Electronic Portfolio Conclusion

Hannah Thrasher
Careers and Lifestyles
Thurs, July 14, 2011

Electronic Portfolio Conclusion

    I think that I'll be able to get a degree in Recording Arts from either Chico, Full Sail or Expression by 2015 or 2016. Hopefully I'll be able to get an internship at Skywalker Sounds or LucasArts before then (since internships are not available to graduates), and/or an internship at WaveGroup after I graduate. If I get the internship at WaveGroup, maybe I'll be able to get a job there and I can spend a few years there really learning the business. WaveGroup is a very small company, though, so I have no idea if I'll be able to get a position. If I do, though, after 3 years at WaveGroup I should be eligible for a salaried job at Skywalker Sound or LucasArts. With all of the competition, though, I probably won't be able to get a salaried job at Skywalker Sound for years and years, and will be extremely lucky if I ever get hired at all. In which case I would very, very happily stay on with WaveGroup for as long as they'd have me. Whatever I do, I'd like to be able to do some freelance work on the side so that I can work on projects that I want to work on, instead of only projects that I'm assigned to.
    If I don't get hired at either WaveGroup or Skywalker Sound or LucasArts (and as I said, there's no knowing if I ever will because competition is so fierce), my best bet would probably be to move to L.A., where sound work is much more abundant. But I have very little desire to live there. I'd much rather stay in the Bay Area, where the weather is milder and the air is cleaner, the traffic isn't quite so bad, and (from what I hear) the egos are at least a little bit smaller. 
    I don't have any pretensions that working in post production sound is going to make the world a better place, but I do believe that there is power in film and in media, and that in being part of that industry, my work will affect people. Whether or not a project will solve a current societal problem depends very much on the nature of the project. Is it a commercial for a cereal brand that uses cartoon characters and other kid-enticing techniques to make their sales? Or is it a documentary on the genocide in Darfur? The first project would further hinder healthful eating habits wherever the commercial was shown, but the documentary might inspire people to help those suffering in Darfur.
    I can't deny that my career plan is still quite vague, but that's because I understand that plans rarely work the way you think they will. I'm someone who tends to go with the flow, but this class has helped me focus more, which is very good, because I was complacent and in a sort of rut. But now that I have a plan, though it's not very detailed, I feel more confident in myself and my future. I finally have an idea of where I'm going. I have no idea if I'll actually get there, or if something will happen that pulls me in a completely different direction, but I'm happy with what I've come up with now. And that means a lot.

Interview Strategy

Hannah Thrasher

Careers and Lifestyles

Thurs, July 14, 2011

Interview Strategy

    To prepare for an interview, I would buy and wear interview appropriate clothing, make myself appear well-groomed, bring an updated resume and reference list, and reflect on experiences I've had that I can draw on to answer whatever questions the interviewer may ask.
    If the interviewer(s) were to say to me, "Name your three biggest strengths and weaknesses", I would say that my biggest weaknesses are my physical limitations due to my auto immune disorder, that while I keep my work stuff quite organized, I struggle with keeping my home organized, and that I sometimes get intimidated by overbearing personalities. I would say that my biggest strengths are definitely my very strong communication (and thus people) skills (friendly, supportive, empathetic and respectful but assertive), and my positive, curious nature and passion for learning and understanding, and my flexible, adaptive and versatile work style.
    If the interviewers were to say, "We have 24 candidates, why should we choose you?", I would tell them that I work very well in groups but also have strong leadership skills, and that I am a great communicator and motivator and can get along with almost anyone. Also that I work well under pressure, am flexible and adaptable, and can quickly come up with solutions to unexpected problems. Finally, that I'm passionate about sound and want to learn as much as I can about it, and that I believe in the power of sound in visual media and how it brings a project to life and gives the project the power to stir something within the audience, and make them feel something.

Academic and Career Goals

Hannah Thrasher
Careers and Lifestyles
Thurs, July 14, 2011

Academic and Career Goals

    After this coming fall semester at West Valley (though I might stay for the spring semester as well), I hope to transfer to a university. I haven't concretely decided where I will go, but my safest bet is CSU Chico. I'd love to go to Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida, or Expression College for Digital Arts in Emeryville, California. At Chico I can get a BA in Music Industry and Technology with an Option in Recording Arts. At Full Sail I can get a BS in Recording Arts. At Ex'pression I can get a BAS in either Sound Arts (which covers live sound and post production sound) or Interactive Audio (essentially, video game sound). If I went to Expression, I would go for the Sound Arts degree, even though the most growth is happening in Interactive Audio.
    I'd love to get an internship next summer at WaveGroup, a very successful post production house in nearby Fremont. From there, I would hope to either be hired full time, or try for an internship at Skywalker Sound or LucasArts.
    Actually, If I go to either Expression or Full Sail I won't be able to do an internship until after I graduate, since both are accelerated programs and I'd still be in school in the summer months. Skywalker Sound and LucasArts only has internships for people still in school, so to get an internship with them, I should go to Chico, so I'll have summers free. Then I'll try to get an internship with Skywalker Sound or LucasArts, then either continue at Chico and get my degree, or go to Expression or Full Sail and get my degree there. Then after getting my degree, I can get an internship at WaveGroup.
    A large deciding factor of what school I go to is whether or not I can get enough financial aid from them. I had finally accepted that I'd never be able to afford Full Sail or Expression, but after our visit to the Career Center and speaking with the career transfer advisor, I've decided to reopen those options. Now I plan to apply to all three and see what financial aid they can offer me. If I get enough financial aid and get enough scholarships, then I might be able to afford my dream school, which would be wonderful!
    As far as networking goes, I already have a contact at Skywalker Sound. I met two-time Academy Award winner Michael Semanick at the 2009 Digital Music Summit at Mission College. He was the re-recording mixer for all three Lord of the Rings films, as well as Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong. Semanick won the Oscar for Return of the King and for King Kong. I email him occasionally with updates about me and whatever projects I'm working on. Also, I'm on LinkedIn, which I've used to contact some Foley Artist and ask how they got started. I've gotten several replies, and I hope to contact them when I decide what I'm doing. I hope to attend next year's Digital Music Summit (assuming I'm still in the Bay Area), as it's an inexpensive way to meet some people working in the industry and to hear them give lectures.

Dream Job and Company Assignment

Hannah Thrasher
Careers and Lifestyles
Thurs, July 14, 2011 (due on July 5th)

Dream Job and Company

    As far as I know, people who only do Foley Walking are freelancers and do not work for an actual company. I hope to get a secure position at a prominent Post Production House, such as Skywalker Sound, the sound division of George Lucas' production company.
    Skywalker Sound was established upon the completion of the Skywalker Ranch in 1987, but prior to that, Lucas' sound division was called Sprocket Systems and was housed with Lucas' visual effects division, Industrial Light & Magic.
    At Skywalker Sound, the number of employees changes based on the size of their current projects, but ranges from 80 to 160, with several of the core employees being multiple Academy Award winning sound designers, editors, re-recording mixers, and composers. I would be working on the gorgeous Skywalker Ranch in Marin County. Skywalker Ranch features the Technical Building, which houses a 300 seat film screening room, a scoring stage that accommodates a 130 piece orchestra, six feature film dubbing stages, ten recently remodeled sound design/editing suites, and another thirty-six digital sound editing rooms. There is also a Foley and ADR recording suite, and a mixing and editing suite for commercials.
    Currently, there are no design or editing positions available at Skywalker Sound. However, Lucas' video game and interactive media division, LucasArts, does have job openings for people working in sound. To get a salaried job as a Sound Designer with LucasArts, I'll need expertise in many digital audio workspaces (DAWs), like ProTools, Digital Performer and Peak, which are Macintosh-based applications. However I'd also need to learn Windows-based video game development and sound applications. I'd need expertise in field and studio recording, processing and mixing. I'd also need a minimum of 3 years experience creating audio for AAA titles (whatever that means).
    I think my best bet is to apply for an internship at LucasArts for next summer, and the application has to be in by mid February. Because the positions are already filled, I can't find out what the requirements are (only currently available internships are listed).

Road Trip Nation Assignment

Hannah Thrasher
Thurs, July 7, 2011
Careers and Lifestyles

Road Trip Nation Interviews

    I find the interviews to be so interesting that I ended up watching about 10 of them, and I plan to watch more.

    The interview with Cirque de Soleil artistic director Rob Bollinger wasn't particularly eye opening, but he did have many interesting things to say. He said that "If what you do is your passion, it never feels like a job…. but that doesn't mean every day is a cakewalk", which reminded me of my work in theatre, whatever position. It's always a struggle, but even though it's difficult and exhausting and frustrating, I just love to do it. I love working with the people, even if you want to knock them over the head sometimes. And I love the art of it, and bringing a show to life.

    I also enjoyed the interview with filmmaker Craig Brewer, who spoke often of his father, and how his father would inspire him to go after his passion of filmmaking. Craig's father would say, "If you can't do it with the simplest of tools, what makes you think that you can do with the most expensive of tools?". That really spoke to me, because something that I've used as an excuse for not doing sound in my free time is that my equipment isn't good enough. But honestly, the equipment I have is more than good enough to at least learn with. And people have done more with less and been successful. So what's holding me back?

    Two interviews that I found especially interesting were with Walter Murch who helped pioneered 5.1 surround sound, and with Gary Rydstrom, both multiple Academy Award winners in sound design. I would love to end up like these two, working on fantastic films with lots of awards on their mantels.

    Walter Murch said that he loved playing with tape recorders when he was 11, but then he "outgrew" that interest during his adolescent years. But after watching a movie when he was 22, he thought, "Somebody made that film. I am a somebody. I can make a film", and so he reopened his childhood passion of playing with sound. He says, "If you can tap into that thing that were really interested in when you were 11 years old, it gives you as good a shot as you're ever gonna get to be happy with what you do later". Which sounds great, but for me that would mean leaving sound and getting back into zoology.

    Jeff Johnson, a host on BET and activist, gave the most inspiring interview. Near the end of the interview, someone asked what the difference is between giving up and deciding that you want to do something else. And he said,

              "You ever wanted to do something so much, that you tell everybody that you wanna do it, that you share with everybody that this is what you wanna do? But now what you're trying to live up to is the expectations that you created for everybody else. … But the bottom line is, you created that cell. Nobody else created it for you. Which means you got the keys, to say, 'You know what, ya'll? I changed my mind. I don't want to do this no more.' And if people agree or disagree, so what? They don't have to live your life."

    Which really encourages me because I changed my mind as a kid, that I no longer wanted to be a zoologist even though that's what I had been saying for years. And it means that even now, I can change my mind again and say that I don't want to do recording arts if I feel that I'm being pulled somewhere else. And that's a nice freedom to have.

    In the interview with Gary Rydstrom, someone asked how does a person identify their passion. And Gary said, "I think it all comes down to curiosity. Everything, to me, is not about the answers you find, but about the questions that come up. If it's something that you have endless questions about…the questions keep popping into your head. If you're curious than you're probably passionate."

    The problem with that is that I'm so curious about so many different things. Whit Alexander, the co-founder of Cranium Games, spoke about how he went from one job that fulfilled one aspect of his interests, and then to another job the fulfilled another aspect of his interests, and then to another. He says that he encourages people to try to find a job that fulfills all or at least several of your interests, but his story shows me that I don't have to fulfill every interest at once to be happy. I can focus on one interest at a time and just go where life takes me and hopefully I'll come across more opportunities that allow me to explore my other interests.

Choose A Major Paper (Eureka Assignment)

Hannah Thrasher
Careers and Lifestyles
Tues, June 28, 2011

Choose A Major Paper: Recording Arts

    I fell in love with the idea of working in Post Production Audio while watching the audio featurette in the Special Features of the Extended Edition DVD set of The Two Towers. I was especially intrigued and excited by the Foley Artists. My dream job is to be a Foley Artist, because it just looks like so much fun. But I'd also like to work as a Sound Effects Editor and Sound Designer. Unfortunately, there are basically no programs in Foley walking, but there are some in Recording Arts, which is a good starting point, I think.
    In a Recording Arts program, you learn about how to capture, enhance, and manipulate audio. You take classes in sound editing using Digital Audio Workspaces (DAWs), such as ProTools, the industry standard in audio editing programs. You may take courses in recording techniques, such as microphone placement when recording (or supporting) a musical performance, or you may learn how to record sound in the field (meaning not in a studio). You will likely take a course in sound design, and in electricity. In addition, if the program is offered through a music department, you will take courses in music, such as Music Theory. If the program is offered through a film department, you will take film production courses.
    A Foley Artist doesn't actually need to be able to use DAWs or do any editing, but sound editors and designers use DAWs to digitally combine and manipulate sound to make sounds that would be too difficult or expensive to actually create and record, so the sounds are created digitally.
    Getting a job in the audio industry is difficult. Experience and skill is a must and is more important a degree. You can have a degree in audio recording but without real experience you will find it difficult to get a job. It's very competitive because applicants far outnumber the available jobs, especially in big cities where pay is usually highest. Getting a steady job is extremely difficult because there are so few available, so a lot of sound engineers are free lancers. That means that they are hired to work on one project, and once the project is complete, they're out of a job again. The hours are long and it's common to work well beyond midnight, to work holidays, evenings and weekends. It tends to be a very high pressure job, and you work with a lot of egos.
    A very successful sound engineer can make over $50,000 a year, but most make between about $22,000 and about $48,000. A very successful Foley Artist can make about $1000 a day. Entry-level job seekers should expect to do volunteer and/or grunt work for a few years before they can start making any decent amount of money.

What I'd love to do...

My dream job is a Foley Artist and/or Sound Designer and/or Sound Effects Editor for film.

This one gives an overview of Post Production Sound jobs. Last year, I actually went to the Vancouver Film School for a week long Summer Intensive in their Sound Design for Visual Media program. :)



This one is a minute long overview of the job of a Foley Artist.



This one goes into more detail, interviewing one Foley Artist, Leslie Bloome.



This one quickly interviews a Foley Artist working on the Jurassic Park film.



This one is a great explanation of art and science of Foley. Check it out!