Supervising Sound Editor

Though they get the most attention, Actors are really just one part of the filming of a movie or television show. Once the cameras stop shooting, editing starts, and this process can take just as much time as filming, or even longer. The job of a Supervising Sound Editor starts in this post-production period.

As a Supervising Sound Editor, you’re in charge of the sound department, and you’re ultimately responsible for all sounds found in the final cut of a film or TV show. You make sure every explosive sound effect, every piece of dialogue, and every soundtrack spot is perfectly recorded and inserted where it’s needed. Getting all this done requires you to put in some long hours and collaborate with everyone from Foley Artists to Producers.

Supervising Sound Editors do a little bit of everything: You oversee dialogue recording, remix soundtracks, and help Foley Artists create the ambiance of the movie with sound. Depending on the size of your production, you might be hands-on in these roles or you might oversee other people in charge of each specific role. Either way, the first step in your process is to meet with the Director and any other Sound Editors to get an idea of what the feel of the movie should be.

Once you’re clear on the vision, you get to work laying down tracks and fixing any piece of sound that doesn’t sound quite right. When you finish with a draft, the Director makes their final requests before you get started on the end product. After a movie is out in theaters, you then move on to things like dubbing in foreign languages or making DVD extras.