Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538144
The age of the iPhone is our target client after all for gaming trailers. How do you stay current with new tools and techniques, especially as cinematic and interactive media continue to blur? Charles Deenen: While I think we stay current, I also know we're falling behind. We try to do monthly "masterclasses," where one of our team members will explain their craft and methods to others. We try to bring in guest speakers, too (anybody interested?). This often will involve new workflows, processes, sound design techniques, or other topics. Just like MPSE Lifetime Achievement recipient Harry Cohen used to be very open to Tim, myself, and others with sound design technique. I encourage our team to be just as open. When you find something new—a new tool or just a rad sound— post it on our Slack channels or talk about it in an upcoming class. That said, sound and sound feeling don't have to rely on tools or techniques, so while we all love a new gadget, I find myself spending less and less time exploring non-AI tools, as sooner or later they'll all be replaced by smarter versions anyway. For us right now, it's about shortcutting time to allow more creative time; tools that will speed up the process are on the forefront. Career Reflections & Advice For aspiring sound designers, especially those drawn to trailers or vehicles, what skills or mindsets do you think are most important right now? Charles Deenen: Over the years, we've heard examples of many aspiring trailer sound designers. Some really get it from the start. They feel the flow, they create clarity without stomping on the music, they know when to go big and small. Those are the folks we're after. Flow and feel are the hardest to teach. Some might have great sound design but are not feeling the flow. They have a bit of an uphill battle; they should study flow—why was it a musical sound vs. a realistic one, why was this descending sound tying the scenes together, why was the sound changed for the dialogue line, etc. Ask yourself why things were done in great feeling trailers. In terms of cars, doing cars for film is incredibly … heartbreaking at times. Picture editors re-edit picture, which in turn makes the cars sound incorrect after a conform, so you have to re-cut the scene almost fully in order to get RPMs and shifts to flow correctly again. As a new editor/designer on cars, it's important to learn the craft of how to fix scenes quickly and to fully understand how not to break the mechanically perceived limits of the car (i.e., you can't put a shift on every scene cut or rise RPMs above perceived limit). All that said, trailers and high-end commercial design are some of the most rewarding sound design one can do—one that's often underrated by folks who haven't tried it. It's a very musical craft, one where emotion and flow win over the perfect sound. Timetables are short, expectations are high, but when you see 70 million people online react to the work you just did, it all makes it worthwhile. What keeps you creatively inspired to keep pushing boundaries, especially after decades in the industry and so many iconic projects? Charles Deenen: Very good question: I'm a perfectionist by nature, so I push myself harder than any client ever will. But I also feel we have to evolve our craft. I'm always trying to really understand client expectations, wishes, and wants. We see changes in requests, feels, and flow. And we adapt. With that adaptation come new sound expectations. And you have to keep up on those. What keeps me going is our amazing team. Each of them comes up with new creations daily, and to see that work M OT I O N P I CTU R E S O U N D E D I TO R S 103