Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1545099
46 M PS E . O R G I shifted my concentration from music composition to audio post- production, and suddenly, everything I loved converged in one place: storytelling, psychology, acoustics, technology, editing, performance, and emotional perspective. I realized I did not have to translate my ideas only through traditional musical instruments. I could shape entire emotional worlds directly through sound editing and mixing. That discovery felt like coming home. As that journey unfolded, what mentors did you have, and what were the important ideas that you embraced in your work experiences? One of the most important lessons I've learned throughout my career is that people need people. My early years in the Mid-Atlantic region shaped me tremendously because in that market, the position itself was both an editorial and mixing role. You were expected to edit dialogue, cut effects, record Foley, record and edit narration and ADR, design sound, predub and final mixes, then handle laybacks, file delivery, and even create dubs for shipment. Often within the same project and as part of a very small team. That environment gave me enormous respect for editorial craftsmanship and for how interconnected editorial and mixing truly are. I still consider myself deeply rooted in both disciplines. The first 12 years of my career were in Washington, DC, and were spent primarily working in documentaries, and mentors were critical during that period. Within the first year living in DC, I cold-called John Davidson CAS working constantly. I maintained Pro Tools systems, assisted students in studio sessions, supported the school's media labs for picture editors and graphic artists, recorded live performances for the school of music, ran front-of-house sound for touring professional acts, and worked multiple part-time jobs to pay my way through school while minimizing loans. Looking back, the hustle itself may have been one of the most valuable parts of my education. About a year into JMU, I met Steven Urban, who was a teaching assistant for a cinema sound class and worked alongside me in one of the media labs. He introduced me to the concept of sound design for film and to artists like Ben Burtt and the work coming out of Skywalker Sound. That realization completely changed my trajectory. Karol celebrating with various members of the team at the wrap of the Peabody award winner Say Nothing, including sound supervisor Christopher Gomez MPSE (back row third from right), Jamie Hardt MPSE CAS ( right of Christopher Gomez). Formosa at Paramount, 2024.