The Creative Structure
Do you require audio editing for film, television, radio or new media? I have worked on numerous productions editing dialogue, sound design and music. I have then taken these elements and edited them together in a final mix.
Editing audio on the studio workstation.
Editing audio and making it feel seamlessly integrated into the production is a precise process. As an audio editor I am required to try many different things before finding something that works. Sometimes an edit will work first time but it can take a few attempts before finding the perfect blend of individual sounds to get exactly what the director wants.
This part of the production process bleeds into the others so it is always a good thing to have the skills needed to work well across the board. Editing is the jam that holds everything together whether it is part of the sound design, choosing the right studio takes, music production and even mastering. An editor needs patience because when having to trim down six hours of studio material into one hour, for example, it can be a little tedious but because I love the work I do it is more entertaining for me working on it as it is for the listeners of the end product.
A lot of professionals work with Pro Tools because it is considered to be the industry standard for high quality production, and it is part of AVID, which is used globally for film production. The problem is that technology has moved on so fast that there are a lot more alternative products betted suited to the needs of the editor. Many people involved in sound and music production feel that Pro Tools isn't the king of production it used to be. Therefore it is good to have knowledge on how to use different programs such as Audition, Sonar, Cubase, etc.
When it comes to editing I can be a bit of a perfectionist but also work rather quickly when needed. Since I moved into professional production I have always had a Police Box model on my desk to remind me why I got into this job in the first place. It is a passion!
Editing work I have done:
- Create one hour of dialogue from a six hour recording session
- Produce sound effects from original source sounds
- Cut together a music track from multiple recordings
- Add effects to a recording
- Fix errors to restore old recordings to a broadcasting standard
- Mix together all the elements of a production to create a final mix
From Hobby to Pro
It was during school when advances in technology allowed me to experiment with sound editing. I found the manipulation of audio fascinating. When producing short films while in college I would edit in additional sound effects and music to produce something that was shifted from the reality of the college budget. Although it was a media course the majority of the work was film based whereas I wanted to get into radio production. There was one assignment to produce an hour long radio show. Other teams did their productions live but I recorded and edited all our stuff before the broadcasting date. It won 'Best Radio Production' and I got a nice award too.
Hardware
Latest News
Latest Podcast
Affiliates
Business details
Martin Johnson
Sound Designer
Audio Editor
Music Composer
Based in Nottingham, UK
