How did you get to where you are now?

Question

I'm aiming this question at anyone who has made it in the audio post production area. How did you get to where you are now? how did you start off and what steps did you take? It would also be good to hear from people just starting out and what you're doing towards gaining a career within audio post production. Look forward to hearing your answers. Thanks Adam.

Answer 1

Where I am is "Lead Sound Editor" on my first short (that wasn't something my friends were already working on, or that I just decided to do because I felt the sound wasn't up to snuff with the music I had written). I got here by not going away, essentially, and being the first to jump when someone said they needed a sound designer.

I've put together a few videos, and one of the shorts I bullied my way onto won We Like Short Shorts in 2010, which gave me just enough leverage to get onto this team without a real demo.

So... if you're going to learn anything from me, learn persistence, and die-hard marketing. ;) The head of EA Salt Lake once told me "You do a really good job of letting everyone know your name, and that you do sound... so when they think of sound, they should be thinking of you."

Answer 2

I'm still in the early stages of where I eventually want to be. which is working on studio feature films as a sound editor. I consider myself to have "made it" because I only work in the audio industry, and I'm fully supporting myself and saving money. That counts, right?

STEP ONE: I moved to Los Angeles (16 months ago.)

Where I am Now:
Sound editor for TV shows and voice over recording engineer for television shows and commercials in Los Angeles.

How???: I went to Columbia College in Chicago and studied Audio for Visual Media. I worked on a lot of student films, and interned at 3 commercial post houses.

My main gig is cutting dialog and effects for reality television shows such as Best Thing I Ever Ate, Auction Kings, Sugar High, Sweet Home Alabama and more. A friend I went to school with worked with someone who uses post houses in LA a lot. He put out some feelers and after a few meetings and test edits I'm now working anywhere from 2-4 days a week.

I also work 1-2 days a week at a commercial patch house. I set up voiceover talent and patch through to other studios around the country. When I'm not patching, I'm running voiceover sessions for radio spots, tv spots (yesterday was Polaris), and narration for History Channel's Swamp People. This company works a lot with a company I interned with in Chicago. They were perfect for references. I found the job posting on www.media-match.com, applied, interviewed and that was that! I love it.

Shoot me a message if you want details or have any questions- [email protected]