiring an assistant or virtual assistant, but I’m uncomfortable with the idea of hiring staff. It’s time to do less of the work I currently do, to make time for the work I want to do.

I lost motivation

For almost my entire freelance career, earning money has been a pretty big motivator – if I don’t work, I don’t get paid. So I knew it was a big sign that I needed to make a change when even the thought of maybe not getting paid wasn’t enough to keep me on consistently on track and focused on my work.

I stopped looking forward to the work

You don’t have to love your job every single day. You do have to want to be there most days – otherwise, you’re doing the wrong job.

I’ll still be producing character voice demos for people who want to showcase their voice acting skills for cartoons and video games, so I haven’t cut the cord completely. And I admit I’m a tad nervous about what comes next when I don’t have a solid calendar of bookings on which to rely. Equally, I’m looking forward to what comes next – hopefully, more of the work I want to do and even, some time off! Here’s to new challenges.

 

Up Close and Personal

Last month I talked about the nuts and bolts of how I run monitors at the Glastonbury Festival. This month, I’ll share some tips about how I mix monitors at the other end of the spectrum – a solo artist and their band.

Running a large festival requires a different set of ‘soft’ skills from working closely with an artist. They both take a great deal of preparation, but whilst at Glasto, that means collating tech specs, session files and stage plots for 24 bands, with solo artists it’s more to do with rehearsals and relationships. And whilst at Glasto, I have the artistic input of making sure that the house EQ and any necessary time alignment on sidefills and wedges mean the stage sounds fantastic, with an artist it gets a lot more refined, particularly if I have a long working relationship with them. My two current artists are both fantastic singers whom I’ve been working with for nine years and seven years respectively, so by now, I have a fairly intuitive understanding of what they want to hear. Both have excellent bands playing with them, are lovely people, and I enjoy their music, so it’s a very nice position to be in.

Relationship

The quality of the relationship between the monitor engineer and artist is an important part of the job, and as with people in any walk of life it doesn’t always click. You can do a great technical job of mixing, but if the artist doesn’t feel a connection with you, you may not get a second run. As I’ve said before, they need to feel that you’ve got their back, because they really are reliant on you. Put yourself in their shoes – it’s a vulnerable position, standing on stage in front of thousands of people, and their ability to hear what they need is totally in your hands. That goes for all bands, but is amplified for a solo artist – the backing musicians are a big part of the show, but the audience is watching the star most of the time, so they’re very exposed and they have to trust you. Part of it is down to personalities – you might gel and you might not – but you can help build rapport by being reliable, consistent, calm, professional, prepared and confident.

Hierarchy

Being friendly with the artist, but not overly so, is important – you want to establish an easy working relationship with them, whilst remembering that they are still your boss. I’ve found that balancing friendliness with a little professional distance is a wise move. Friendly, not friends.

Of course, in most cases, you’re not just mixing for the artist but for the band too. I’ll always soundcheck with the band by themselves first, so that I can make sure they’re happy before turning my attention to the artist – and often an artist will stop soundchecking when they’re comfortable with the engineer. I never stop watching the artist once they’re on stage – you can guarantee that the moment you look away is the moment they’ll look over!

During the show, I keep half an eye on the band, but my main focus is the artist. So how to make sure that the band feels taken care of too? I ask the stage tech and backline techs to keep an eye on the musicians and alert me if I miss anyone trying to get my attention. I also give every band member a switch mic, so that they can talk directly to both me and the techs. I set up a ‘talk to me’ mix on my console, and I feed my own IEM pack off a matrix, pulling in that talk mix as well as the PFL buss. In that way I never miss someone talking to me, even when I’m listening to the artist’s mix.

Sometimes there’s a request that comes at a critical point in the performance; for example, the drummer wants a little more hat overall, but I have a show cue. I’ll nod to let them know that I’ve seen them and hold up one finger to say that I’ll be with them in just a moment. Then, when I’ve made the change for them, I’ll glance over and catch their eye to check that they’re happy. I encourage musicians to give me immediate feedback when they’ve asked for something – it’s no use finding out after the gig that something wasn’t quite right!

Avatar

Mixing artist monitors is like being an avatar. I need to develop a real understanding of what they pitch to, time to, what they’re used to hearing, and what helps them to enjoy the gig. I don’t usually alter the backing band’s mixes unless asked to do so, but I’ll subtly ride elements of the artist’s mix as necessary during the show, once I have a good understanding of their preferences – if an element of the mix sounds too loud or quiet to me, then it probably does to them as well. I tend to tap along with my foot, which keeps me aware of whether they are wandering off the beat and might need a little more hat or snare.

My latest trick

In rehearsals for my current tour, I had a few days alone with the band first, as usual. Once they were happy I set up my artist’s mix and dialed her vocal mic in. Then I tried something new – I sang along! BEFORE I sent the mic to anyone else, and I ‘may’ have temporarily pulled the XLR split to FOH so only I could hear it, but wow it’s a helpful exercise! It really helped me to get a feel for how easy the mix was to sing with. A more discreet way is simply to keep one IEM in, close off the other ear with your finger, and see if you can pitch reasonably easily. If you can’t find the note you need, what can go up in the mix to help your singer out?

Audience mics

Whilst we never needed these when wedges were the only option (showing my age!), with the widespread use of IEMs they can help the artist feel the vibe of the show. Currently, I’m using three mics on each side of the stage (near, wide and rifle), mixed down to a stereo channel to give a nice spread of audience sound to the ears. I hi-pass them at around 600Hz to keep the low-end out and have them on a VCA which I ride up between songs and when there’s audience participation. On the subject of VCAs, I also use one for the vocal reverb, backing it down during chat between songs.

Split vocal

With solo artists, I always split the vocal down two channels: one to themselves and one to the band. That means that I can keep the mic live in the artist’s ears the whole time, so they can hear themselves after a costume change (when jacks can get pulled and volume pots knocked), without disturbing the band. If we’re using both IEMs and wedges, as one of my artists does, I’ll actually split the vocal three ways to allow for a different wedge EQ and muting when he goes off stage. I always safe the ‘vocal to self’ out of all snapshots, but keep the ‘vocal to band’ within snapshots so those mutes are programmed in.

Keep it clean

Finally, I do a little in-ear and mic housekeeping every day. It’s the monitor engineer’s job to keep the artist’s molds clean and wax-free, so I carry wipes and a little poky tool to make sure they’re always in good condition. Alcohol swabs are great for cleaning the vocal mic, which I do right before handing it over – apart from the fact that a stinky mic is gross if the artist gets sick and can’t perform the whole tour could be in jeopardy, so hygiene is really important.

I hope you’ve found something useful here – every engineer will do things slightly differently, but a can-do attitude, hard work, and attention to detail are great foundations for any engineer, no matter what you’re mixing!

Southern California SoundGirls End of Summer Bash

Southern California SoundGirls End of Summer Bash

Join us on Sunday August 20th to see Shout Sister Shout

SoundGirls has a limited amount of tickets for purchase. Sold Out

Immediately After 4:30 – Join us for an early dinner or drinks at

Shout Sister Shout

The Gospel of Rock. The Spirit of the Blues.

Open your heart and soul to the legendary life and times of Sister Rosetta Tharpe in this world premiere musical directed by Randy Johnson, creator of the smash hit A Night with Janis Joplin. Hailed as the godmother of rock and roll, Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s unique gospel voice and virtuoso guitar influenced some of the greatest musicians of all time, from Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin to Little Richard, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, and Johnny Cash. Shout Sister Shout! is a soulful and joyous noise that will inspire, entertain, and leave you wanting more.

“She was a powerful force of nature, a guitar playing, singing evangelist.”

-BOB DYLAN

You Don’t Need to Know it All

I’ve been wanting to say this for a long time: nobody needs to know everything!

Since I joined the world of live sound, in 2003, I have seen many technicians feeling bad at the end of a job because they should have done one or another task better among the many that were assigned to them, or because they were fired for not fulfilling the requirements.

This discomfort is even more common for women technicians because more is demanded of them: When something goes wrong, inevitably someone will put the blame on gender.

No, it’s not your fault.

It is established here in Brazil (God knows why), that a good technician or audio engineer is the one who does everything. There´s a veiled expectation that the band´s engineer will unload the truck, set up equipment on stage, line up the PA and monitor systems, play a quick jam as Roadie, will make line check (sometimes PA and monitors from the same console), mix during the show and, if any equipment is broken, become a super-electronic technician and fix it.

What often happens is that after about 12 hours of this marathon, in which you didn´t eat properly or even sit down, it’s showtime. By then we´re so tired that we can´t always do a good show. In the end, the purpose of the exercise is lost.

We know that some positions or functions within a live production have their specifics and require different skills; such as wireless systems, sound system alignment, and audio mixing. So, wouldn’t it be ideal if each person gets to work on things they do best?
I realize that there´s a change in this direction, here in Brazil. Some technicians have been specializing in some of the many audio skills. But there´s still resistance from the labor market, especially in live audio, in understanding this change.
Equipment rental companies don´t invest in know-how. It´s economically more interesting to have fewer people to do everything, even though the quality is being reduced considerably. And because many producers simply ignore any technical concept, they copy that format expecting, not to mention demanding, excellence at low cost. I think all producers should be reading this.

The technicians, also, often sabotage themselves. They treat people who do one thing very well with disdain. They call those who study and refine their skills arrogant. They accept the work of three people for just one fee. Full of themselves, they praise manual work and exalt the famous “Brazilian way”. All these behaviors reinforce the false idea that audio is an easy thing that anyone is able to do.

Old thoughts need to be recycled. Time moves forward, and technology and knowledge are there to help us. You don´t even need to know everything. You don´t need to do everything any which way. Be the best at the things that you do well.

If you don´t want to get your hands dirty or be, as we say in Brazil – a “grease” worker, then don´t do it. Or do it if you want to do it. Be who you want to be – there’s nothing wrong with that.

Maria Rosa Lopes – A singer and sound engineer, she has been working in the live sound industry for the past 15 years. She has worked as a recording assistant for Osesp (São Paulo Symphonic Orchestra), joined the technical team at Pina Bausch Brazilian tour, and worked at some music festivals as a PA and monitor engineer. Rosa graduated in music and has studied audio too. Now, she teaches music and works as a sound designer and audio engineer for theatre and live shows.

Summer Season

Unbelievably, I celebrated two years in Muscat last month! Time is flying by and our dark time in the Opera House over the summer is coming to an end. Working regular hours is somewhat of a novelty to those of us used to working in commercial theatre, so we are all keen to make use of the evenings and weekends. Finding activities to avoid the searing temperatures of summer in the desert is all part of the fun!

Recording in ‘Tunes’ music shop in Ruwi and ‘The Guitar Centre’ in Al Khuwair.

Recording with ‘Pulse and Soul’ -a local band

At the end of Ramadan, I was asked to do some recording for a local band, ‘Pulse and soul.’ The musicians are all teachers at the ‘Classical Music and Arts Institute.’ Using their show equipment and a newly purchased Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 we produced several tracks that can be used for promotional purposes. We also filmed the recordings.

The live music scene in Oman is complicated to understand as an outsider. Laws carefully regulate where and when live music can be performed. International hotels and private ceremonies such as birthdays and weddings are the main platforms away from the Royal Opera House.

After the first set of recordings, it was decided that we should also produce some tracks recorded in a more intimate setting. The drum room at the private music school in Qurum was transformed into a recording studio, and we started recording some different combinations of performances. Using the larger Focusrite Clarett 8 Pre X we started recording multi-track for more post-production flexibility. Of course, this produced much better results regarding audio quality but the downside of this being that more time was required for editing. Trying to fit this around all of our work commitments started becoming increasingly challenging!

Renaissance Day in Salalah

On the 23rd of July, Oman celebrates ‘Renaissance day.’ This is the day that the Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said al Said, came to power in 1970. Various events take place across the Sultanate and the day is a public holiday. To celebrate in style, my friend and Education Manager of the Royal Opera House, Lisa Navach, visited Salalah in the South of Oman.

The trip takes about 1.5 hours by plane or 12 hours by road. We opted for the flight!

 

Salalah is famous for its yearly tourism festival. This takes part during a season called ‘Khareef.’ The lush green landscape and cooler temperatures are a welcome break from summer in Muscat. Hiring a car meant that we could easily get around and do some off roading to find empty beaches with pure white sand. Bliss!

Back in Salalah, the festival was a complete cultural submersion into traditional music and dance of the Dhofar region. Slightly more conservative than Oman, there were few Western tourists, and we really felt that we were experiencing a true insight into a region that feels very in touch with its traditional roots.

All Men, women, and families have different seating areas in the audience for these displays of traditional music and dance. All performances were being transmitted live on television across the Sultanate!

Next week I will travel back to the UK for my annual leave. I’m preparing myself for the reverse culture shock that I am bound to experience back in London! The season at the Royal Opera House commences in September with an exciting programme of Ballet, Opera, and music from around the world.

 

Helping Filmmakers Tell a Story – Deb Adair – Re-Recording Mixer

Deb Adair is a freelance re-recording mixer. Deb has been nominated for an Oscar (for the film Moneyball), has won three Emmys and nominated for an additional five, and has won two Golden Reel awards as Sound Supervisor. In the past couple of years, her film credits include Entourage, Pele, and Keanu.

Deb earned a degree from Syracuse University where she studied film production. She worked in the music industry in Nashville before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in sound for film.

April Tucker interviewed Deb about her career

Are you primarily mixing dialog/music? Are you ever in the FX chair?

I have been primarily mixing dialogue and music for the last nine or ten years but have also had the opportunity from time to time to work alongside very talented colleagues as the effects mixer.

What’s the difference between these roles?

Being the dialogue mixer, you are the person who guides the flow of the mixing process.

Give us a little background on how you got into sound, where else you’ve worked, went to school, training background, etc.

I attended Syracuse University in the TV, Radio, and Film Production program, wanting to be involved in filmmaking is some capacity.  The classes that focused on sound immediately became my favorites. I started recording bands and mixing live music at some local venues.

Why did you move from music to film?

 How did you transition from tv work to film? Was it something you were seeking out?


I had always wanted to be involved in filmmaking, so music recording was a good way for me to learn the equipment. I started mixing in TV but had always wanted to work on feature films, and I told this to my manager at Sony at the time, Richard Branca. When an opportunity to do additional mixing on a film came up, like helping pre-dub or updating pre-dubs, Richard would bring my experience up to the clients and with the appropriate approvals I was able to participate in the completion process.

Oscar Luncheon 2012

Can you explain what a re-recording mixer is, the workflow, who is generally on the stage at your mixes, etc.?

There are usually two mixers on the dub stage. Each handles hundreds of tracks of material whether it be dialogue, music or sound effects.  We work with the sound supervisor and the picture editor or the director or both (depending on the project) to balance all elements to shape the soundtrack of the film.  At some point producers usually come in for playback.

Can you explain the advantage of having two (or more) mixers on a film? How does it make things easier or harder?

Mixing a motion picture is a collaboration of talent and experience learned over many years by both mixers.

Are you usually on the same stage and mixing with the same partner? If not, what dictates who you work with?

Every project is different.  We could be predubbing on separate stages at the same time on each of our assigned disciplines and then come together for several weeks of a final mix. I have worked with various partners and on various stages based on client requests.  The crew is usually chosen based on past working relationships with the director, picture editor, sound supervisor or post-production supervisor.

What’s your system working with multiple mixers (especially early in the mix or trying to EQ)? Taking turns, using headphones, etc.? 

Most of the time we pre-dub the material simultaneously on separate stages then work together on the final stage to blend everything together.

How many stage days do you usually get on a film? How often do you see the director and how much time do you get with him/her? How long do you spend on Atmos, 7.1 vs. 5.1, or stereo mix?

The number of stage days varies based on the release date and the budget of the project. At the time of the final mix, there are so many things happening simultaneously for the director like color timing and D.I. so we will get to spend time with them based on their schedule.  Atmos adds some time for deliverables, but a native Atmos mix doesn’t necessarily take longer than 7.1 or 5.1.

Do you do your own pre-dubs or how many people are involved with a mix before it gets to you?

I prefer to do my own pre-dubs. The number of people depends on the project.  There is usually one music editor and one or two dialogue/ADR editors.

Favorite plugins? 

I’m a big fan of Spanner because it provides a lot of flexibility to adjust separate channels of a single multichannel track.

Any other favorite gear? Are you usually working on the same console?

I’m mostly working on the Avid S6 these days.  It’s a great tool. Very intuitive.

Do you think you have to do anything different from your male counterparts on the stage? How about with clients?

No. I think some clients appreciate having a variety of points of view in the room.

Any advice you have for other women and young women who wish to enter the field?

Pursue your true passion. If a new opportunity comes up, volunteer.  Be ready to step out of your comfort zone and tackle new challenges.

What path do you see for someone today to get to the type of job you are in?

As a matter of fact, the Academy recently started the Gold program, which is a mentoring program for people interested in film careers.  Beyond that, I would say start with an entry-level position and work your way up.

What are must-have skills to do your job?

Being a good listener for the client and understanding what they need. Helping the filmmaker tell a story and achieve their vision is the most fulfilling part of the job.

Are you mixing continuously throughout the year? How many films do you do on average and how much time off?

I’ve been very fortunate to have been busy the past several years, working on four to six films on average.

What is the average time you are working on a project?

Anywhere from one week to eight or nine weeks usually depending on budget.

Is there a time you would be working on two at once?

Schedules sometimes overlap if you are doing temp dubs for previews or creating deliverables like the home theater mix.

What is the difference between mixing for film vs. TV?

Mostly schedule, TV also has strict parameters for levels and compression, etc. for broadcast and streaming.

Any comments on work/life balance? How do you not burn out or keep things interesting?

I love my job, and I get to work with a great variety of really talented people. I have a husband who is very supportive and understanding. When I have time off, I do lots of yoga.

What do you like most about being a re-recording mixer?

 What do you like least?

What I love most about my job is collaboration. What I like the least is traffic!!



What is your favorite day off activity? Any other hobbies or interests?

When I’m off, I love traveling with my husband, and we love snow skiing and motorcycle riding.

What has been one of the most challenging or rewarding films you have worked on?

One of the most challenging films I’ve worked on is also the most rewarding.  While mixing MONEYBALL, there were many vintage and archival recordings from real broadcasts and baseball games. There were also new recordings with specific information to help tell the story that was much “cleaner” than the archival recordings so we needed to blend the two seamlessly so that the audience wouldn’t notice the difference.  This was a challenge, but it also landed my team an Oscar nomination for sound mixing.

Deb Adair – IMDb

 

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