Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1541612
C I N E M A A U D I O S O C I E T Y. O R G 61 structured themselves. I don't really think that'll change anytime soon, not from a workflow perspective, anyway. But I do think mindset-wise, things are changing. I've been really encouraged seeing organizations like CAS and MPSE joining forces for events, and the Television Academy's sound groups bringing re-recording and production mixers together. I'm in my second year of hosting the Sound Mixer Peer Circle for the Academy. That's helping bridge gaps that have existed for way too long. It's all about communication, it always comes back to that. When you're communicating with your editors, do you want them to be thinking with a mixer's mindset? Or is there a specific mindset you try to encourage that helps them do their job better? If they're dialogue editors, I want them thinking like dialogue editors. What matters is that they understand the big picture. You've got to empower your team to make their own creative decisions, and that only happens when you pull them out of their soundproof rooms and get them into the process, seeing how their work plays into the final. That's where they'll start anticipating things on their own. They should spend time on the stage, see how things get mixed, and understand how their material fits into the final. Without that, they can't really give you what you need. That's why I always keep my dialogue and sound editors involved during the final mix sessions, so they understand not just what to do, but why. I treat my relationships with editors the same way I do with clients: We're all here for the same goal and we're honest with each other. If something doesn't work, we say so. My editors are just as likely to tell me that something I did sucks as I am to say that to them. Once you break that wall down, that's when you can really get great results. And you've got to give them freedom. Let them do their thing and trust it'll come back right. If it doesn't, you talk about it. That's where growth happens. As we wrap up, what do you think is the most rewarding part of bridging both sound editing and mixing? For me, there's really no clear line between them. Editing and mixing, it's all one thing. The idea that there's this wall between them doesn't make sense to me. It's all just part of the same creative process. I treat my editors like collaborators, not like a separate department. It's all about communication, trust, and teamwork. That's what keeps the sound fluid, and that's what makes it fun.