This post is for those who are out there looking for work and are not having any luck.  It’s simply my point of view so take from it what you will.  A lot of this advice is, what I consider to be, simple, common sense.  However, seeing the same things over and over again maybe it’s not as common as I may think.  Here’s a rundown of a few things that consistently come up.  You can make your own determination about them to see how you might react if you were at the other side of the desk.

The Approach:

There is a reason that in high school writing classes we are taught to correspond formally.  Typically a letter will have the recipients name and address, a date, the senders name and address and a salutation such as Dear X,  -

Email and texting has completely changed the way many people communicate with one another.  Nothing wrong in and of itself of course, but it has carried over into the workplace. Causal notes or emails will not get much traction.  Here is an example -

“hey – cool studio. looking for some work.  I do it all. resume attached.  later”

Or:

“Qualified engineer.  Loads of experience.  The real deal.  Call today.”

Or:

“Just graduated with a degree in sound.  Foley, ADR, sound design specialist.  Give me a shout.”

Or:

“See attached resume.”

Something that any potential employee must understand is that every communication from phone calls to query letters to resumes must inspire confidence that you are going to be a great asset to the team.  What a potential employer sees in your dealings with them is what they will project as to your dealings with their clients.

The Interview:

It must be the allure of the uber-cool entertainment business that implies casualness.  We see it portrayed that way in the media, stars walking around in ripped jeans and tee shirts, crews with backwards ball caps and shorts.  But they are already in it.  They are not applying for work.

I’ve conducted many interviews over the years with unshaven, unwashed, ungroomed potential employees who can’t figure out why they weren’t hired.  Typically I will ask them at the end of the interview if they dressed and acted like this for their last “fill in the blank – Starbucks, Macy’s, Sizzler, Van’s Shoes” job.  They get an odd look on their face and it seems for that split second that they may have had a revelation.

Here’s the thing from this side of the mixing desk – I own this company.  I work hard for this company.  I work hard to get my clients.  I work hard to keep my clients.  I want to continue to be busy and successful.  People don’t come to me to mix their shows because I have Pro Tools.  People come to me because I do good work, have a great staff and I am extremely service oriented.  This is what makes us stand out.  Show me that you understand not only Pro Tools and post but that you also understand clients and service and you may just get a second interview.

Treat the interview with the same respect you would any other job.  Dress well, look good, and make a strong impression.  Be professional, be courteous and most of all be honest about your experience and your goals.  If you are new to the work but show aptitude and the right attitude you may have a leg up on someone who is more experienced but is lackadaisical in their appearance and their demeanor.

The resume:

OK, here’s a pet peeve of mine; a resume filled with skills but no actual experience.  I see countless resumes that indicate – Foley artist, ADR recordist, sound designer, dialog editor – any and all of the above and yet no actual experience.  Maybe a short film or a couple of school projects but no real work experience.  The lack of experience is not the issue, the idea that you are representing yourself as a Foley artist or a dialog editor after one three minute short is the problem.

I receive dozens of resumes a month.  Many are from seasoned professionals who work freelance and are looking for a new post house to get on a roster.  Many are from students and new engineers.  The differences in resumes are striking.  Not just from the credits of course but in the attitude and in the approach.

Typically experienced engineers list their skill sets and the relevant work.  New engineers, new grads will typically “fill” their skill sets with every sub-genre of work they’ve taken a class in.

Now I can only speak for myself on this, of course but I would prefer to see the real work of a beginner.  If I see that you worked summers at a restaurant, or a local business and I see some consistency in that work I will draw some conclusions about you.  That says more to me than a class that was taken in Foley.  Since I work with world-class Foley artists with major Hollywood features and I get resumes from the same individuals seeking employment it just rubs me a bit the wrong way when I see recent grad also telling me that they are a “Foley artist.”

The resume is not only a reflection of your work experience; remember it is also your introduction to a guy like me.  If it’s filled with hyperbole, I may just draw ideas about you from that.  It will color my impression of you.  If you are just beginning I am smart enough to know that your resume won’t have pages of work experience and you won’t be judged by those standards.  However, whatever impression the resume gives me is the first window I have into you.

By the way, I am not saying to leave school projects off the page.  It is legitimate and shows me what you’ve done.  It’s just that often these are made to look like work that it is not.  Be honest, straight-forward, put the real deal out there and you will get your shot.  Trust me I get credit lists from highly experienced crew whose resumes are filled with shows I’ve never heard of.  That’s the sad fact about the work we do, there are many shows that live in obscurity and don’t have the recognition factor you’d expect from someone with years of experience.

The wind-up:

So what is one to do?  Here’s the post in a nutshell: take the interview seriously, dress well, look good, act confident and be truthful.  Show the employer that you are there to work, work hard and do what it takes to move your career forward.

Don’t pad or inflate the resume.  Put all of the relevant experience there and if you worked as a restaurant manager for three summers in college – write it down!  It will show that you are responsible, trustworthy and motivated.  By the way some schools have resume templates.  The only reason I know this is because I get resumes that all look alike and have the exact same information on them.  Only the names are changed.  This again is not a great indication of why you are better than the other guy or gal.  Make your resume your own, you are not your classmates.

This one I hate but I have to say it – be persistent and follow up.  Ask if it is alright to stay in touch, send resumes every six months or if the employer may have advice in getting ahead.  You’d be surprised how much that can help.  Here’s a crazy example of what happened to my summer interns – I met with a number of potential interns.  I chose one who said they were leaving town and would contact me when they returned.  After a couple of weird and incomplete emails and unanswered calls they never did arrive for the internship.  I lost three weeks waiting for that person after having turned down other qualified candidates.  I then met with more interns to replace that one and again chose, what I felt was the best one.  I called to tell them that they got the internship but never returned my call!  I did not and would not call repeatedly to have them come in.  I feel that if I needed to draw them in to a job they were being offered then there internship could also be problematic.

By the way, it may not seem like it now but I can tell you – Hollywood is a small town.  The person you blow-off or disregard today can be the same person with the choice gig you crave only a couple of years later.  Be polite and don’t burn bridges if at all possible.  Your future career can really depend on it.

Keep your head down, be respectful, don’t have all the answers, have all the questions.  Be willing to come in early and work late.  Show initiative if you get the job, work hard and learn.

Good luck out there!

This is a typical email from many loyal readers inquiring about where I’ve been since my final posting last year.  It has been a while but I have been very busy and there have been a lot of great things happening.   Now that some time has freed up I’ll get back to some serious postings.  I have a number of great things planned – more interviews, reviews and post audio articles.

blog [at] WoodysSoundAdvice.com

Even though I am pleased to receive all of the private emails from readers I’d like to encourage everyone to post comments and questions directly on the posts.  It generates more interest when the conversations are out there for anyone else to chime in on.  I would like to see more dialog open up on the site like that.  We can all learn more from each other.

AUDIO BOOK OUT THIS SUMMER

One of the main things that has taken an enormous amount of my time is a book that I’ve written for JB Learning. It is, of course, audio specific and it is called “Audio Production and Post Production.” It will be published and released in August.  It has been a “long, hard slog.” But with some determination, a mighty heaping of will power and a lot of help – thank you Wendy, Roxanna and Iryna! – I was able to make it happen.  The cover is posted below and the book layout ties in nicely with the cover design.  I think it looks pretty good!

More information regarding the book can be found here at this link.  If you use the code “WOODHALL” you will get 35% off the cover price!  Buy 2!!!

I thought it was tough writing the occasional article for this blog.  Never wrote a book before but I think that it is a good one.  It is intended as a textbook primarily for college level classes.  But it is written as a practical text for anyone more interested in learning about audio for film and television.  Their site has the table of contents and more detailed information regarding the text.

I will also be offering seminars and classes specific to the book this summer in Los Angeles.  I will update dates and times here.

AUDIO POST SEMINARS

I regularly conduct audio post seminars and classes here in Los Angeles.   I have done a number of these already this year.  Earlier in the year I did an audio seminar for the Producers Guild of America. We had a terrific turn-out and several folks joined my post specific group - The Los Angeles Post Production Group.

At the end of April I did a presentation at the Recording Institute at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood where I discussed what I call “Real World Audio Post.”  This is a specific talk geared towards audio students embarking on the start of their audio careers.  How to be patient, results oriented and positive as you create your career.  And beyond “audio post” itself – I talk about the importance of looking good, acting humble and being willing to watch and learn.

Woody and Monica Mancillas at MI

 

I was also part of a panel for the ShowBiz Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center called “The Sound of Success.”   Panel participants will included:

- Glenn Berkovitz, CAS (Moderator) – Local 695 Production Sound Mixer (Weeds)
– Keira Morrisette – Associate Producer (White Collar)
– Phillip Palmer, CAS – Local 695 Production Sound Mixer (Glee)
– Jay Patterson, CAS – Local 695 Production Sound Mixer (Without a Trace)
– Woody Woodhall, CAS IMDB

Laurence Abrams not only set-up the panel but also created a video for members of the Hollywood Local 695, which is up on their website.  There is a link here.

The Sound of Success

If your organization would be interested in my presentation of an audio post seminar feel free to contact me.

PRIVATE CHEFS OF BEVERLY HILLS

I just finished up mixing six episodes of a new reality series for Food Network called “The Private Chefs of Beverly Hills.”  It is a challenging show, with multiple wireless isolated microphones and the issues of quick cutting in a kitchen environment.  It is a very entertaining show and the producers are extremely experienced and it is a pleasure to work with seasoned professionals.  I’ve got a few other things coming up as well and they will be detailed as they arise.

PRIVATE CHEFS OF BEVERLY HILLS

If you get a chance to see the show it is airing on the weekends on Food Network, with each show’s premiere on Friday nights at 10PM.

I generally ask the same types of questions and each and every time I get the same types of answers.  I’ll start by asking what format the project was shot with.  I’ll hear very excited answers about HD and HDV.  We’ll talk about interchangeable lenses and progressive frame rates.  This is where everyone is excited and maybe even showing off a little for the other folks.  They’ll crow about being one of the first to shoot with the RED camera system, or that they did a film-out from HDV that looked stunning, or that they played with the all the different flavors of HD but decided that 720P was the one that fit their project best.

I can see that we are on a roll so I’ll continue with the discussion.  I’ll hear about the beautiful lighting set-ups, challenges with lighting for green screen.  I’ll hear about using monitors on set and prepping for the DI.  We’ll talk about the ruggedness of the new cameras, the ability to shoot in adverse situations or with extremely low light.

Then I’ll ask about the audio.  “What microphone did you use?”  Quiet.  “Anyone?”  One person will mutter it was mostly boom but also some radio mics.  I’ll ask what brand.  Quiet.  “Did you use an outboard mixer or straight into a camera?”  Quiet.  “How about roomtone, did we all get clean roomtone for each location?”  “Well … hmmm…”  I’ll point out the discrepancy between the picture and the sound.  Do we see a pattern here?

In these filmmakers’ passion for the “perfect shot” they seemed to have forgotten that it generally has audio attached to it.   And in my experience they will expect the audio to be clear and seamless when they get to the final mix.  No matter how little regard they had for it on the day of shooting.

I’ll often ask these filmmakers if they can recall a behind-the-scenes photo from the set of a well-regarded feature or TV director.  I’ll ask if they notice anything significant about them.  I’ll hear they’ve got a special lens to view shots with, or hoods over monitors to keep out the daylight.  I’ll say there is usually one thing more.  If you look you’ll see that they are generally also wearing headphones.  An experienced director not only asks the DP if he “got the shot” or to “check the gate”, he’ll ask if the audio was recorded clean.  He (or she) understands what badly recorded audio will mean when they get their program to post.

There is an old adage “we’ll fix it in the mix.”  And indeed it will be addressed and fixed if possible by then but this generally a very poor approach to filmmaking. Many problems can be easily solved on set with an experienced production mixer and a couple of extra minutes.   There is a mistaken notion that since there’s “all these people here” we don’t want to have them “wait” for audio.  If A/C, refrigerators or computers need to turned off, sound blankets hung over reverberant spaces and quiet to be had for 30 seconds of recording roomtone it can literally save days and possibly even weeks of time in post.  All the best directors know and understand the importance of taking the time to get the best audio possible.  Don’t be picture wise and sound foolish!

You’ll find this list is filled with quotation marks. They are representative of the “powers that be” who are making assumptions about the process. You know who you are …

5. The Quickie Mix –

Or the “one-day mix”, or the “just get the levels and EQ right mix” or the “quick polish mix” – generally this is a fiction. First there are a number of things that must happen to prepare the tracks for mixing. All of the production audio must be gone over, cleaned out and moved to their appropriate mix tracks. The dialog (production tracks) needs to be edited, cut in with room tone, the PFX (production effects) track needs to be created, all SFX need to be given their own tracks, music must be pulled to their own tracks and all of these tracks need to be properly routed for the mix splits. This session will also need to contain the editors guide track as well as the spotted to sync video that will hopefully have a Timecode burn-in that exactly references the Timecode in the edit session. If ADR has been recorded or Foley has been recorded they must be cut to their own tracks and properly routed as well as cut to sync. All of these things need to occur prior to the actual mixing session. Then we have to do the actual work of mixing the tracks. EQ will be added and automated, compression and limiters added as needed, levels adjusted and audio finessed to smoothly match. Then the show must be watched in it’s entirety for notes and changes. Just the “listen session” alone will take at least the length of the program – i.e. a 2-hour show will take 2 hours to watch, then the notes and changes take time as well. Unless of course it is all perfect and requires no changes … Bottom line – a successful, great sounding movie takes time to create. If it took months to co-ordinate and shoot, months to edit, weeks to create effects, graphics and titles, to online and do the color grading why would it take a few hours to mix? After all the blood, sweat and tears you expended to create your feature would you want to short change the audio? George Lucas has rightly pointed out that sound is 50 percent of the motion picture experience.  Give your audio – production and post – the time and attention it needs.

4. A Little Bit of Foley –

Just the title implies a basic misunderstanding of Foley. Foley is a complicated art that requires at a minimum a Foley artist and a Foley recordist. On the most-simple level the movie must be spotted for Foley and decisions made regarding what Foley work is to be performed and recorded. The Foley sessions may be fully cued with beeps and cue sheets or more run-n-gun where the scene is played for the Foley artist and choices are made on the fly. Foley is an exacting art requiring proper mic placement, proper props, experienced personnel and good sounding recording spaces. After all the passes have been recorded – cloth pass, props pass, footsteps pass, any special needs passes like fighting, swords, swishes and the like – the tracks are still not complete. Now an editor must go through all of this newly recorded material and clean it up, remove breaths, clicks, bad takes, the Foley artist talking etc., and cut all of it to sync and arrange the tracks in an easy manner for the mixer to decipher. Oh yeah and it all has to get mixed in such a manner as to seem to be part of the actual production or you’ve just wasted a whole lot of time!

3. A Little Bit of ADR –

I could just say see item #4 but we’ll break it down just a little more. ADR is a complicated art that requires at a minimum the actor who’s lines are to be replaced and the ADR recordist. On the most-simple level the movie must be spotted for ADR and decisions made regarding what dialog is to be replaced. Scripts need to be created for each actor indicating each of the lines to be ADR’d. The sessions then need to be beeped for sync playback for the actor. The session needs to be created in such a way that the production audio is easily accessible for playback to the performer and the takes are assembled in a manner for easy retrieval. You never know when the director wants to “hear the take a few back” cut into the production dialog tracks for playback and approval. It’s also an exacting art where the recordists needs to understand if a particular take can be cut to sync, where the actor needs to hit the proper emotion of the scene and the director needs to be satisfied that the replacement enhances the scene rather than detracts from it. There is also of course the “social” aspect of ADR. Actors see producers and directors for the first time since production, they’ve never seen any footage so would like to watch a bit of it, they take some time to get warmed up for the session all adding up to more time involved. Now mutiply that by several performers. And that’s just the prep and recording. The takes then all need to be approved by the director which mean placing and replacing lines of ADR up against production. Even “small” ADR sessions can be hundreds of takes per actor. Decisions have to made for the “final” choices. (Note the quotes!) Then cut to sync and mixed to match the production audio seamlessly. Yeah, and let’s get that done before lunch …

2. Just clean up the dialog track –

And what we mean here is production audio. There is often an assumption that “it’s already mixed.” (See item #5) Since the producers or director or powers-that-be have lived with picture changes and notes the audio is generally in a somewhat “acceptable” state. It has to be so everyone can comment on the edit. If the music was overpowering the sync dialog there would be a real problem. Usually the problems “to be fixed” are about noise levels, distortion, clicks and pops and generally bad production audio. Cousin Joey may be cheaper than a mixer and boom man but his tracks are all off-mic and there are hums throughout the scenes. All of this will cost you in post. Time and money. When I am approached about “a quickie mix that just needs the dialog cleaned up” I can generally count on the fact that there is no room tone to be had. Roomtone is one of the most cost effective tools for post that rarely makes it to the sound editing house. (Because it’s not recorded, or mostly not recorded, or recorded with whispering or cell phones …) Most of #5 applies here – all of that prep work still needs to be done for a proper mix, and all of that mixing stuff needs to happen too. No self-respecting sound guy is going to lay something back to tape with clicks and pops and hums, if they are avoidable. And when the project length is 90 – 120 minutes it takes a lot of time to go through all of that material. But thinking that “just cleaning up” the dialog track is somehow easier or different than “the whole audio post thing” is just plain wrong.

1. It’s Just Technical -

Audio post is a collaborative effort that is spearheaded by the vision of the director and translated into reality by the supervising sound editor and his team of editors, artists and mixers. You will make just as many new choices in the audio post process as you did during the picture edit. These are not simply technical issues being hashed out although there will be many of these such as – how much EQ do you roll off to kill the generator hum or what backgrounds are needed or the level of the score over the dialog. You’ll also be making many subjective choices that affect the overall experience of the story being played out – adding reverb and sound effects choices to create atmosphere, time or place and how frequency use and gain levels create mood and tension. Audio post is a highly technical process no doubt, it also defines the pace and mood of the story. Audio post is the final pass of choices to tell the most effective story possible.