Sound Designer

A Sound Designer is charged with creating the overall auditory effect of a film, video game, or television show. The job of the Sound Designer starts in the early stages of a project, when concepts are just being put together. The soundtrack, sound effects, and other auditory considerations are woven organically into the production plan. The Sound Designer then starts gathering the music and sound effects you need to make the magic happen.

In this position, you have a comprehensive plan to work with before the film, show, or game even comes into being. Once you have a finished product to work with, you start applying the shared vision that you, the Director, and the creative team have decided on. Inserting music at appropriate moments, and making sure that it is uniform and creates the proper mood and tone at the proper times are critical. You also add sound effects at predetermined points, or use sound editing technology to alter or amplify existing sounds that have been recorded into a scene in order to get the desired result.

The Sound Designer is an Artist who paints pictures for the ears of the audience. You know that you’ve done your job right when you can close your eyes while the film is running, and the music and sound effects capture the mood perfectly. Though the days are often long and hard, projects run past their deadlines and over their budgets, and it can be difficult dealing with other members of the creative team, the feeling you get from seeing — and hearing — your work when it’s finished is something that’s hard to match.