london Archives - Sound Design Live

Silence: The secret ingredient to sound design in advertising

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In this episode of the Sound Design Live podcast I talk with Munzie Thind, post-production sound designer at GCRS in London. Thind received the Creative Circle Silver Award in Sound Design for the project National Autistic Society: Sensory Overload. We discuss the career path of a London sound designer in the advertising industry, and the production process of TV commercials.

If I can get silence into a piece of work, that’s half of my job done.

Show notes:

All music in this episode by Steve Knots except for Heer Di Kali by Kuldeep Manak.

One Critical Skill You Need to Get Stage Theatre Jobs: How Surrey University Is Training Audio Engineers

By Nathan Lively

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In this episode of Sound Design Live, I speak with Paul McConkey, the sound module coordinator at the University of Surrey, about the most important skill you need to get stage theatre jobs in the West End of London. We talk about his career path, from earning a record contract to building a recording studio, touring with rock bands, and finally teaching the professional production skills course at the University of Surrey. We also discuss training for the stamina to succeed and how work placements serve the performing arts.

There’s a lot to deal with in the entertainment business, and most of it requires people skills.

Details from the podcast:

All music in this episode by iso999
Guildford School of Acting
Depping = Acting as a deputy.
Quotes
1. You work for free for us for a while, but eventually you get a reputation and that reputation is gold dust. (11:17)
2. Getting a job is a lot of fitting in, half the time, because it’s a family. (11:51)
3. There is a wealth of work within audio. There is a possibility to diversify.
4. If you are good with your people skills, you can train yourself up to be good at [a particular] area. (14:24)

Learn from the Sound Engineers for Tori Amos, Prodigy, and The White Stripes Online

By Nathan Lively

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There’s one obvious way to fix live audio education, and Darryn De La Soul figured it out.

In this episode of the Sound Design Live Podcast I talk to the owner of SoulSound, Darryn De La Soul, about her life’s mission to help sound engineers improve employability and find work. We also discuss emotional intelligence for audio engineers, the difference between a career ladder and a career web, why universities don’t provide work experience for their students, how labor buying and subcontracting work, and how Darryn built one of the biggest contact lists in the pro audio industry.

What we’re offering is the opportunity to improve employability. I want my people to be working, otherwise, what’s the point?

Details from the podcast:

All music in this episode by The Blackfires
Looking for the SoulSound membership discount? Make sure to sign up for my mailing list; I’ll send it out on April 30th.
SoulSound on Twitter
SoulSound will launch on April 30, 2014 at PLASA Focus.
The Getting A Foot In The Door eBook.
Sound Engineers: Paul Epworth (Adele), Marcel van Limbeek (Tori Amos), Justin Grealy (The White Stripes), Jon Burton (Prodigy), Tony Andrews, Bob Heil
Ears = IEM
The Power Of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Alchemea private college for audio, SSR
How to protect yourself at a gig:
1. Grow a thick skin.
2. Be aware of what’s your fault and what’s not (i.e. take responsibility). Never feel bad about something that is outside your control.
3. There are times when you are allowed to stand up for yourself and say, “Look, this isn’t helping.”
Quotes:
1. “Nothing is ever advertised. Most of it word of mouth.”
2. “The only way to make money is in the live industry.”
3. “It’s a people business. A band has to trust you before they will take you on tour.”
4. “If you take that chance, make sure you are sober.”
5. “It’s a very lonely job. You’re on your own.”
6. “People management is a massive part of this job. If you struggle with that, you will struggle with the job.”
7. “I made it my mission to never walk past a venue without demanding work experience for my students.”
8. “Over 80% of our students were working [after finishing the course].”
9. “In this business, no one [hires you] off of a CV. You need someone to say, this guy’s OK.”
10. “Most of the degrees out there don’t really mean much because they haven’t taught you how to push the boxes and load the truck and be awake for 15 hours and still have a smile on your face.”