A COLLABORATIVE POST BY JESSEY DRAKE
SOUND EFFECTS EDITOR, BOOM BOX POST
This week Jessey Drake answers questions on a few topics that could benefit current/future audio students. Being an audio professor, Jessey knows the ins and outs of how audio schools can improve, helping their students prepare for a career in sound. We wanted to get some insight on common misconceptions and as well as advice for how audio students can prepare for their future!
What misconceptions do audio students have about audio school and the industry?
I’ve found that there is a general misconception about what it takes to actually edit sound on a project. For myself and those who have been doing this a pretty long time we can get through our work in a timely fashion. But for those just starting out it will take some time to get into that routine; into the flow of sound editorial and to understand what sound effects to use. I’ve given my students sometimes months to plan and do their final thesis projects but they often wait until the last two weeks to get started. They think that they can accomplish it all in that amount of time and it just turns out to be rushed and very slapdash. Unfortunately, they realize at that time that they’ve bitten off way more than they can chew. It’s important to manage your time wisely and get started right away.
What common errors do students make that you've noticed?
Quite often, students feel they have to find the exact sound for the object or thing making noise. Just because theres a Honda Accord driving by, that doesn’t mean we have to search for days or go out and record a Honda Accord for one pass by. Any similar car by will work just fine. The idea of finding something that works or making something work is a concept that evades a lot of students.
To take that a little further, I often see students just using ONE sound effect for large moments like an explosion. We can’t just slug in one explosion sound and hope for the best. We need to define that explosion with rocks, glass, dirt, metal, etc; whatever may be blowing up. You’ll need a LFE sweetener if we are in 5.1. And most importantly we need to make sure that there are elements in that explosion build that will cut through in the mix. Good sound design is about textures.
HOW CAN STUDENTS BEST PREPARE FOR THE REAL WORLD?
Students have the upmost important role in their future sound endeavors. I always have my students approach each project that I give them as though I am their client or future employer. If those with little experience approach a project in that matter, they’ll become more skilled and ultimately more detailed sound editor. My high school choir director told us “You’re only as good as your last gig” and it’s something that I’ve always lived by throughout my career - thanks Mr. G.
Learning your library and how to search is important for new editors. what can students do to prepare for this in their first job?
First and foremost, you need to start building your library as soon as possible. Not all studios have terabytes of sound effects for you to use. Take the time, do the research and build an organized and well-cataloged library. And don’t just purchase commercial libraries. While that is a sure fire way of building your library fast, it's important that you record/design, edit and diligently label your own recordings for future use. That way you have some custom, one-of-a-kind sounds you can use in your work. If you have a well thought out and easily referenced library, you are going to be that much more prepared for day one on the job.
Do you think students need to be taught more about how their editorial affects the mixer?
I think all editors no matter their experience level need to be taught more about how their work affects the mixer as well as others. There is always someone else down the chain who's ease of work relies heavily on the quality and thoughtfulness you put into your editorial. Whether that be the assistant editor that assembles your session or your supervisor who needs to preview your work with clients, sound editorial is a collaborative process. If you're creating these monstrous, over cut builds that aren't organized or handing your work in late, you are not only proving you cannot produce professional work, but you are creating more work for the next person down the line. The more we can teach students and young editors that sound editorial and post production sound isn't created in a vacuum, the less we have to worry about the technical so we can focus on the creative.
Check out these previous posts for more information on how to consider the mixer when editing:
DOWNSTREAM: VALUABLE SOUND DESIGNERS THINK LIKE MIXERS
WHOSE JOB IS IT? WHEN PLUG-IN EFFECTS ARE SOUND DESIGN VS MIX CHOICES
FIVE THINGS I'VE LEARNED ABOUT EDITING FROM MIXING