PROFILE
Cory Sewell
By Manus Hopkins
Cory Sewell first became interested in audio and recording in high school . He knew he wanted to someday work in TV and film , but it wasn ’ t until he took a media editing class that he realized he enjoyed remote sound recording and manipulating audio in an edit .
Sewell grew up in Trenton , NS , where his free time was split between playing outside and engaging in movies , TV , and video games . After taking an interest in audio , he first got involved in the industry by doing some free sessions at recording studios as an intern . That led to a dialogue editing position for some TV episodes , and years on , Sewell ’ s life and career are immersed in the world of sound . In 2010 , he completed a degree in audio engineering in Halifax , and is still based in Nova Scotia , though he did relocate to Vancouver in 2012 for a couple of years before moving back .
“ Currently I ’ m working on a reality TV series that spans over half of my year ,” Sewell says , explaining what a typical week looks like for him in his role as a production sound mixer . “ We have multiple sound mixers and recordists on each unit of the show following different story lines which can sometimes intersect with each other , making it important to be able to track record any single character at any time . The cast can roam from scene to scene , so communication with the rest of the sound department along with our wireless frequency coordination is crucial .”
As Sewell explains , with the number of cameras covering a scene , the boom mics don ’ t get much action outside of interviews .
“ Once I find my perch out of sight , I set up my recorder and antenna usually in some remote wooded location with an overview of the cast and cameras so I can see who ’ s coming and going , but also mix the scene in peace ,” he says . “ Coffee helps .”
Sewell has a long resume , with work on everything from feature films to documentaries to reality TV shows . Since 2018 , he ’ s worked on six seasons of The Curse of Oak Island , the aforementioned reality series , which released its 10 th season in 2022 . The show has brought him to Portugal and Italy for shooting .
“ We get thrown a lot of curve balls on the
daily , but the tracks are always armed and ready to roll ,” Sewell says . “ I ’ m also a history buff so being able to join the team and watch the story unfold over the six seasons I ’ ve been involved has been great . We ’ ve recently been venturing into European countries , so being able to travel and work has been rewarding .”
In terms of other career highlights , Sewell says he is proud to . have worked on the Brojects series , a Nova Scotia comedy home improvement show .
“ It was a fun experience with a great crew in a low stress environment ,” he says . “ I ’ ve probably had more laughs on that one than any other .”
Another major credit for Sewell was working on 2019 ’ s The Lighthouse as an additional boom operator . He worked with his friends and colleagues Ian Thompson and Zan Rosborough , and the team had to cover an important and dynamic dialogue scene with starring actors Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson .
“ Me and Ian were both booming across the room , following the puck as they say , sometimes having to switch who we were covering ,” Sewell recounts . “ It was just a really fun scene that has always stuck out to me .”
In an industry that is seemingly always seeing rapid technological changes , it ’ s constantly adapting to those changes that can be the most testing aspect of the job to Sewell .
“ Working in film and TV on the technical side of things , it ’ s always challenging to stay up to date with the current gear ,” he explains . “ The technological landscape is constantly changing and evolving , and you have to with it .”
Despite any challenges he may face , Sewell says dealing with them is rewarding , and he ’ s always meeting new people and making great and lasting connections .
“ It can sometimes lead to travelling places and seeing new things ,” he says . “ There is a flexibility that can come with the lifestyle , particularly with film and TV , where I can have lots of time off in between gigs .”
Sewell likes to travel when he can , so it ’ s a big perk when his work involves travel . His spare time is spent hiking , camping , and doing anything outdoors . He also collects and plays retro video games , and music is a big part of Sewell ’ s life , along with reading and espresso .
“ This coming year , I hope to continue the steady flow of work ,” Sewell says . “ I ’ m interested in pursuing more documentaries and stories that have meaning . I ’ d love to be able to continue to travel for work and see new places . I ’ d also like to upgrade a few pieces of my kit to keep it up to date .”
18 PROFESSIONAL SOUND