PS: Do you find that the general trend of audio equipment
and concepts being more accessible to more people has had a
positive or negative impact on your interactions with clients
over the past few years, as far as them being able to commu-
nicate their needs and expectations, their knowledge of spe-
cific audio post concepts and workflows, etc.?
Batiot: In my experience, people are either interested in learning
about the process or they aren’t. So, for those that are, I think the
increased access to equipment and concepts has helped them
become more effective in communicating their expectations. For
those that aren’t interested, that’s why we’re here. Good communi-
cation skills are essential for an audio professional.
Foster: With the increase in computing power, clients are able to
realize more of their soundtrack in the picture edit process. When
they get to the final mix, they have already made many conceptual
decisions. Our job is to present this to them and then elevate the
experience.
Also, the fact that everyone has a personal computer and the
mixing stage is now filled with them gives the client a comfort fac-
tor with the gear. They are also more understanding if we need to
address a technical issue and restart a system. For some of the more
senior clients, I call it a “reel change.” They get the joke.
Leclerc: It has always helped. Get the concept out to people ASAP;
let’s get more editors, audio peeps, content creators… Let’s make
more great content! Make it a really competitive thing!
Little: Not really. Producers, even ones that have been in this indus-
try for years, still generally don’t consider audio enough. It’s often a
big argument with producers. They’ll pay the big bucks for a top-
notch DOP and scrimp on a sound recording team, or hire inexpe-
rienced locations people that don’t listen to the environment when
picking a location. I recently did a movie where there was a scene in
an apple orchard. The location was right next to a busy highway. You
can imagine how that went. Understanding that high-quality sound
in most cases is more important than picture is key for everyone to
know.
Morin: Generally speaking, that trend hasn’t changed the usual
workflow in our business. What I see more and more is copywriters
sending us well-crafted demo tracks that serve as good briefing ma-
terial when we’re asked to jump into ongoing projects. From what
I hear, it usually takes forever, though. People will always want to
work with audio professionals who work fast and are creative as well.
Sproule: I think I’m going to tread lightly on this area. I won’t say
it has had a negative effect, but it hasn’t closed the gap of under-
standing in the audio post process yet. I do find that the people
involved in the creative process that have some experience with
sound software certainly respect the final product more, which in
turn creates a better product.
PS: Considering things like a grasp of common technologies
and tools, available education and training, etc., do you think
the barrier to entry in the audio post industry is higher or
42 PROFESSIONAL SOUND
lower now than it was, say, five years ago? What else do you
think contributes to that?
Batiot: I think the barrier of entry has come down a lot. I decided
to go to school to learn engineering nine years ago because I felt
the barrier was pretty high back then – too high for me to access
training that would prepare me for a professional career. It seems to
me that if someone wanted to get into this career now, they have
an abundance of resources to get them started. Having said that, I
think the demand for a full-time engineer is likely getting lower for
the same reasons, so it’s a bit of a trade-off.
Foster: The barrier into the industry is lower due to the fact that the
tools and education available already give an individual the experi-
ence that they used to only achieve on the job. Also, the amount of
work has increased in the last five years, so there are more opportu-
nities.
Leclerc: It is definitely higher. Here’s why: you need to know about
editing when you’re an audio person. You need to know about
directing when you’re an audio person. You need to know about
production and post-production when you’re an audio person…
Nowadays, it’s all about knowing what’s going on around you. It’s
not about specializing; it’s about providing a viewpoint of the overall
landscape. Do you know how to put something out on YouTube?
BBC? CBC? MSNBC? Netflix? You need to know all of those things.
Little: Having access to free tools as well as the wealth of knowl-
edge available on the internet makes it much easier to get into the
industry than it was five years ago. With forums like Creative Cow
or the Avid DUC and YouTube tutorials, the only thing standing in
people’s way is the desire to want to do it. You can get most of the
way there with a decent laptop, a good pair of headphones, and a
Pro Tools subscription.
Morin: I find that there are fewer openings in pure sound jobs; we
find that a person with multiple skills and a wide knowledge base is
ideal in our field, especially for advertising. Basic knowledge of video
codecs, frame rates, editing, plus image processing is a must. Throw
in a little computer management and you’ve got yourself a perfect
mixer.
Even if tutorials, podcasts, and videos – often ones that are very
well-made – are all over the place on the web, I still believe that the
best way to get a proper education to become an audio specialist
is signing into a certified program given in a renowned academy.
The internet will teach tricks that’ll be useful years down the road;
nobody mixes in their first years as an assistant. Proper schools will
show you the big picture of what the business really is.
Sproule: I would say it’s probably higher now – more students than
ever and, like you said in your previous question, entry-level gear is
more accessible and affordable. Also, the takeoff of mass unrefined
media streams like YouTube or Vimeo has created a confusing grey
area of product that is amateur, semi-professional, and professional
all at once. I’m still not sure if it’s helping or hurting the industry.
Andrew King is the Editor-in-Chief of Professional Sound.