How to Become a Sound Designer

Depending on the size and type of production, a sound designer may have many different jobs on a day-to-day basis, including communicating with the creative team, recording or finding sound effects, creating a soundtrack, or looking for new projects.

In film, sound designers tend to work during post-production, whereas live theater designers may work throughout the pre-production period and during the production schedule.

In theater, this process may begin with the designer watching rehearsals and reading the script, and deciding which sounds should be created with effects.

Working with the creative team allows the designer to create a finished product that fits the atmosphere of the production and helps the film or performance communicate intentions through sound.

After an initial period of meetings, the designer may begin to hunt for the right effects for each sound cue.

Always be reckless and try new things.

Keep the concept and the application in mind.

Practice your art and work hard.

Reverse, stretch, pitch, repeat.

Build Up Your Gear Slowly and Carefully.

“They put in edits and replace and clean up specific sounds to create an overall aesthetic,” says Thomas Ouziel, who has worked on multiple features and commercials.

Ouziel says, “Entry-level used to be gathering sounds for Sound Editors to use, then learning the process that way.

From there, an aspiring Sound Designer would build a network and get promoted or hired to be an Assistant in a specific aspect of post sound like backgrounds or sound design.

Eventually, the individual will get their opportunity to work a larger project as a Sound Designer.

An aspiring Sound Designer would go to audio recording school, which teaches you sound-based stuff like signal flow, software, and using microphones to record.

It’s worth applying for a place in the sound department on ScreenSkills’ Trainee Finder scheme.

If you can do film studies too, it will contribute to your understanding of creating sound for film.

Some employers will take on a junior sound designer if they have a strong portfolio, showing creativity, flair and software skills.

Work in any industry that will develop your audio engineering and sound designing skills and move into games from there.

In order to be successful, a Sound Designer should provide a mix between artistic and technical skills, and also to demonstrate general business skills such as communication and teamwork.