Where are you currently employed?
I’m on staff at Sound Lounge in New York City as a sound editor and re-recording mixer.
Current projects?
I help out on mixing “Sesame Street,” and I just finished the sound effects edit on an upcoming animated show created by Ramy Youssef called “#1 Happy Family USA” that will stream on Prime Video. Working on both has been some of the most fun I’ve had in my career so far.
Describe your job.
Being a sound editor and mixer, I’m on hand to work on any projects that come our way as a company, and to apply any of my skills as needed. This can range from working dialogue or sound effects for one project, supervising ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) and effects editing for another, and mixing while supervising other sound editors. There’s a wide array of work that comes our way, and I love the variety. But above all else, my job is to support the team and to support our clients. I know it’s a business, but I really enjoy putting out my best work along with my co-workers and making stuff that people will love.
How did you first become interested in this line of work?
In high school, a friend recruited me to the auditorium stage crew where I got my first exposure to live sound. There was something so appealing about the intersection of technology and creativity that really drew me in. Funny enough, I didn’t study anything related to post sound at SUNY (State University of New York) Fredonia, where I attended college. I learned how to record bands and get quality drum sounds, which is where I thought I wanted to end up. But after some internships, I quickly learned that the 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. music studio life was not for me. I reached out to an alum, Steve “Major” Giammaria, and he invited me to apply for an ADR internship at Sound Lounge. That was a turning point for me. Seeing the collaborative process between actors and directors — the infinite amount of decisions that went into making my favorite shows and movies — was eye-opening. I knew then that I wanted to grow my career in those same collaborative environments.
Who gave you your first break?
If by first break you mean my first job in post, that would have to be Steve Koch. He was our machine room manager at the time, and he offered me an assistant position. From there, I worked my way up to the role I have now. If we’re talking first project breaks, my work on a film called “Story Ave” was a stepping-up moment for me. It was one of the bigger features I’d done, as well as my first experience being a supervising sound editor. It was projected to premiere at SXSW in 2023, so I had to make sure I was firing on all cylinders. I came out of that role with even stronger convictions about what I wanted my career to look like.
What was your first union job?
That would be Season 1 of the Netflix comedy-drama “Survival of the Thickest” as a dialogue editor and ADR supervisor/editor. My mixer and supervising sound editor, Evan Benjamin, was a real guiding light on that project. He taught me a plethora of tricks and tactics to speed up my workflow. I also developed some crucial skills in working with actors during ADR supervising. It was so inspiring working with such talented people who were all locked in from the jump. Shout out to the AEs on that first season: Bart Keller and Marina Catala, they saved me more times than I can count!
What credits or projects are you proudest of, and why?
It feels cliché, but I’m always proudest of whatever I’m working on currently. I think I improve on every project that I get to be on, and I always feel like my best work is whatever I’m doing next. The effects editing I’m doing on “#1 Happy Family USA,” in particular, has been a really rewarding challenge to unravel. I’m also proud of my work on the first season of “Survival of the Thickest.” I felt like I worked harder than I ever had; I learned entirely new skills and workflows within days and somehow kept it all together for eight-plus weeks. I feel like that experience left me ready for any project.
What was your biggest challenge in your job (or on a particular project) and how did you overcome/solve it?
Challenges will always vary from job to job. Most recently, I was working on a short film with a client, and we had been reviewing this one scene that involved a body being dragged across the ground. After exhausting the sound options from our library, we still had not landed on the perfect dragging sound. Finally, I got up and ran to the janitor’s closet and grabbed the mop and bucket. I wet the mop, aimed a 416 (Sennheiser MKH 416 microphone) at the floor, and handed him the mop. After several takes, we landed on a movement that felt authentic, and that’s the sound we used for the short! Having a surge of inspiration in a moment of complete frustration taught me that with time and a bit of luck, you can find the solution.
What was the most fun you’ve had at work?
I have a lot of fun roaming around the office with headphones and my H1N compact digital recorder, asking folks to help me record little incidental sounds for projects. Most recently, I did this anime fight sequence that was styled after the ‘90s era Japanese anime series “Dragon Ball Z.” I had to cross reference sounds with the actual show, as well as create sounds to match the vibe and era. I was grinning from ear to ear the whole time! Anytime you get to work on something that the childhood version of yourself would be floored by is both really cool and really special.
Jobwise, what do you hope to be doing five years from now?
I couldn’t be happier with my job at the moment. My colleagues here at Sound Lounge are excellent, and I’m incredibly proud to be a member of Local 700. In five years, I hope I’ll have moved more fully into a re-recording mixer and supervising sound editor role. Mixing is where I feel most creative and in my element with clients. I’d love to do more of that in the coming years — maybe even a full series!
What are your outside activities, hobbies, passions?
I love photography. I started shooting on film a little before 2020 and then transitioned to digital photography earlier this year. Film is an amazing medium that imparts a kind of ethereal quality to real-life images, which I love. I’m also very much a lover of games in general: chess, board games, card games, pen and paper, etc. To sit down at a table across from another person or people and interact directly, enjoying each other’s time, is such a rarity these days. It’s been a nice respite for me in recent years.
Favorite movie(s)? Why?
I usually give two answers for this sort of question: favorite movies in general and favorite movies for sound. In general, The Daniels’ (writer/directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) “Everything Everywhere All At Once” is up there. Seeing that in theaters was a very special experience for me. I’m also a big fan of John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” as I think it’s really a perfect movie in structure and execution. For sound, I think pretty often about Darius Marder’s “Sound of Metal.” The use of contact mics and mimicking cochlear implants is not only creative — it feels like wizardry when it’s on screen. I could only hope to work on something like that in which sound is an integral part of the story.
Favorite TV program(s)? Why?
I have a few, but I think I have to give it solely to “Adventure Time.” I have a very big love and appreciation for many animated shows, but “Adventure Time” to me was a perfect encapsulation of what animation can be. It was equal parts silly, serious, fantastical, mundane, impossible, and real. From a viewer’s perspective, it was a very fun and beautiful show; and as an audio person, I cannot imagine how much fun the post audio team had working on it.
Do you have an industry mentor?
I wouldn’t say officially, but I often lean on the advice and knowledge of my friend and colleague, Steve “Major” Giammaria. Aside from having a keen ear and an impeccable feel for sound and narrative, he frequently offers me ideas and solutions from an entirely unexpected perspective. It’s always refreshing to get his view on things. He has been in my shoes, so I have someone to ask, “Is this normal?” from time to time. I’m grateful to learn from him and to work with someone whose work I so admire.
Was there ever a circumstance when you had to rely on the Guild for help or assistance?
Not yet, but part of the reason I’m so proud to be in the Guild is that I feel like I have many brothers and sisters in my corner. It can be scary to think about the state of the industry and the livelihood of the professionals in it, but my instinct has always been to lean on the community and to have solidarity in the face of that uncertainty.
Is there anything you’d like to say to your fellow Guild members, some words of encouragement?
I’m a relatively young and new voice to the Guild, but I hope we’ll always keep learning and listening to one another; so much of my work has improved when I did those two things with colleagues and clients, I think change is ultimately a force for good. It’s good to strive to be a little better, a little faster, a little prouder of your work. I think change pushes us all to adapt for the better.
Compiled by David Bruskin.
