WRITTEN BY Tess Fournier and Brad meyer

Supervising Sound Editors, BOOM BOX POST

If you are just starting your career in post production sound you might have seen the position of Supervising Sound Editor or Sound Supervisor pop up here and there on job sites or in the end credits of TV shows or movies. For many new or aspiring sound editors there is a bit of a misunderstanding over what the roles and responsibilities of which the Supervising Sound Editor position consist. Supervising sound editors are more than just people who check the editors’ work. They wear many hats that they need to switch between at a moment’s notice. We had a chance this week to chat with Tess and Brad, two of our supervisors, about what their jobs entail and advice they would give editors looking to become supervising sound editors.

Let’s get a basic question out of the way: What does your role as a Supervising Sound Editor entail? What is your day-to-day job like?

Brad: No two days of mine look exactly the same, but the typical responsibilities of a supervising sound editor include new series setup, editor spots and reviews, client spot and preview meetings, show assemblies and a final pass before presenting to clients for approval, scheduling, providing editorial support for our mixers during mixes, and final deliverables and QC correspondence. I also do a fair amount of sound design on my shows, and the occasional editorial when needed. My typical day usually includes any combo of 3 or 4 of the responsibilities listed above, usually with some editorial sprinkled in between.

Tess: Every day is a little different. I do always start my day with reading my emails and checking to see if there are any actionable items that I need to address immediately. After that, I could have any number of different tasks scheduled, including attending mixes, spotting/previewing sound effects editorial with clients, spotting/previewing with editors concerning their work, assembling projects for client previews (combining the editorial from all of our various editors and polishing the full edit prior to presenting the project to clients), scheduling, overseeing assets to ensure we are receiving the correct materials from clients, fielding client requests, offering guidance to the sound team, attending internal management meetings, and addressing QC notes.

How long were you an editor for Boom Box before being promoted to supervisor?

Brad: I was a SFX editor at Boom Box Post for just over 5 years before becoming a Supervising Sound Editor.

Tess: And I was an editor at Boom Box for 4 years before becoming a Sound Supervisor.

What were the biggest changes you had to adjust to when transitioning from editor to supervisor?

Brad: Scheduling! No one tells you how hard balancing the schedules of an entire editorial staff are. Most sound-related skills come naturally to a sound-minded person, but scheduling is a whole other logistical beast!

Tess: When I first started supervising, I very much looked at the role through the lens of a sound editor. I hyper-focused on the editorial side of the job and somewhat neglected the other aspects of the role. I had to change my mindset to view each project in a broader way and consider scheduling, budget, client relations, editorial, and mixing on an equal playing field. Also, I needed to adjust from doing one task the entire day (editorial) to constantly multi-tasking. I go more in depth about my struggle with that in another question, but it was certainly a big adjustment for me.

What are the different skill sets that benefit each role specifically?

Brad: I think a huge skill you need as a a SFX Editor is to trust yourself and your creative instincts. While on the flip side, a big skill you need as a Supervising Sound Editor is to trust the skills and instincts of others, particularly your editors and clients.

Tess: Like I mentioned in the last question, being able to hyper focus on one thing and really being detail-oriented and thorough are great qualities to have in a sound effects editor. On the other hand being able to multi-task and keep multiple plates spinning at the same time are skills that really benefit a supervisor.

What are some facets to being a supervisor you think most sound editors don’t know about or might not completely understand?

Brad: A huge part of being a supervising sound editor is that you need to understand there is no one right way to do anything. Sometimes I'll get editorial back from my editors that isn't necessarily the way I would edit something, but that doesn't mean it's objectively bad. Being able to view editorial through a neutral lens is really important. And in the event I am looking for a hyper-specific end product, I need to be able to steer my editors in a particular way with my direction as a supervisor. In the end, I try my best to give a lot of creative freedom to my editors. Above all else, we hire people for their creative touch and sensibilities, and most of the time I want to hear what the editors bring to the table.

Another tough thing about being a Supervising Sound Editor that no one really tells you about is that a core pillar of the job is to keep track of everything, on every show, from start to finish. No one else is necessarily keeping tabs on missing ADR, an animation retake we have yet to receive, a music stem that needs to be redelivered. That sort of stuff.

Tess: The acquisition and organization of information required to provide the client with the specific product they need. When we kick off a new series, we need to inquire about the loudness specs, deliverable requirements, delivery methods, and who specifically needs which deliverables and when. Sometimes it’s not clear who can provide this information, so we need to ask multiple parties and investigate who is able to send us what we need. Once we get the information, it is usually handed over in multi-page booklets which lay out the requirements of all post teams on the project, so we need to sift through these documents and find the specific information our sound team needs and relay that info to our team members. We also need this information prior to creating our mix session Pro Tools templates, so all of this needs to be acquired prior to when we start our predubs. It can be a lot to keep track of and was very confusing to me when I first started supervising.

What have been some of the biggest challenges for you as a sound supervisor?

Brad: I am again going to have to say scheduling. It is consistently the hardest (and least fun, let's be honest) part of the job.
Tess: I struggled with multitasking when I first started supervising. I had always considered myself a good multitasker in the past. I handled numerous tasks and projects when I was an assistant and felt as though I was really effective at that job, but the breadth of tasks in my new role as a supervisor had me drowning a little in the beginning. When I first started, I met with bosses to inform them that I wasn’t sure if I was the right person for this position. I didn’t have the organizational tools in place I do now and I didn’t have a good grasp on what to prioritize, so I found it a struggle to keep up. I thankfully have very caring bosses who assured me that they believed I was the right person for this role. They gave me tips, some extra training on what to prioritize, and gave me goals for how much time to spend on certain tasks. I feel extremely confident in my multitasking now, but it was a huge hurdle for me when I got my start.

Are there any aspects of being a sound effects editor that you miss?

Brad: Consistently scheduled days. As an editor, you're usually booked for a certain chunk of time, and you know the window in which you need to get your work done. As opposed to being a Supervising Sound Editor, I have to fit in editorial, design, etc. between other meetings and mixes I have going on.

Tess: Absolutely! There are a lot of aspects of my current job that aren’t very creative, but when I was a sound effects editor, almost my entire work day was dedicated to creativity. I still get to be creative as a supervisor, but in a more global, big-picture sort of way. I sometimes miss getting my hands dirty, so to speak, and doing the more detailed creative work.

Now that you have both edited shows under a supervisor and supervised a team of editors yourself, what qualities do you appreciate about editors working under you?

Brad: I really appreciate a point of view in my editors' editorial. Just hitting the notes and leaving it at that usually doesn't do the trick. Editorial needs personality and perspective, and each person approaches it differently. I want to hear what YOU come up with, and we can refine it from there if needed. I also really appreciate editors that aren't afraid to ask questions. If you're unsure of something, I'd rather you ask me and then nail it, than try to wing it on your own and miss the mark.

Tess: I highly value the ambition, self-sufficiency, and effective time management of the editors working under me. It’s always evident in the work submitted when an editor truly cares about the quality and uniqueness of their editorial. I appreciate that my editors pour in effort to learn new design skills and are constantly trying to improve with each episode. I’m also incredibly appreciative that my editors can problem solve and think out creative solutions effectively on their own. I always make it known to my team that I’m available if they have questions, but when an editor can overcome creative hurdles autonomously, I’m always impressed and thankful for their effort. Lastly, I rely on my editors to finish their work on time. If ever an editor cannot deliver on time, it is a scramble for me to reschedule and brainstorm solutions for completing the work. Knowing that my editors are organized with their time and can consistently deliver quality work by the due date is a huge help in allowing me to focus on my other daily tasks. I luckily have really wonderful editors working under me here at Boom Box Post who share these valued qualities.

What advice would you give to editors who would like to step into more of a supervisory position?

Brad: The biggest piece of advice I can give to editors that want to transition into a supervisory role is to have confidence in your work. If you're constantly second guessing yourself, you'll crumble pretty quickly. Another piece of advice I'd give is that just because you may be a supervisor doesn't mean you should delegate all of the work to others. Sometimes you just need to roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. You're never too important to get your hands dirty alongside your editorial team.

Tess: Firstly, I would suggest getting extremely confident with your editorial skills. It’s much easier to lead a team when you can give them proper direction. Getting confident with your editing and design skills will allow you to pull from your past creative solutions to help guide others in the projects you supervise. Secondly, I would suggest taking on responsibilities beyond editing. When I was a sound effects editor, my main project I worked on was The Loud House. As I became a more experienced editor, I was given more editorial projects, which meant I had to share editorial on Loud House episodes. When this happened, I started making splits (splits delineate which piece of the project each editor is responsible for) and also took it upon myself to offer direction to the other editors. I also made myself available to them for questions so they didn’t need to bother the supervisor. Making splits, spotting with editors, and being available for questions was not in my job description as an editor and were things that the supervisor would normally do. Since I knew the show well and cared about the project, I took on these responsibilities with my supervisor’s blessing. I’ve never asked, but I’m sure knowing I was handling these responsibilities came into play when deciding to promote me. Lastly, I would make your goals well known to your bosses and colleagues. No one cares about your career quite like you do, so your goals are not going to be at the forefront of your boss’s mind. Make it clear to others that you want to be a supervisor and when a position opens up, you’re sure to come to mind as a potential candidate.

Thank you Tess and Brad for your insights on the supervising sound editor role! Hopefully, hearing about the position from two of our supervisors has demystified it a bit and given any editors looking to get into the supervisor role some useful advice.

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