Monday, December 20, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Past Pupil Profiles: Kieran Lynch
This month we talk to Kieran Lynch, a Pulse College graduate from the Audio Diploma who has gone to carve out a substantial career in both Music and Film. He is currently involved in music production for the TG4 series "Siog Na Rann", an animation which involves a number of Ireland's best known singers. Current projects include engineering for emerging singer songwriter Eugene Donegan's debut album and recording tracks for renowned Irish songwriter Paul Brady. He also worked on Declan O'Rourke's much anticipated second album "Big Bad Beautiful World". His career highlights to date include the latest multi-million selling U2 album "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb", as well as REM and Damien Dempsey. He engineered the top 10 swansong "Superbi", by The Beautiful South and was involved in the production of the Grammy Award nominated Elvis Costello albums "When I Was Cruel" and "Cruel Smile". He has also mixed tracks for The Corrs and the critically acclaimed debut album "Life Sparks" by Woodstar. He not only has extensive studio experience, Kieran is responsible soundtracks for both film and TV credits include Hollywood block-buster "Get Rich or Die Trying" and further engineering/production duties on "The Tailor of Panama", "Ella Enchanted", "In America" and "The Water Giant 2", as well as Independent Films such as "Spin The Bottle" and the award winning "Kisses and Alarm". We are delighted he found time to talk to Pulse College News.
Q1: You were born and bread in Donegal was their much musical influence growing up?
A: Apart from learning to play the tin whistle my main musical influence as a kid was my younger brother who's an amazing guitarist! I listened to the radio a lot and always veered towards buying alternative music like The Cure, Death Metal and early Acid House.
Q2: Was music an area you always wanted to work in?
A: No, not really. I loved music, like any teenager growing up; but never thought it could actually be my job!
Q3: What style inspires you from a musical perspective?
A: I love music that has honesty and originality. It doesn't have to be perfect it just needs to come from the right place.
Q4: You studied Audio Pulse College what made you choose Pulse?
A: I studied electronic engineering in UCD from 1990 to 1996 where I received a primary and masters degree. When I left college there weren't many jobs around and I wasn't really in to being a software engineer. I had no idea there were courses in sound engineering until a friend of mine applied to Pulse. I signed up the following year in '98.
Q5: Pulse College is known for its hands on practical approach to learning, what area of the course did you find most beneficial in what is now a highly accomplished career?
A: To be honest, I loved every second of it; both the practical and academic aspects. I'm not sure if you cut tape there anymore but I loved the 1/4" editing projects which helped me a lot when I moved on to working with 2" tape and again when everything went digital. It was actually surprising how well those projects prepared me for editing in the digital domain.
Q6: Tell us about your career in the beginning, was it tough starting off?
A: I started working as a tape op in Pulse with Jeremy Ross and Maeve Buckley (who's now Maeve Lynch) the year I finished the course. We had great fun working there and met a lot of amazing people coming through the studio. I moved to Windmill Lane in 1999 and worked there for a further three and a half years as the tape op in studio 1. All this time we were working 80-100 hours a week for little money. We didn't care though the experience was fantastic and far outweighed the monetary rewards. Besides, we were having the time of our lives!
Q7: You have worked with some high profile artists from REM to The Beautiful South. How did you manage to create a name for yourself within the industry, was it by word of mouth and perseverance or good luck?
A: I know people who have been lucky in this business or been in the right place at the right time and their careers have taken off. I've just had to work hard. When I left Windmill Lane in 2002 it was pretty scary as a freelance engineer. The industry was changing fast and I was starting from scratch, trying to build up a client base. Windmill Lane were good to me; when I left they put work my way as an engineer, helping me get somewhat established. I just went from job to job through recommendations and word of mouth, that way you're really only as good as your last gig.
Q8: REM, The Beautiful South, U2 and Damien Dempsey quite diverse sounds. How do you decide what approach to take when producing their albums?
A: Engineering and producing are two very different disciplines, When I'm engineering for a producer I'm only concentrating on the sound, trying to capture the performances as truthfully as possible, based on what the band and producer are looking for. Of course you need to be able to record things in a more specific way if someone says "can you make the drums sound like Fleetwood Mac" or "can you get me a Marquee Moon guitar sound". When I'm producing I'd rarely have an engineer there so I'll have to do both jobs. Producing, for me, is not about moulding an artist or band to sound a certain way but more an attempt to realize their music in an honest and interesting way. I always try to get the artist or band to perform in as live a situation as possible. This usually results in a recording that sound more cohesive and definitely more believable.
Q9: You worked on U2 album "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb". That must have been an amazing experience, can you tell us a bit about it?
A: It was. I was working with producer Flood for three months during the mixing of the album. When I say mixing it also involved a lot of recording and editing. The bands are great to work with and their studio is a very inspiring place. They work really hard and don't stop until the songs are right. Anyone can pick up an instrument or microphone at any time and you need to be recording the performance in a matter of seconds. We were working in the main studio on the old Neve and the work involved sifting through the many different interpretations of songs on their Radar system and compiling and mixing the final version. We mixed four or five of the songs while Steve Lillywhite and Jackknife Lee were working on the rest in studios elsewhere in the building. The atmosphere on a U2 record is always electric; every day has different and challenging moments and you need to be on top of your game to stay ahead of the band.
Q10: You coproduced Elvis Costello's Grammy award winning album what an achievement, how did it feel?
A: Yeah, it was strange really. Again, I was working as a tape op in Windmill Lane at the time and I was told Elvis was coming in to record an album. Then I discovered two of my friend, Ciarán Cahill and Leo Pearson were going to be engineering and producing the album. I guess because I knew these guys so well I ended up doing a bit more than the average tape op gig. The album was amazing, the band just played the songs down two or three times onto tape, they came in, had a listen and picked the take. It all happened very quickly with overdubs recorded shortly after the band were tracked. Elvis sang the majority of the vocals in the control room with a beta 58, again, three or four takes and it was done. We all worked so well as a team that Elvis decided to split the production credits equally. It did feel great when the album got the Grammy nominations.
Q11: You work in both Post Production as well as Studio Mixing two quite different disciplines, Can you talk us through the differences in the skills you need?
A: At the moment I'm working on the sound post for a feature film. The disciplines are quite different; post work is more of a technical field and not so performance driven, bar the mixing. In film and TV the dialogue is king. It's all about making it clear and present, the FX are usually second and the music generally a background thing unless of course it's a music programme or a montage section in a film. The technical standards for operation and calibration are quite strict in both TV and film. You need to learn how to work within these standards when mixing to ensure your mix transfers correctly to cinema and broadcast.
Q12: Do you have a preference?
A: My thing is music. I love recording bands and artist in the studio. This also goes for soundtracks which are different but also very rewarding in terms of production and results.
Q13: You have also been involved in producing many sound tracks for some of Hollywood Blockbusters, Ella Enchanted for example. Is that very different from producing albums?
A: The approach is quite different. With albums you're generally presented with a set of songs. You develop them, record them and mix them but rarely are you presented with a blank canvas in the studio. With a soundtrack you start with a cut of the film and spot the music cues with the director and composer. Once all the parts of the film that need music have been identified, you go to work with the composer creating the sound scape that best realizes the vision of the director. It's important to understand that you're there to facilitate the director’s needs and not your own musical ego. The best soundtracks are those that don't distract, but subtly enhance what's happening on screen. I think it's always better to score for the secondary emotion in a scene as opposed to the obvious events that are happening.
Q14: What has been you career highlight to date?
A: Of course I've enjoyed working with a lot of really great musicians from all around the world. I'm also very proud of a number of albums I've produced for artists such as Larla O'Lionaird, O Emperor and Star Little Thing.
Q15: Any future plans in the pipe line that you can disclose?
A: I've just finished production of the soundtrack for a new film called The Good Doctor, directed by Lance Daly and starring Orlando Bloom. I should be working on new material with O Emperor in the new year.
Q16: What advice would you give to students starting their career in such a competitive Industry?
A: Be dedicated and look after you ears!
Q1: You were born and bread in Donegal was their much musical influence growing up?
A: Apart from learning to play the tin whistle my main musical influence as a kid was my younger brother who's an amazing guitarist! I listened to the radio a lot and always veered towards buying alternative music like The Cure, Death Metal and early Acid House.
Q2: Was music an area you always wanted to work in?
A: No, not really. I loved music, like any teenager growing up; but never thought it could actually be my job!
Q3: What style inspires you from a musical perspective?
A: I love music that has honesty and originality. It doesn't have to be perfect it just needs to come from the right place.
Q4: You studied Audio Pulse College what made you choose Pulse?
A: I studied electronic engineering in UCD from 1990 to 1996 where I received a primary and masters degree. When I left college there weren't many jobs around and I wasn't really in to being a software engineer. I had no idea there were courses in sound engineering until a friend of mine applied to Pulse. I signed up the following year in '98.
Q5: Pulse College is known for its hands on practical approach to learning, what area of the course did you find most beneficial in what is now a highly accomplished career?
A: To be honest, I loved every second of it; both the practical and academic aspects. I'm not sure if you cut tape there anymore but I loved the 1/4" editing projects which helped me a lot when I moved on to working with 2" tape and again when everything went digital. It was actually surprising how well those projects prepared me for editing in the digital domain.
Q6: Tell us about your career in the beginning, was it tough starting off?
A: I started working as a tape op in Pulse with Jeremy Ross and Maeve Buckley (who's now Maeve Lynch) the year I finished the course. We had great fun working there and met a lot of amazing people coming through the studio. I moved to Windmill Lane in 1999 and worked there for a further three and a half years as the tape op in studio 1. All this time we were working 80-100 hours a week for little money. We didn't care though the experience was fantastic and far outweighed the monetary rewards. Besides, we were having the time of our lives!
Q7: You have worked with some high profile artists from REM to The Beautiful South. How did you manage to create a name for yourself within the industry, was it by word of mouth and perseverance or good luck?
A: I know people who have been lucky in this business or been in the right place at the right time and their careers have taken off. I've just had to work hard. When I left Windmill Lane in 2002 it was pretty scary as a freelance engineer. The industry was changing fast and I was starting from scratch, trying to build up a client base. Windmill Lane were good to me; when I left they put work my way as an engineer, helping me get somewhat established. I just went from job to job through recommendations and word of mouth, that way you're really only as good as your last gig.
Q8: REM, The Beautiful South, U2 and Damien Dempsey quite diverse sounds. How do you decide what approach to take when producing their albums?
A: Engineering and producing are two very different disciplines, When I'm engineering for a producer I'm only concentrating on the sound, trying to capture the performances as truthfully as possible, based on what the band and producer are looking for. Of course you need to be able to record things in a more specific way if someone says "can you make the drums sound like Fleetwood Mac" or "can you get me a Marquee Moon guitar sound". When I'm producing I'd rarely have an engineer there so I'll have to do both jobs. Producing, for me, is not about moulding an artist or band to sound a certain way but more an attempt to realize their music in an honest and interesting way. I always try to get the artist or band to perform in as live a situation as possible. This usually results in a recording that sound more cohesive and definitely more believable.
Q9: You worked on U2 album "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb". That must have been an amazing experience, can you tell us a bit about it?
A: It was. I was working with producer Flood for three months during the mixing of the album. When I say mixing it also involved a lot of recording and editing. The bands are great to work with and their studio is a very inspiring place. They work really hard and don't stop until the songs are right. Anyone can pick up an instrument or microphone at any time and you need to be recording the performance in a matter of seconds. We were working in the main studio on the old Neve and the work involved sifting through the many different interpretations of songs on their Radar system and compiling and mixing the final version. We mixed four or five of the songs while Steve Lillywhite and Jackknife Lee were working on the rest in studios elsewhere in the building. The atmosphere on a U2 record is always electric; every day has different and challenging moments and you need to be on top of your game to stay ahead of the band.
Q10: You coproduced Elvis Costello's Grammy award winning album what an achievement, how did it feel?
A: Yeah, it was strange really. Again, I was working as a tape op in Windmill Lane at the time and I was told Elvis was coming in to record an album. Then I discovered two of my friend, Ciarán Cahill and Leo Pearson were going to be engineering and producing the album. I guess because I knew these guys so well I ended up doing a bit more than the average tape op gig. The album was amazing, the band just played the songs down two or three times onto tape, they came in, had a listen and picked the take. It all happened very quickly with overdubs recorded shortly after the band were tracked. Elvis sang the majority of the vocals in the control room with a beta 58, again, three or four takes and it was done. We all worked so well as a team that Elvis decided to split the production credits equally. It did feel great when the album got the Grammy nominations.
Q11: You work in both Post Production as well as Studio Mixing two quite different disciplines, Can you talk us through the differences in the skills you need?
A: At the moment I'm working on the sound post for a feature film. The disciplines are quite different; post work is more of a technical field and not so performance driven, bar the mixing. In film and TV the dialogue is king. It's all about making it clear and present, the FX are usually second and the music generally a background thing unless of course it's a music programme or a montage section in a film. The technical standards for operation and calibration are quite strict in both TV and film. You need to learn how to work within these standards when mixing to ensure your mix transfers correctly to cinema and broadcast.
Q12: Do you have a preference?
A: My thing is music. I love recording bands and artist in the studio. This also goes for soundtracks which are different but also very rewarding in terms of production and results.
Q13: You have also been involved in producing many sound tracks for some of Hollywood Blockbusters, Ella Enchanted for example. Is that very different from producing albums?
A: The approach is quite different. With albums you're generally presented with a set of songs. You develop them, record them and mix them but rarely are you presented with a blank canvas in the studio. With a soundtrack you start with a cut of the film and spot the music cues with the director and composer. Once all the parts of the film that need music have been identified, you go to work with the composer creating the sound scape that best realizes the vision of the director. It's important to understand that you're there to facilitate the director’s needs and not your own musical ego. The best soundtracks are those that don't distract, but subtly enhance what's happening on screen. I think it's always better to score for the secondary emotion in a scene as opposed to the obvious events that are happening.
Q14: What has been you career highlight to date?
A: Of course I've enjoyed working with a lot of really great musicians from all around the world. I'm also very proud of a number of albums I've produced for artists such as Larla O'Lionaird, O Emperor and Star Little Thing.
Q15: Any future plans in the pipe line that you can disclose?
A: I've just finished production of the soundtrack for a new film called The Good Doctor, directed by Lance Daly and starring Orlando Bloom. I should be working on new material with O Emperor in the new year.
Q16: What advice would you give to students starting their career in such a competitive Industry?
A: Be dedicated and look after you ears!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Pulse College/Windmill Lane Recording with Today FM's Ray vs. JP – are Top 10 in the battle of the singles!
Award winning Today FM radio presenters Ray Foley and JP have made it to the Top Ten in the iTunes chart in just two day of the release of their charity single. With the help of Pulse College and Windmill Lane Recording Studios this is all in the name of two great charities CASA and St Frances Hospice Raven.
Ray will take on the classic pop number "There's a Whole Lot of Loving" by Guys and Dolls (covered by Irish popsters Six) accompanied by the Dublin Gospel Choir.
JP however has decided to tackle "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship, with the help of singer Nikki Kavanagh.
Listeners can download their favourite song for a small donation, and money raised goes to charities CASA and St Frances Hospice Raheny. Whichever presenter raises the most money with their download will be declared the winner.
The two presenters recorded their songs in the iconic Studios at Windmill Lane, where pros from Pulse College and Windmill Lane Recording Studios were on hand to help transform their songs into chart toppers.
Audiences can to download their favourite tracks from iTunes and 7digital. Stay tuned to the Ray Foley show 12 to 2.30pm weekdays on Today FM for updates or see link below.
http://www.todayfm.com/Shows/Weekdays/Ray-Foley/Download2Donate.aspx
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Pulse College Students join forces with the iconic Dionne Warwick for Peace Day
Pulse College students were this month given the amazing opportunity to collaborate with legendary names in the music industry from the iconic Dionne Warwick to Noel Eccles and Julie Feeney in the making of documentary "A Peace of Music". Gr´ Mór Phonic Records and Tarmak Films embarked on this epic musical documentary shot in the world famous Windmill Lane Studios in support of Peace One Day.
"Peace of Music" was the brain child of Claire Czajkowska who has been working as an artist in the music industry for over 12 years when she decided to embark on this ambitious project.
"I decided to make a documentary. I would find a great studio, and invite a group of teenagers to come and discover for themselves how the music they love is made, with the people who make it, and we would do this in support of "Peace One Day" and their campaign to raise awareness. After all, all change begins with awareness…" says Claire.
The documentary which was shot, edited and directed by Dana Kahil is due to be released in November. Pulse college students Mark Symmons, Eoghan McKenna and Barry Gibbons were involved in all aspects of making the documentary from lighting, camera and sound. Barry Gibbons took the time to give us a unique insight into what it was like working with such musical icons.
"During the summer I got the fantastic opportunity to do location sound for "Peace of Music" filmed in Windmill Studios. As I am currently a student in the Film Production Course (part-time) at Windmill Lane Studios it was a fantastic opportunity to gain practical experience by assisting in this production.
On the day I had the opportunity to work with world class artists in addition to working in a professional real world environment. Over the course of the day I was worked on the sound for the production. Using radio mics I was responsible for mic'ing up the artists and presenters taking part in the production. We also used the boom mic for any additional sounds that needed to be sent to the four channel mixer. This was mixed down to get a nice signal and then bounced down to two tracks, which in turn was sent off to the HD Cameras. Taking part in this production expanded my skill set and has offered me invaluable experience for my future in the film and production industry. I look forward to completing my studies and entering the industry as a professional through the expertise I gained as a student of Pulse College and future productions such as "Peace by Music". Barry Gibbons, Film Student.
The aim of the project is to raise awareness and enhance the profile of International Peace Day, an official day of non-violence and ceasefire which takes place yearly on the 21st September. The event has already had a huge impact all over the world and has allowed aid to be brought into areas of conflict that had been too dangerous to access for decades.
The day was thought of and made a reality by Peace One Day founder Jeremy Gilley (www.peaceoneday.org) and has had such an impact it was made official event by the United Nations in 2001. You can get a sneak preview of the documentary through the link below.
http://vimeo.com/14896621
"Peace of Music" was the brain child of Claire Czajkowska who has been working as an artist in the music industry for over 12 years when she decided to embark on this ambitious project.
"I decided to make a documentary. I would find a great studio, and invite a group of teenagers to come and discover for themselves how the music they love is made, with the people who make it, and we would do this in support of "Peace One Day" and their campaign to raise awareness. After all, all change begins with awareness…" says Claire.
The documentary which was shot, edited and directed by Dana Kahil is due to be released in November. Pulse college students Mark Symmons, Eoghan McKenna and Barry Gibbons were involved in all aspects of making the documentary from lighting, camera and sound. Barry Gibbons took the time to give us a unique insight into what it was like working with such musical icons.
"During the summer I got the fantastic opportunity to do location sound for "Peace of Music" filmed in Windmill Studios. As I am currently a student in the Film Production Course (part-time) at Windmill Lane Studios it was a fantastic opportunity to gain practical experience by assisting in this production.
On the day I had the opportunity to work with world class artists in addition to working in a professional real world environment. Over the course of the day I was worked on the sound for the production. Using radio mics I was responsible for mic'ing up the artists and presenters taking part in the production. We also used the boom mic for any additional sounds that needed to be sent to the four channel mixer. This was mixed down to get a nice signal and then bounced down to two tracks, which in turn was sent off to the HD Cameras. Taking part in this production expanded my skill set and has offered me invaluable experience for my future in the film and production industry. I look forward to completing my studies and entering the industry as a professional through the expertise I gained as a student of Pulse College and future productions such as "Peace by Music". Barry Gibbons, Film Student.
The aim of the project is to raise awareness and enhance the profile of International Peace Day, an official day of non-violence and ceasefire which takes place yearly on the 21st September. The event has already had a huge impact all over the world and has allowed aid to be brought into areas of conflict that had been too dangerous to access for decades.
The day was thought of and made a reality by Peace One Day founder Jeremy Gilley (www.peaceoneday.org) and has had such an impact it was made official event by the United Nations in 2001. You can get a sneak preview of the documentary through the link below.
http://vimeo.com/14896621
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Pulse Student Eabha Hennessy receives City and Guilds Bursary 2010
Pulse College are delighted to announce that Eabha Hennessy was the lucky student nominated to receive the City and Guilds Bursary for 2010. Each year, only eight different countries are selected where the bursaries will be made available and Pulse College is proud to be the chosen institution for Ireland.
As a result of the City and Guilds Bursary programme Eabha will have her college fees fully paid for 2011. The funds were handed over at an official presentation at our Windmill Lane facilities by Kerry McLennan-McKenzie, Product Manager for Photography, Media and Exercise & Fitness at City & Guilds.
In order to qualify the winner had to meet the strict City and Guilds criteria as well as a rigorous interview process. Eabha took the time out from her busy college schedule to tell us what receiving the bursary means.
"I applied for the city and guilds bursary because I didn't have the finances to go on and complete my course. I thought that the bursary was a great opportunity for someone who wanted to finish the course but just couldn't afford it. I applied and went forward for the interview. I didn't really know how to prepare because I didn't have a lot experience with panel interview. I just tried to explain my situation clearly and how the bursary would help me. There were a few tricky questions asked in the interview, one of those questions was to give 3 words to describe your life now and then your life in 5 years. I found this difficult as there's no real right or wrong answer, so I just took my time answered and it honestly. The interview flew by, I didn’t really expect to get the bursary as there was a lot of competition for it. I was shocked when I found out I got it, it took a bit of time to sink in but I'm delighted to get this opportunity and I intend to make the most of it." Eabha Hennessy, City and Guilds Bursary Winner.
The International bursaries are granted to cover the tuition and assessment fees leading to the completion of one level of a City & Guilds international qualification. This is part of City and Guilds commitment to the local communities, and enables individuals from financially underprivileged backgrounds around the world to obtain a City & Guilds qualification.
"We are delighted that Eabha was chosen to receive the City and Guild’s Bursary for 2010. It is an amazing opportunity and we would like to thank City and Guilds for investing in and supporting Irish students". Naomi Moore, Pulse College Director.
This announcement comes on top of the Leonardo funding Pulse received, which allowed the college to provide funded work placements in some of the top UK recordingstudios for some of their outstanding students.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Location Sound Specialist Trevor Cunningham Talks to Pulse News
Many Pulse Graduates go on to work with some of the top artists and Multi Media companies in the world. We will check in on our Pulse success stories and find out what life is like post Pulse.
Location Sound Specialist Trevor Cunningham Talks to Pulse News
Trevor Cunningham is one of Pulse Colleges first set of students to graduate from our Audio Courses. He has over a decade of experience in both studio and location sound. Having started in studio sound recording, he quickly found his feet as a location sound specialist for some of Ireland’s high profile television companies.
Currently working on 'Far Away Up Close’, this was not Trevor's first major foreign trip, having worked for a number of years on the 'No Frontiers' series. He also was the primary sound recordist on the series 'Who's Afraid of Islam?' also produced by Animo Television.
Trevor is without a doubt, one of the best exponents of his craft and we are delighted to feature him as this month’s Pulse College success story.
Q1. Background: Who you are, where you’re from, where you are now?.
I grew up in Dundrum and now live in Stepaside. I went to primary school in Oatlands college in Stillorgan and then on to Newpark in Blackrock. While at Newpark I used to play bass in various bands and during transition year I got work placements and a summer job at the old Windmill Lane Studios, and when I first walked into the studios and the control room I thought "Yep, this is for me" and that was it really... also helped that AC/DC were recording there at the time.
Q2. You have been working in sound for over a decade now, but you initially studied electronics in College. What made you change career paths?
After my leaving cert I went on to do electronics in college, but it wasn't really for me... too much maths. I think! I was still interested in sound and the studio life and I saw an ad somewhere for this new college Pulse recording... I can't quite remember, it was 16 years ago!... so I applied and that was it.
Q3. You started on your venture into sound with Pulse College. What connected you to Pulse and what did you find the most beneficial part of studying at the college?
Pulse was very different then to what it is now. I think there were only maybe 20 or 30 students at the time. I loved it as we were all friends including Tony, Naomi and Aidan, so we had as much time with tutors as we needed, and as much hands on experience with the equipment as required... the encouragement they always offered was enormous which led to great confidence, which was fantastic.
Q4. How have the skills you learnt in Pulse translate into the work environment?
During the course at Pulse I was lucky enough to get a job at Ropewalk Studios, which later became OFI Studios in Ringsend as an assistant engineer. With the help of the guys in Pulse I was able to combine the two... so what I was learning at Pulse combined with the real life situations at the studio proved to be invaluable.
Q5. Did you find that the Pulse College qualification opened doors?
Well it did, and that was before I had even got the qualification, so am always proud and grateful to have it on my CV, and even more so now when you look at the wonderful facilities they have and what they have achieved.
Q6. You started you career in Studio Sound. Tell us about that experience.
Well as I mentioned earlier, I started working in studios while doing the course and I think the first session I worked on was with Aslan.. so that was an eye opening introduction to the whole process! I worked and learnt from a lot with some great bands, producers and engineers during that time, particularly Chris O'Brien and Tim Martin. It was also the time of 2 inch analogue tape machines, splicing tape and certain open reel digital formats... Pro Tools was still in its infancy... There were a lot of long hours and late nights, but great fun and a great grounding to have.
Q7. What made you move on to location sound?
I'd had an interest in location sound, it was about 2000 and I was finding the studio world becoming quieter at the time, there just seemed to be less work. I had a few friends who were cameramen and did location sound, they had being asking me to try it, so I did. For about a year I was doing both studio and location work, but location work eventually won out in the end.
Q8. You have worked on No Frontier’s, Irelands leading travel programm. Tell us a bit about that, you must have experienced amazing locations.
I am very lucky to do what I do and make a living from it. I know it sounds like an old cliché but every day is different. The variety of people and crews you work with to the people and subjects you film always keeps it interesting.
One of the big perks with location sound if you are lucky and fortunate enough to experience, as I have been, is the travel. It’s taken me all over the world, from filming Travel shows and other magazine type shows in the earlier days, to filming documentaries.
A few of the locations include to date, most of Europe, the United States, The Middle East, Asia and Africa which I love. Getting to experience places and cultures where the average person doesn't really get to, such as Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, East Timor, even filming silver back gorillas in the rainforests of Uganda, and so many other places. It is always an amazing, humbling and sometimes sobering experience and I am very grateful for it... you get paid, which is a bonus.
Q9. From travel to comedy with Killinaskully both very different styles in terms of sound. What was that like?
Most of my work now is mainly Documentary and Drama work, it's nice to have a mix. I suppose the main difference between the two from a sound point of view, is that with Documentary work, the crew would be alot smaller, usually just a cameraperson/DOP, a sound recordist, a director and maybe a presenter if required. Having a good personality is a must and being able to get on with people, as you might find yourself on the road or around the world for anything up to a week to 5 weeks or maybe longer. You obviously spend alot of time together, sometimes in some extreme places and situations, so a good bond between you is very important. Although Documentaries are scripted to a degree and you pretty much know what the plan is for a day, there are those situations where anything can happen....and does, you just go with the flow which is usually always fun.
Drama / Film work is pretty much always scripted so you know what's going to happen on any given day, so depending on the project they can be a little more relaxed and you can have more control over situations.
Long before I would even step on set for this type of work there is alot of pre-production work to be done. This would involve visiting the locations to be used on the project to see any problems that could arise from a sound point of view, be they exterior or interior locations and there can be many.
Meeting with the different department heads such as the Camera dept / DOP is a vital part of sound. How he or she intends to shoot certain scenes, how they intends to light them has a very important impact on sound. The Wardrobe dept for instance, what the actors will be wearing for any given scene, the type of fabric involved all effect sound... microphones don't like certain fabrics! Editorial dept. or Post Production and their requirements such as how they want sound rushes delivered after each shoot day, e.g. format, frame rate, sample rates and so on all have to be taken into account. What the Directors requirements might be, reading through the scripts to see how many actors are involved in a particular scene, if it is to be shot exterior or interior and how best to approach it to enable you to capture the best sound possible for a given situation... basically ironing out any problems that could arise during the shoot.
The sound crew is also bigger on these projects, I would always have a Boom Operator and maybe a 2nd Boom Operator/Trainee... a good Boom Operator is so important to a location sound recordist, without a good one you're in trouble.
There could be 40+ crew working on these projects between various departments and all jobs are intertwined so that it runs smoothly so again a good personality is important.
Whether its Drama, Documentary or Television, one thing they all have in common is that sound is invisible on picture so a lot of it comes down to puzzle solving and figuring how best to capture it which I enjoy.
Q10. What exciting projects have you got coming up next?
It's been a busy year so far, I finished a Documentary in Dingle based around Dingle and the film festival down there which was directed by Geoff Wonfer who also directed The Beatles Anthology series.
At the moment I’m mid way through a 7 part Drama series with Pat Shortt and going well so far, after that I have series 3 of The Apprentice on which I am the sound supervisor, and then maybe a Documentary out in Iraq and Kuwait with the American military.
Q11. Any advice for Pulse Student about to embark on their career?
I would say to meet as many people as you can in whichever area you have an interest in, be it Studio, Location, Post etc.
Gather as much experience as you can, and that combined with the qualifications you have will give you the confidence to achieve.....and be patient.
Watch, listen...and be nice!
Location Sound Specialist Trevor Cunningham Talks to Pulse News
Trevor Cunningham is one of Pulse Colleges first set of students to graduate from our Audio Courses. He has over a decade of experience in both studio and location sound. Having started in studio sound recording, he quickly found his feet as a location sound specialist for some of Ireland’s high profile television companies.
Currently working on 'Far Away Up Close’, this was not Trevor's first major foreign trip, having worked for a number of years on the 'No Frontiers' series. He also was the primary sound recordist on the series 'Who's Afraid of Islam?' also produced by Animo Television.
Trevor is without a doubt, one of the best exponents of his craft and we are delighted to feature him as this month’s Pulse College success story.
Q1. Background: Who you are, where you’re from, where you are now?.
I grew up in Dundrum and now live in Stepaside. I went to primary school in Oatlands college in Stillorgan and then on to Newpark in Blackrock. While at Newpark I used to play bass in various bands and during transition year I got work placements and a summer job at the old Windmill Lane Studios, and when I first walked into the studios and the control room I thought "Yep, this is for me" and that was it really... also helped that AC/DC were recording there at the time.
Q2. You have been working in sound for over a decade now, but you initially studied electronics in College. What made you change career paths?
After my leaving cert I went on to do electronics in college, but it wasn't really for me... too much maths. I think! I was still interested in sound and the studio life and I saw an ad somewhere for this new college Pulse recording... I can't quite remember, it was 16 years ago!... so I applied and that was it.
Q3. You started on your venture into sound with Pulse College. What connected you to Pulse and what did you find the most beneficial part of studying at the college?
Pulse was very different then to what it is now. I think there were only maybe 20 or 30 students at the time. I loved it as we were all friends including Tony, Naomi and Aidan, so we had as much time with tutors as we needed, and as much hands on experience with the equipment as required... the encouragement they always offered was enormous which led to great confidence, which was fantastic.
Q4. How have the skills you learnt in Pulse translate into the work environment?
During the course at Pulse I was lucky enough to get a job at Ropewalk Studios, which later became OFI Studios in Ringsend as an assistant engineer. With the help of the guys in Pulse I was able to combine the two... so what I was learning at Pulse combined with the real life situations at the studio proved to be invaluable.
Q5. Did you find that the Pulse College qualification opened doors?
Well it did, and that was before I had even got the qualification, so am always proud and grateful to have it on my CV, and even more so now when you look at the wonderful facilities they have and what they have achieved.
Q6. You started you career in Studio Sound. Tell us about that experience.
Well as I mentioned earlier, I started working in studios while doing the course and I think the first session I worked on was with Aslan.. so that was an eye opening introduction to the whole process! I worked and learnt from a lot with some great bands, producers and engineers during that time, particularly Chris O'Brien and Tim Martin. It was also the time of 2 inch analogue tape machines, splicing tape and certain open reel digital formats... Pro Tools was still in its infancy... There were a lot of long hours and late nights, but great fun and a great grounding to have.
Q7. What made you move on to location sound?
I'd had an interest in location sound, it was about 2000 and I was finding the studio world becoming quieter at the time, there just seemed to be less work. I had a few friends who were cameramen and did location sound, they had being asking me to try it, so I did. For about a year I was doing both studio and location work, but location work eventually won out in the end.
Q8. You have worked on No Frontier’s, Irelands leading travel programm. Tell us a bit about that, you must have experienced amazing locations.
I am very lucky to do what I do and make a living from it. I know it sounds like an old cliché but every day is different. The variety of people and crews you work with to the people and subjects you film always keeps it interesting.
One of the big perks with location sound if you are lucky and fortunate enough to experience, as I have been, is the travel. It’s taken me all over the world, from filming Travel shows and other magazine type shows in the earlier days, to filming documentaries.
A few of the locations include to date, most of Europe, the United States, The Middle East, Asia and Africa which I love. Getting to experience places and cultures where the average person doesn't really get to, such as Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, East Timor, even filming silver back gorillas in the rainforests of Uganda, and so many other places. It is always an amazing, humbling and sometimes sobering experience and I am very grateful for it... you get paid, which is a bonus.
Q9. From travel to comedy with Killinaskully both very different styles in terms of sound. What was that like?
Most of my work now is mainly Documentary and Drama work, it's nice to have a mix. I suppose the main difference between the two from a sound point of view, is that with Documentary work, the crew would be alot smaller, usually just a cameraperson/DOP, a sound recordist, a director and maybe a presenter if required. Having a good personality is a must and being able to get on with people, as you might find yourself on the road or around the world for anything up to a week to 5 weeks or maybe longer. You obviously spend alot of time together, sometimes in some extreme places and situations, so a good bond between you is very important. Although Documentaries are scripted to a degree and you pretty much know what the plan is for a day, there are those situations where anything can happen....and does, you just go with the flow which is usually always fun.
Drama / Film work is pretty much always scripted so you know what's going to happen on any given day, so depending on the project they can be a little more relaxed and you can have more control over situations.
Long before I would even step on set for this type of work there is alot of pre-production work to be done. This would involve visiting the locations to be used on the project to see any problems that could arise from a sound point of view, be they exterior or interior locations and there can be many.
Meeting with the different department heads such as the Camera dept / DOP is a vital part of sound. How he or she intends to shoot certain scenes, how they intends to light them has a very important impact on sound. The Wardrobe dept for instance, what the actors will be wearing for any given scene, the type of fabric involved all effect sound... microphones don't like certain fabrics! Editorial dept. or Post Production and their requirements such as how they want sound rushes delivered after each shoot day, e.g. format, frame rate, sample rates and so on all have to be taken into account. What the Directors requirements might be, reading through the scripts to see how many actors are involved in a particular scene, if it is to be shot exterior or interior and how best to approach it to enable you to capture the best sound possible for a given situation... basically ironing out any problems that could arise during the shoot.
The sound crew is also bigger on these projects, I would always have a Boom Operator and maybe a 2nd Boom Operator/Trainee... a good Boom Operator is so important to a location sound recordist, without a good one you're in trouble.
There could be 40+ crew working on these projects between various departments and all jobs are intertwined so that it runs smoothly so again a good personality is important.
Whether its Drama, Documentary or Television, one thing they all have in common is that sound is invisible on picture so a lot of it comes down to puzzle solving and figuring how best to capture it which I enjoy.
Q10. What exciting projects have you got coming up next?
It's been a busy year so far, I finished a Documentary in Dingle based around Dingle and the film festival down there which was directed by Geoff Wonfer who also directed The Beatles Anthology series.
At the moment I’m mid way through a 7 part Drama series with Pat Shortt and going well so far, after that I have series 3 of The Apprentice on which I am the sound supervisor, and then maybe a Documentary out in Iraq and Kuwait with the American military.
Q11. Any advice for Pulse Student about to embark on their career?
I would say to meet as many people as you can in whichever area you have an interest in, be it Studio, Location, Post etc.
Gather as much experience as you can, and that combined with the qualifications you have will give you the confidence to achieve.....and be patient.
Watch, listen...and be nice!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Film Students Produce help produce TV Ad for Pulse.
With Pulse College striving to give our students real world work experience, we could not think of a better way to advertise the college and the talent of our students than through an ad that was produced in-house. Our Full Time Film students stepped up to the challenge and took on the mammoth task of putting our Pulse TV ad together, which is to airing on Sky, MTV and Comedy Central. With extremely tight deadlines and a short turnaround time, at Pulse News we thought there was sure to be some stories behind the lights, camera action. We talked to two instrumental crew members Eoghan McKenna the producer and Gavan Murphy graphic and animation editor about their experience.
“Hi my name is Eoghan McKenna and I am on the full time film course. Recently myself and a couple of other students from the class were asked to make an advertisement for the college. We were coming up to the final weeks in college so it was a hectic time, but the draw of a broadcast advertisement was obviously enough for me to drop everything else.
I was chosen to be producer on the short film. In a nutshell I had to organise the shoot and make sure things ran as smoothly as possible. This was a lot of work but a great opportunity getting a leading role in a product that is going to air. It was incredible chance for somebody only starting out in the industry.
We had three advertisements to make, one for each course type on offer at Pulse College, one for gaming, audio and film. It was interesting working on the three because we had varying levels of knowledge on each subject subjects. Lorcan, the director, and myself decided to work on the advert for the film course first as this was the area we had the most knowledge. We created the idea and wrote the script first, this was then used as the template for the other ads. We then got in contact with a couple of the lecturers so they could fill us in on the process of audio and games production. After all the pre-production was finished we began shooting straight away.
As the locations of the three ads overlapped we did not allocate different days for shooting the different ads, we did it all simultaneously which took 3 days in total. They were fairly uneventful and ran smoothly thank goodness, but that's not say they weren't a good laugh. Lorcan was absent for one day due to prior commitments so I had to take the helm as director. This was an easy transition because I worked very closely with him on the pre-production and had already helped arrange the shot lists etc.
It was at the post production stage where the ad came into its own. As with most video or film productions, it is made or ruined in the edit. Gavan took on the role of editor and motion animator and I took on the role of colourist. It was at this stage that Lorcan and I worked closely with Gavan to achieve the desired look.
As Aidan had a deadline for the finished product we were put under strict time constraints. This was both a good and a bad thing. We had to work hard to have a finished product for the deadline but also it gave us a real world experience. It showed us the type of pressure that we would be put under in our future jobs.
After we had finished the product Lorcan and myself had to bring the product to the Oscar nominated studio Brown Bag Films to have the advertisement made broadcast safe. This was a very interesting trip as they gave us a full tour of the studio and introduced us to many of the staff, one of whom was Dominic Lawrence who previously graduated from Pulse College. They also ran through what was required to make it broadcast safe.
All in all making the ad was a very rewarding and informing experience. Not only do I have a great addition to my CV, it helped me realise that all the skills I have learned at Pulse can be incorporated into the real world.”
Here is what Gavan had to say about his experience on set.
“Hi my name is Gavan Murphy and I am a student on the full time Film Production course here in Pulse College. I was the motion capture editor on the Pulse Television Ad' which was divided in to the three key college course areas, Film, Audio and Gaming areas. We started working on the ads about 5 weeks ago when Aidan asked us to come up with some concepts and ideas. Lorcan was made Director, Eoghan was Producer, they wrote the original ideas for the ads and I worked on the Motion Graphics. I have a background in Animation from a previous Diploma course and I had the chance of working in The Mill as a Leonardo Intern in London. I was able to translate the design skills and the tips I learned in there to help make the ad look as good and high-end as possible.
After shooting the live footage for the different ads, Lorcan, Eoghan and myself sat down in the editing room and started to work on the idea and look for the ads. We wanted the three different ads to have a distinctive look and feel that would separate the three areas of education offered at Pulse College. This would ensure the core message of each ad would stand out. We used different colour schemes and motion graphic backgrounds for each ad, giving a specific connection to each area within the overall design.
After 5 weeks of pretty hard work and long hours, we finally finished editing, graphics and colour grading the final product just in time to be sent off to Brown Bag. Here they checked and made them broadcast safe so that they look as good as possible on small screen. The whole process was very long and difficult but I have found it has given me a greater understanding of post production. It has been a great experience and I can’t wait to see our hard work on the television screen when the ad's start to be broadcast.”
The ads can be seen on MTV, Comedy Channel and Sky. I am sure you will all agree they did an amazing job. Thanks to all those involved well done.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Rock and Roll Freak Circus Show Party Ends a Fantastic Pulse College Year
As all Pulse students past and present are well aware, every year the first year students put an event pitch together with a theme and plan for the infamous end of year party. This year the proposals were of such a high standard that we took the decision to amalgamate two themes Rock and Roll Circus and Freak Show. Thanks to the talent, planning and coordination, this year’s party was a resounding success. Michael Callaghan took the role of lead organiser ensuring every detail was covered. At Pulse News we know that things don’t always go as smoothly as it appears. We spoke to Michael to get the low down on the drama behind the scenes.
“It took a pint glass of blue M&M’s, a box of Cuban cigars, 4 crates of Bud and 2 bottles of Moet champagne to get the 2nd year band to go on stage(rock stars ey!). But as soon as I heard the intro to “Enter Sandman” and Tom Slattery graced the eager crowd with his beautiful voice, I said to myself, Mick old buddy old pall tonight is going to be deadly! And it was.
But the Rock’n’Roll Freak show Circus didn’t just happen by accident, blood, sweat and tears went into getting it together! Actually there was no bloodshed that I know of and I don’t know about anyone else involved but I sure as hell didn’t cry! We all did our own little bit and credit must go to everyone involved.
As most of you know it all started with the FETAC event production module. A whole lot of fun that was but our group Blue D put together the idea of the Rock’n’Roll Circus and Red C had the idea of a Freak Show theme for the night. When it was announced that both our proposals won, we were delighted and knew it would be an amazing end to a fantastic college year.
After the initial panic of “how the hell are we going to do this” we called on the guidance of the legendary Skip to help get things under way. He told us everything was going to be ok (and we believed him) and set about organising a meeting with the awesome 2nd years who really were AWESOME! We organised the different crews and delegated tasks to as many people as we could, some of whom were not even at the meeting! (Sorry about that Naomi!). We needed to get the posters up and the tickets printed as soon as possible. Ross Stack did a great job on the design with such short notice. With that done and tickets selling we could order the decorations.
We ordered most of the decor off Party Shop who delivered within a few days. We ordered the bunting off another party website we found online but the delivery never came. I even drove out to the address that was listed on the site but it turns out it did not exist. This is not good” I thought. You can’t have a circus without bunting. You just can’t! It was now 4 o’clock and with time ticking away I drove to the Party Shop in Donnybrook and lucky enough I got their last 30 feet of bunting. “It will have to do” I said. After that hiccup everything was falling into place.
At half 2 the day of the event it was all hands on deck as we loaded all the gear out from Pulse into Richie’s van. Thanks Richie! We had the van full and 4 of us packed into the back of it ready to go when Richie opened the door again and said “right lads, everyone out. I can’t find my keys!” It didn’t take us long to find them (buried under a few guitar cases) before we were on our way.
We had the venue dressed and the bands were starting their sound checks at 6. Everything was going well when it just dawned on me, I forgot the raffle tickets! “Where the hell am I going to get raffle tickets?” I thought. Without a minute to spare my reliable Lisa Fox suggested I try Eason’s on O’Connell Street. My brisk walk up to the top of Abbey Street became a gallop across O’Connell Street as I saw the roller shutters come down at Easons. I shot past the security guard ignoring his shouts and jumped the barrier at the bottom of the escalator. I was getting raffle tickets no matter what, even if I was left to find them in the dark because they had turned off the lights! I was delighted with myself after that and I thought there was nothing I couldn’t do. I got back to the venue, got into my costume and waited for the guests to arrive.
The doors opened at 8, thankfully most of the guests arrived within the hour and began to mingle. The magician was doing his thing and some of the stuff he was doing was unbelievable! I have to say the bands that played really made the night an amazing one, they were excellent! The party depended on them so much and they really did deliver, the talent was outstanding. I think the guitar hero competition was a bit of a flop......; ok it was like watching a train derail! In fairness there was a lot of drink consumed by that time and I want to thank everyone for their patients. All said and done I think everyone had a good night which was the important thing.
I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved. I’m not going to name names because I’m afraid of forgetting someone! I said it on the night and I’ll say it again, YOU ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE! Thanks very much. I also want to thank all the staff at the college for a great year and with a bit of luck I will see you again soon
“It took a pint glass of blue M&M’s, a box of Cuban cigars, 4 crates of Bud and 2 bottles of Moet champagne to get the 2nd year band to go on stage(rock stars ey!). But as soon as I heard the intro to “Enter Sandman” and Tom Slattery graced the eager crowd with his beautiful voice, I said to myself, Mick old buddy old pall tonight is going to be deadly! And it was.
But the Rock’n’Roll Freak show Circus didn’t just happen by accident, blood, sweat and tears went into getting it together! Actually there was no bloodshed that I know of and I don’t know about anyone else involved but I sure as hell didn’t cry! We all did our own little bit and credit must go to everyone involved.
As most of you know it all started with the FETAC event production module. A whole lot of fun that was but our group Blue D put together the idea of the Rock’n’Roll Circus and Red C had the idea of a Freak Show theme for the night. When it was announced that both our proposals won, we were delighted and knew it would be an amazing end to a fantastic college year.
After the initial panic of “how the hell are we going to do this” we called on the guidance of the legendary Skip to help get things under way. He told us everything was going to be ok (and we believed him) and set about organising a meeting with the awesome 2nd years who really were AWESOME! We organised the different crews and delegated tasks to as many people as we could, some of whom were not even at the meeting! (Sorry about that Naomi!). We needed to get the posters up and the tickets printed as soon as possible. Ross Stack did a great job on the design with such short notice. With that done and tickets selling we could order the decorations.
We ordered most of the decor off Party Shop who delivered within a few days. We ordered the bunting off another party website we found online but the delivery never came. I even drove out to the address that was listed on the site but it turns out it did not exist. This is not good” I thought. You can’t have a circus without bunting. You just can’t! It was now 4 o’clock and with time ticking away I drove to the Party Shop in Donnybrook and lucky enough I got their last 30 feet of bunting. “It will have to do” I said. After that hiccup everything was falling into place.
At half 2 the day of the event it was all hands on deck as we loaded all the gear out from Pulse into Richie’s van. Thanks Richie! We had the van full and 4 of us packed into the back of it ready to go when Richie opened the door again and said “right lads, everyone out. I can’t find my keys!” It didn’t take us long to find them (buried under a few guitar cases) before we were on our way.
We had the venue dressed and the bands were starting their sound checks at 6. Everything was going well when it just dawned on me, I forgot the raffle tickets! “Where the hell am I going to get raffle tickets?” I thought. Without a minute to spare my reliable Lisa Fox suggested I try Eason’s on O’Connell Street. My brisk walk up to the top of Abbey Street became a gallop across O’Connell Street as I saw the roller shutters come down at Easons. I shot past the security guard ignoring his shouts and jumped the barrier at the bottom of the escalator. I was getting raffle tickets no matter what, even if I was left to find them in the dark because they had turned off the lights! I was delighted with myself after that and I thought there was nothing I couldn’t do. I got back to the venue, got into my costume and waited for the guests to arrive.
The doors opened at 8, thankfully most of the guests arrived within the hour and began to mingle. The magician was doing his thing and some of the stuff he was doing was unbelievable! I have to say the bands that played really made the night an amazing one, they were excellent! The party depended on them so much and they really did deliver, the talent was outstanding. I think the guitar hero competition was a bit of a flop......; ok it was like watching a train derail! In fairness there was a lot of drink consumed by that time and I want to thank everyone for their patients. All said and done I think everyone had a good night which was the important thing.
I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved. I’m not going to name names because I’m afraid of forgetting someone! I said it on the night and I’ll say it again, YOU ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE! Thanks very much. I also want to thank all the staff at the college for a great year and with a bit of luck I will see you again soon
Monday, June 21, 2010
Diary of a Leonardo Intern from Lorcan Dunne
After the success of last month’s diary of an intern, Pulse News got another opportunity to get the inside scoop on what it’s like to work with iconic actors and award winning directors. Lorcan was placed in the cutting edge, Mill Studio and tells us all about his experience working with the legendry William Hurt and the beautiful Isabella Rossellini.
Hi, my name is Lorcan Dunne and I’m on the full time film course. During my work placement in the UK, I spent a week on the film set of Late Bloomers and one week in The Mill, a world renowned Post Production company, based in Soho, London.
In 2007, industry magazine ‘Shots’ named The Mill 'the most-awarded VFX company in the world' and in March this year, The Mill was awarded a BTAA (British Television Advertising Awards). The Mill has built relationships with some of the industry’s finest directors including Chris Cunningham, Frank Budgen, Fredrik Bond, Ringan Ledwidge and Michel Gondry. The Mill ethos is to push the boundaries of creativity and technology, making it a very exciting work environment.
I worked on Late Bloomers, a Drama starring the multi award winning actor William Hurt and the very talented Isabella Rossellini. It was shot around many stunning locations in Central London. My contact was Farah Abushwesha, who was Production Manager for the film. Farah coordinates and teaches the excellent Screenwriting Workshop in Pulse and that’s how we initially met.
I assisted the lighting department on the film set. The lighting team consisted of Lee Walters, the Head Gaffer and four electricians/grips. Lee Walters is one of the top Gaffers in the UK and has lit major films such as Sahara, The Hours and Enigma. The gaffer works very closely with the Director of Photography and is responsible for all lighting on the film as well as having the huge responsibility of being the head of the electrical department.
The Director of Photography decides the lighting effect required for a scene. Under the Gaffer's supervision, the team of riggers, carpenters & electricians physically position and supply electricity to all the lighting. This can range from putting lights on stands, to building elaborate platforms or the use of cranes to achieve the desired effect. Once the lights are in position, the task of shaping and focusing the light with flags, scrims and gels gets underway. This is all done to achieve the exact lighting effect that the Director of Photography desires.
In a sense, the Director of Photography is the brush and the lighting team is the paint. As part of my work placement, I had to produce a work log, this excerpt will give you an insight into a typical shooting day:
Day 2
The day started with a night time bedroom scene. All the windows were blacked out and tungsten lamps were used to create the warm look. Each shot change required a tweak in the lighting. It was a busy day, as the scene was shot from multiple angles and required a lot of lighting adjustments. Speed is crucial in the lighting department, you can’t have the crew or talent waiting around. Lighting changes from one shot to the next had to be quick and accurate. Normally, there is a crew rehearsal. All the department heads gather around the monitor observing hair, makeup, props, continuity and lighting, once this is finished, the various departments will make the necessary final adjustments, then they shoot.
This was the last day at that location and there was a lot of de-rigging going on behind the scenes. The lighting team consists of 5 members. The two electricians prepare the location and dismantle and pack away all the gear while Lee and his two assistants work on the next set up. There were only two scenes filmed and the last took place in another bedroom. This scene was lit very naturally with a daylight balanced lamp hanging directly over the window to accentuate the daylight coming in. It was heavily diffused and Depron, a white reflective card, was placed behind the bed to bounce some of the light onto the actors’ faces. Shooting finished at 4 and all the gear was packed into the lorries, ready for the next location.
The experience of working on a real film set cemented my interest in film lighting as a career. I learned more about lighting for film in seven days than I did on any of the courses I completed in the past. Working on a film set is a great buzz, but there are drawbacks; you have to work long hours and sometimes late into the night. When you are working, believe me, you work hard, but there is a lot of waiting around between takes. Ultimately though, all that is insignificant when you consider how privileged a position it is to be involved in the most collaborative art form of them all, filmmaking.
To say that it was a great experience would be an understatement: I made loads of industry contacts, participated in a film shoot and at the end of it all was invited to join the Lighting Team on the next Martin Scorsese film in Shepperton Studios this summer. Not bad for a work placement!
Hi, my name is Lorcan Dunne and I’m on the full time film course. During my work placement in the UK, I spent a week on the film set of Late Bloomers and one week in The Mill, a world renowned Post Production company, based in Soho, London.
In 2007, industry magazine ‘Shots’ named The Mill 'the most-awarded VFX company in the world' and in March this year, The Mill was awarded a BTAA (British Television Advertising Awards). The Mill has built relationships with some of the industry’s finest directors including Chris Cunningham, Frank Budgen, Fredrik Bond, Ringan Ledwidge and Michel Gondry. The Mill ethos is to push the boundaries of creativity and technology, making it a very exciting work environment.
I worked on Late Bloomers, a Drama starring the multi award winning actor William Hurt and the very talented Isabella Rossellini. It was shot around many stunning locations in Central London. My contact was Farah Abushwesha, who was Production Manager for the film. Farah coordinates and teaches the excellent Screenwriting Workshop in Pulse and that’s how we initially met.
I assisted the lighting department on the film set. The lighting team consisted of Lee Walters, the Head Gaffer and four electricians/grips. Lee Walters is one of the top Gaffers in the UK and has lit major films such as Sahara, The Hours and Enigma. The gaffer works very closely with the Director of Photography and is responsible for all lighting on the film as well as having the huge responsibility of being the head of the electrical department.
The Director of Photography decides the lighting effect required for a scene. Under the Gaffer's supervision, the team of riggers, carpenters & electricians physically position and supply electricity to all the lighting. This can range from putting lights on stands, to building elaborate platforms or the use of cranes to achieve the desired effect. Once the lights are in position, the task of shaping and focusing the light with flags, scrims and gels gets underway. This is all done to achieve the exact lighting effect that the Director of Photography desires.
In a sense, the Director of Photography is the brush and the lighting team is the paint. As part of my work placement, I had to produce a work log, this excerpt will give you an insight into a typical shooting day:
Day 2
The day started with a night time bedroom scene. All the windows were blacked out and tungsten lamps were used to create the warm look. Each shot change required a tweak in the lighting. It was a busy day, as the scene was shot from multiple angles and required a lot of lighting adjustments. Speed is crucial in the lighting department, you can’t have the crew or talent waiting around. Lighting changes from one shot to the next had to be quick and accurate. Normally, there is a crew rehearsal. All the department heads gather around the monitor observing hair, makeup, props, continuity and lighting, once this is finished, the various departments will make the necessary final adjustments, then they shoot.
This was the last day at that location and there was a lot of de-rigging going on behind the scenes. The lighting team consists of 5 members. The two electricians prepare the location and dismantle and pack away all the gear while Lee and his two assistants work on the next set up. There were only two scenes filmed and the last took place in another bedroom. This scene was lit very naturally with a daylight balanced lamp hanging directly over the window to accentuate the daylight coming in. It was heavily diffused and Depron, a white reflective card, was placed behind the bed to bounce some of the light onto the actors’ faces. Shooting finished at 4 and all the gear was packed into the lorries, ready for the next location.
The experience of working on a real film set cemented my interest in film lighting as a career. I learned more about lighting for film in seven days than I did on any of the courses I completed in the past. Working on a film set is a great buzz, but there are drawbacks; you have to work long hours and sometimes late into the night. When you are working, believe me, you work hard, but there is a lot of waiting around between takes. Ultimately though, all that is insignificant when you consider how privileged a position it is to be involved in the most collaborative art form of them all, filmmaking.
To say that it was a great experience would be an understatement: I made loads of industry contacts, participated in a film shoot and at the end of it all was invited to join the Lighting Team on the next Martin Scorsese film in Shepperton Studios this summer. Not bad for a work placement!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Noel Quinn: Guest Lecturer Profile
Pulse has a renowned list of high profile experts, who regularly lecture on our courses. Many with interesting and varied careers, in this section of our newsletter we aim to delve into their background to get tips on how to succeed in the professional environment.
Noel Quinn: Guest Lecture Profile
Noel Quinn has been involved in the film business for almost forty years. He has worked on high profile feature films, documentaries, and commercials in Ireland and Australia. Noel's sound credits include Michael Collins, Veronica Guerin, Laws of Attraction and The Honeymooners; in 1989 he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro. Noel has lectured extensively on film sound in Ireland and is one of Pulse College guest lecturers for location sound. We take an in-depth look on what life on location in some of the world’s most exotic destinations and find out if it really is as glamorous as it sounds.
Q1. Tell us a bit about yourself background where you’re from etc.
I was born and raised in Stillorgan in a family of three boys and three girls. I hated going to school I went to primary and technical school. My Dad was a self educated man and he always emphasised the importance of education. When I decided to leave school after my group cert he was not too impressed and wanted me to get a job straight away. It was when on a date with a young local girl whose friends came along, I felt I had to pay for them all even though I could not afford it, I knew then I had to look for a job. After that experience I went searching and was taken on by the Adelphi Cinema. It started off initially as a summer job but it was not long after it became fulltime. I met my wife Rita at 17 and was married at 20 my son was my 21st birthday present. Rita, my 2 children and 5 grandchildren keep me grounded. It’s an honour being a grandfather the grandkids still come to us every Friday. We have a little film and radio studio the grandchildren and I have made 23 dramas in total so it’s a lot of fun.
Q2. You have been involved in the film industry for over 40 years can you tell us what inspired you to become involved in this dynamic Industry?
While working in Adelphi I went to Kevin St DIT part time to become a draftsman. While I was doing that the Adelphi Cinema sent me on a training course in light and sound as part of their projectionist training. The tutor on the sound and light course spotted my talent and advised me that there was an opening coming up in Ardmore studios. When I told him my age he said I was too young but I went for it anyway and within a month I was working on my first film “Sinful Davy”.
Q3. Did the love of film come from your family growing up?
The love of film came from my Dad who always talked about film with passion. I had an eye for detail, when watching a film I understood how the technical and creative go hand and hand.
Q4. How did you learn your craft was it all by hands on training?
On the job training that came with a few clips across the ear which was due to me getting on my cocky horse and making quite a few mistakes. The most memorable was when I was working under sound recordist Liam Souran who I admired greatly. He gave me a very good training and was a great teacher. He thought me that 1. Time is money 2. Don’t take anything that happened on set seriously. He gave me a good grounding in the basics of sound from recording, syncing editing, track laying and boom operation. As a young apprentice it was not all plain sailing and I did have a few embarrassing moments. One that stands out was when I was working on “Quakers Fortune has a cousin in the Bronx”. I was using a mechanical boom, the platform was about four foot high. In between one of the takes I was on the floor talking to the sound recordist when I heard “turn over” which means they are about to start a take. I made a run for the boom splitting my trouser as I leapt on to the platform. I had to stay like that for another 3 takes. In the Ardmore era I had the privilege of working with acting legends, Peter O’ Toole and Katharine Hepburn but I have only had the courage to asks 2 people for autographs Marlene Dietrich for my mum and Lisa Kudrow for my granddaughter!
Q5. You work mainly in the field of location sound can you tell us about the highs and low of working on sets around the world.
On location sound you have to be prepared to work long hours. It can range from 60 – 70 hours a week and overtime on top of that. It puts a lot of pressure on young families. There are so many times that you make plans for birthdays or anniversaries that you have to cancel because the scene runs into overtime, which would be a low. The high is that you get to enjoy working on projects with inspiring directors. You get to go to parts of the world that others would not get the opportunity. I worked for 9 months working around the world filming a topic close to my heart Alternative Medicine. It was so interesting to get the opportunity to see first had how it all works.
Q6. What has been the most exciting experience on location to date?
The documentary on Alternative Medicine was an amazing experience, going to China and Asia, China in particular always held a fascination. When you are watching documentaries on TV it always brings up additional questions but as it is not interactive you don’t get to ask them. Working on the documentary I got the 1st hand experience talking with people who are renowned practitioners in the field Alternative medicine. It was truly an amazing experience.
Q7. You have worked with some of the most high profile directors from Joel Schumacher to Neil Jordan. Tell us about this experience?
As sound people you tend to be quite observant which I love, you have a lot of time in between takes when the lighting gets rigged. You get a good overview of the different directorial styles which can be fascinating. There are three main styles the actors directors, who are solely interested in performance, they put the emphasis on the actors. The technical director spends less time with actors and concentrates on shot set up. Then you have directors that combine both. Three that come to my mind are Neil Jordon, Joel Schumacher, and Jim Sheridan.
Jordon knows what he wants. On one particular scene on “Butcher Boy” he did not like the way the shot was working. He broke for lunch early and by the time we got back the scene had completely changed it around and it worked much better. Jim is an actor's director, if you show initiative he develops you.
Joel Schumacher works very differently, he did a lot of prep beforehand and very little on set. He also gave the actors a lot of leeway.
One funny story was on a film directed by Slazenger, he was about 80 at the time, but he was still extremely technically aware. Any changes made without his knowledge he would spot them straight away. It was just after lunch and the running scene was due to be cut but he did not call it so the actors continued with the dialogue for at least 10 minutes. They were beginning to run out of lines, when he eventually called cut and apologised. It turned out he had fallen asleep during the take, it was very funny.
Q8. You now work on a lot of documentary projects what prompted this change?
I don't feel I swapped one for the other, they are very much intertwined. As a sound recordist you can work on at least 3 films a year if you’re a boom swinger you can work on up to 7 films. If you’re a good boom you can work with any sound recordist and you can develop preferences on who you like to work with. So you can work on either documentary or film depending on what takes your fancy.
Q9. You took the brave leap moving to Australia. Tell us about your experience there?
In 1970 I was let go from Ardmore Studios as it went into administration at that time. I then worked freelance, while I applied for a position in RTE for which they made me permanent. They felt I had too much experience on location so they put me in the studio environment. I found out I didn’t enjoy studio as much as being out and about on location. I then decided to move to Australia! The last production I worked on in RTE was directed by Joseph Strick, he heard I was going to Australia and he put me forward for a job in a newly establish film college. With family in toe we got the assisted passage tickets which were £52 at the time and including a year’s accommodation. I was due to start in the Film School but it was not up and running until 7 months later. I worked for ABC on various projects while the film school was being built, when it was up and running I lectured there for five years on all areas of film. It was a very exciting time for me.
Q10. You received an Emmy Nomination for your work on “The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro” that must have been amazing.
It was really great. I was just finished filming a 16 week production of “Dadth is Death” which was a nightmare. The Director had no time for sound though I got support from the cast and crew. I came off that production no longer wanting to work on film, it left a bitter taste in my mouth. Tamor Asseyed managed to convince me to work on this lovely film "The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro" which I had a ball. After I got the nomination the doors opened up for me in Australia and work poured in.
Q11. Why did you decided to turn your hand to teaching?
I love passing on knowledge, my motto is if you play and have fun you can teach anything. Most of my lectures are outside the lecture room. It's important to have a great interactive philosophy and be supportive of film students who work out on a limb. The main aim I believe is to nurture the creative ability of students. I like to play, that is one of my strengths as a lecture and I do a lot of practical exercise that will stretch students potential. I usually chat and see what interests them to begin with and we work from there.
Q12. You now teach with Pulse how did this collaboration come about?
Aidan in Pulse College heard about my work as a lecture, and asked me come in on a trial; they must have liked me as the relationship with the college still continues today and I enjoying working in Pulse immensely.
Q13. What is the best thing you find about teaching in Pulse College?
Bringing peoples natural talent to the surface and let them shine, it gives you a real sense of achievement. I teach students to go with their gut and follow your heart. Some curtail this instinct, so it’s vital to encourage and nurture natural ability.
Q14. What advice would you have for students looking to pursue a career in location sound?
In this era students have to push for their dream. The main advice I would give would be
•1. Go out and meet the people who are working in departments they would like to work in and spend time with them
•2. I love the film school ethos and with ever changing technology, opportunities are endless. It's now more affordable to explore your creative potential.
Q15. 40 years on and a CV that is as long as my elbow, what still gets you excited about location sound?
I love what you can do with sound, the emotions you can stir within people subconsciously is always interesting. If you can build a good sound track you can bring people on an exciting journey they may not be fully aware they are going on.
Q16. What's next on your to do list?
There are two unfulfilled ambitions; I would love to do a live radio drama on location the other is to pursue my interest in alternative medicine in particular doing a course in hot stones. For the moment though I love lecturing, I love the drive and enthusiasm that students have and I enjoy watching their potential grow and develop.
Noel Quinn: Guest Lecture Profile
Noel Quinn has been involved in the film business for almost forty years. He has worked on high profile feature films, documentaries, and commercials in Ireland and Australia. Noel's sound credits include Michael Collins, Veronica Guerin, Laws of Attraction and The Honeymooners; in 1989 he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro. Noel has lectured extensively on film sound in Ireland and is one of Pulse College guest lecturers for location sound. We take an in-depth look on what life on location in some of the world’s most exotic destinations and find out if it really is as glamorous as it sounds.
Q1. Tell us a bit about yourself background where you’re from etc.
I was born and raised in Stillorgan in a family of three boys and three girls. I hated going to school I went to primary and technical school. My Dad was a self educated man and he always emphasised the importance of education. When I decided to leave school after my group cert he was not too impressed and wanted me to get a job straight away. It was when on a date with a young local girl whose friends came along, I felt I had to pay for them all even though I could not afford it, I knew then I had to look for a job. After that experience I went searching and was taken on by the Adelphi Cinema. It started off initially as a summer job but it was not long after it became fulltime. I met my wife Rita at 17 and was married at 20 my son was my 21st birthday present. Rita, my 2 children and 5 grandchildren keep me grounded. It’s an honour being a grandfather the grandkids still come to us every Friday. We have a little film and radio studio the grandchildren and I have made 23 dramas in total so it’s a lot of fun.
Q2. You have been involved in the film industry for over 40 years can you tell us what inspired you to become involved in this dynamic Industry?
While working in Adelphi I went to Kevin St DIT part time to become a draftsman. While I was doing that the Adelphi Cinema sent me on a training course in light and sound as part of their projectionist training. The tutor on the sound and light course spotted my talent and advised me that there was an opening coming up in Ardmore studios. When I told him my age he said I was too young but I went for it anyway and within a month I was working on my first film “Sinful Davy”.
Q3. Did the love of film come from your family growing up?
The love of film came from my Dad who always talked about film with passion. I had an eye for detail, when watching a film I understood how the technical and creative go hand and hand.
Q4. How did you learn your craft was it all by hands on training?
On the job training that came with a few clips across the ear which was due to me getting on my cocky horse and making quite a few mistakes. The most memorable was when I was working under sound recordist Liam Souran who I admired greatly. He gave me a very good training and was a great teacher. He thought me that 1. Time is money 2. Don’t take anything that happened on set seriously. He gave me a good grounding in the basics of sound from recording, syncing editing, track laying and boom operation. As a young apprentice it was not all plain sailing and I did have a few embarrassing moments. One that stands out was when I was working on “Quakers Fortune has a cousin in the Bronx”. I was using a mechanical boom, the platform was about four foot high. In between one of the takes I was on the floor talking to the sound recordist when I heard “turn over” which means they are about to start a take. I made a run for the boom splitting my trouser as I leapt on to the platform. I had to stay like that for another 3 takes. In the Ardmore era I had the privilege of working with acting legends, Peter O’ Toole and Katharine Hepburn but I have only had the courage to asks 2 people for autographs Marlene Dietrich for my mum and Lisa Kudrow for my granddaughter!
Q5. You work mainly in the field of location sound can you tell us about the highs and low of working on sets around the world.
On location sound you have to be prepared to work long hours. It can range from 60 – 70 hours a week and overtime on top of that. It puts a lot of pressure on young families. There are so many times that you make plans for birthdays or anniversaries that you have to cancel because the scene runs into overtime, which would be a low. The high is that you get to enjoy working on projects with inspiring directors. You get to go to parts of the world that others would not get the opportunity. I worked for 9 months working around the world filming a topic close to my heart Alternative Medicine. It was so interesting to get the opportunity to see first had how it all works.
Q6. What has been the most exciting experience on location to date?
The documentary on Alternative Medicine was an amazing experience, going to China and Asia, China in particular always held a fascination. When you are watching documentaries on TV it always brings up additional questions but as it is not interactive you don’t get to ask them. Working on the documentary I got the 1st hand experience talking with people who are renowned practitioners in the field Alternative medicine. It was truly an amazing experience.
Q7. You have worked with some of the most high profile directors from Joel Schumacher to Neil Jordan. Tell us about this experience?
As sound people you tend to be quite observant which I love, you have a lot of time in between takes when the lighting gets rigged. You get a good overview of the different directorial styles which can be fascinating. There are three main styles the actors directors, who are solely interested in performance, they put the emphasis on the actors. The technical director spends less time with actors and concentrates on shot set up. Then you have directors that combine both. Three that come to my mind are Neil Jordon, Joel Schumacher, and Jim Sheridan.
Jordon knows what he wants. On one particular scene on “Butcher Boy” he did not like the way the shot was working. He broke for lunch early and by the time we got back the scene had completely changed it around and it worked much better. Jim is an actor's director, if you show initiative he develops you.
Joel Schumacher works very differently, he did a lot of prep beforehand and very little on set. He also gave the actors a lot of leeway.
One funny story was on a film directed by Slazenger, he was about 80 at the time, but he was still extremely technically aware. Any changes made without his knowledge he would spot them straight away. It was just after lunch and the running scene was due to be cut but he did not call it so the actors continued with the dialogue for at least 10 minutes. They were beginning to run out of lines, when he eventually called cut and apologised. It turned out he had fallen asleep during the take, it was very funny.
Q8. You now work on a lot of documentary projects what prompted this change?
I don't feel I swapped one for the other, they are very much intertwined. As a sound recordist you can work on at least 3 films a year if you’re a boom swinger you can work on up to 7 films. If you’re a good boom you can work with any sound recordist and you can develop preferences on who you like to work with. So you can work on either documentary or film depending on what takes your fancy.
Q9. You took the brave leap moving to Australia. Tell us about your experience there?
In 1970 I was let go from Ardmore Studios as it went into administration at that time. I then worked freelance, while I applied for a position in RTE for which they made me permanent. They felt I had too much experience on location so they put me in the studio environment. I found out I didn’t enjoy studio as much as being out and about on location. I then decided to move to Australia! The last production I worked on in RTE was directed by Joseph Strick, he heard I was going to Australia and he put me forward for a job in a newly establish film college. With family in toe we got the assisted passage tickets which were £52 at the time and including a year’s accommodation. I was due to start in the Film School but it was not up and running until 7 months later. I worked for ABC on various projects while the film school was being built, when it was up and running I lectured there for five years on all areas of film. It was a very exciting time for me.
Q10. You received an Emmy Nomination for your work on “The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro” that must have been amazing.
It was really great. I was just finished filming a 16 week production of “Dadth is Death” which was a nightmare. The Director had no time for sound though I got support from the cast and crew. I came off that production no longer wanting to work on film, it left a bitter taste in my mouth. Tamor Asseyed managed to convince me to work on this lovely film "The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro" which I had a ball. After I got the nomination the doors opened up for me in Australia and work poured in.
Q11. Why did you decided to turn your hand to teaching?
I love passing on knowledge, my motto is if you play and have fun you can teach anything. Most of my lectures are outside the lecture room. It's important to have a great interactive philosophy and be supportive of film students who work out on a limb. The main aim I believe is to nurture the creative ability of students. I like to play, that is one of my strengths as a lecture and I do a lot of practical exercise that will stretch students potential. I usually chat and see what interests them to begin with and we work from there.
Q12. You now teach with Pulse how did this collaboration come about?
Aidan in Pulse College heard about my work as a lecture, and asked me come in on a trial; they must have liked me as the relationship with the college still continues today and I enjoying working in Pulse immensely.
Q13. What is the best thing you find about teaching in Pulse College?
Bringing peoples natural talent to the surface and let them shine, it gives you a real sense of achievement. I teach students to go with their gut and follow your heart. Some curtail this instinct, so it’s vital to encourage and nurture natural ability.
Q14. What advice would you have for students looking to pursue a career in location sound?
In this era students have to push for their dream. The main advice I would give would be
•1. Go out and meet the people who are working in departments they would like to work in and spend time with them
•2. I love the film school ethos and with ever changing technology, opportunities are endless. It's now more affordable to explore your creative potential.
Q15. 40 years on and a CV that is as long as my elbow, what still gets you excited about location sound?
I love what you can do with sound, the emotions you can stir within people subconsciously is always interesting. If you can build a good sound track you can bring people on an exciting journey they may not be fully aware they are going on.
Q16. What's next on your to do list?
There are two unfulfilled ambitions; I would love to do a live radio drama on location the other is to pursue my interest in alternative medicine in particular doing a course in hot stones. For the moment though I love lecturing, I love the drive and enthusiasm that students have and I enjoy watching their potential grow and develop.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Pulse Announces Exciting Summer of Creative Courses In Audio, Gaming and Film
Pulse College are pleased to announce their cutting edge creative media courses set to take place throughout the summer in Audio, Gaming and Film. If you would like to kick start you career in this fast paced growing industry log on to our website www.pulsecollege.eu. Here below is a quick glance at what is to come.
Film: You Shoot
This intensive course offers students a chance to learn the basics of professional film production. Each student will be given the opportunity to write, shoot, direct and edit his or her own films. You Shoot is designed for people with little or no experience in making films. The program is focused on the fundamental elements of visual storytelling that teaches you to take on the real life challenges of film making.
Duration: Monday July 5th 2010 for 5 days
Gaming: Intro to Gaming Design
This course aims to introduce students to the core concepts and technologies behind interactive applications and video games.
Topics include: Introduction to Programming, Introduction to Game Audio, Introduction to Game production techniques and much more.
Duration:
Part-Time Basis: Every Saturday from June 26th for 8 weeks
Full-Time Basis: Mon-Fri starting July 5th for 2 weeks
Audio: 8 week intro to Audio Engineering
Pulse College's audio courses are currently Ireland’s most popular audio engineering qualification. With an internationally celebrated reputation, we attract student from around the world. As a result our graduates have gone on to work with some of the top artists in the world including U2, Van Morrisson and Kylie Minogue. Our commercial studios have hosted artists such as 50 Cent, Jon Bon Jovi, New Order and Bryan Adams. The 8 week part time introduction to audio engineering has been designed to train novices in the dynamic world of sound giving them an insight into the many varied aspects of sound design. Pulse have trained some of the top audio engineers in the world and are committed to providing the highest standard of training for our students.
Duration: Every Saturday, 11am - 5pm for 8 weeks from June 12th June
Film: You Shoot
This intensive course offers students a chance to learn the basics of professional film production. Each student will be given the opportunity to write, shoot, direct and edit his or her own films. You Shoot is designed for people with little or no experience in making films. The program is focused on the fundamental elements of visual storytelling that teaches you to take on the real life challenges of film making.
Duration: Monday July 5th 2010 for 5 days
Gaming: Intro to Gaming Design
This course aims to introduce students to the core concepts and technologies behind interactive applications and video games.
Topics include: Introduction to Programming, Introduction to Game Audio, Introduction to Game production techniques and much more.
Duration:
Part-Time Basis: Every Saturday from June 26th for 8 weeks
Full-Time Basis: Mon-Fri starting July 5th for 2 weeks
Audio: 8 week intro to Audio Engineering
Pulse College's audio courses are currently Ireland’s most popular audio engineering qualification. With an internationally celebrated reputation, we attract student from around the world. As a result our graduates have gone on to work with some of the top artists in the world including U2, Van Morrisson and Kylie Minogue. Our commercial studios have hosted artists such as 50 Cent, Jon Bon Jovi, New Order and Bryan Adams. The 8 week part time introduction to audio engineering has been designed to train novices in the dynamic world of sound giving them an insight into the many varied aspects of sound design. Pulse have trained some of the top audio engineers in the world and are committed to providing the highest standard of training for our students.
Duration: Every Saturday, 11am - 5pm for 8 weeks from June 12th June
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Chris McCabe Reviews new Pulse Screenwriting Course
Having recently launched our contemporary screen writing course with the guidance of award winning writer Farah Abushwesha, we sent Chris McCabe along for a neutral perspective on what we hope should to be a great addition to Pulse College.
"I attended the 5-day Screenwriting Course in Windmill and I must say that it provided a superb supportive environment that fostered my expressive writing. It is an intensive 5-day course which, rather than focussing on theory, assists the participant to generate filmic ideas and to be confident in their own writing.
Priority is placed on putting a lot of the scary myths of screenwriting to rest and creating a context in which the participants can develop their own scripts over the week. It’s about knowing how to get your ideas down on paper and turn them into film scripts.
We got to understand how important short films are, how they work and that these shorts are a necessary part of a career path. Making a successful short film is very often a springboard to a career in films, documentaries and TV drama. One of the highlights of the week was that we got to make a short 1 minute film with the help of the Film Course students.
During the week there is an opportunity to brainstorm ideas with other writers and get feedback from a professional, practising screenwriter. Among the topics covered were:
•use correct script formats and layouts
•understand how the industry works
•understand how to receive and give feedback
•understand how to apply for film funding
•promote your film script and yourself
•network in the film industry and know where to network
•apply to and attend Film Festivals – creating a strategy for film submission
During the week we got to meet some industry guests who were easy to talk to and gave us some valuable pointers. One of the highlights being a talk from Bosco Hogan (Tudors, King Arthur, In the Name of the Father fame). Most people think they can't write a script but it's not rocket science, we’ve all got more than one film idea in us. This course is designed to break the myths with exercises and interactive tasks and in this it succeeds. If you get an opportunity to attend this course I would recommend it highly"
"I attended the 5-day Screenwriting Course in Windmill and I must say that it provided a superb supportive environment that fostered my expressive writing. It is an intensive 5-day course which, rather than focussing on theory, assists the participant to generate filmic ideas and to be confident in their own writing.
Priority is placed on putting a lot of the scary myths of screenwriting to rest and creating a context in which the participants can develop their own scripts over the week. It’s about knowing how to get your ideas down on paper and turn them into film scripts.
We got to understand how important short films are, how they work and that these shorts are a necessary part of a career path. Making a successful short film is very often a springboard to a career in films, documentaries and TV drama. One of the highlights of the week was that we got to make a short 1 minute film with the help of the Film Course students.
During the week there is an opportunity to brainstorm ideas with other writers and get feedback from a professional, practising screenwriter. Among the topics covered were:
•use correct script formats and layouts
•understand how the industry works
•understand how to receive and give feedback
•understand how to apply for film funding
•promote your film script and yourself
•network in the film industry and know where to network
•apply to and attend Film Festivals – creating a strategy for film submission
During the week we got to meet some industry guests who were easy to talk to and gave us some valuable pointers. One of the highlights being a talk from Bosco Hogan (Tudors, King Arthur, In the Name of the Father fame). Most people think they can't write a script but it's not rocket science, we’ve all got more than one film idea in us. This course is designed to break the myths with exercises and interactive tasks and in this it succeeds. If you get an opportunity to attend this course I would recommend it highly"
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Pulse Announces Short films to be Translated onto the Big Screen
Pulse College is delighted to announce the two film treatments by Mark Symmons and Paul Mahon from the full time Film Diploma course, have been chosen to be produced into short films. This is part of Pulse College’s ongoing commitment to hands on practical experience on all of their courses. We talk to the successful duo to find out the philosophy behind their concept and the plans that are in place to take on the mammoth task of getting their short films on to the big screen.
Mark Symmons: Film Title: 'These Aren't Toys'
Q1. Your background? Where you’re from? What did you do before you came to Pulse?
I did an MA in Film and Television in 1994 -1995, purely on the theory side of the discipline before moving to the US to get work experience in the industry. I eventually can home to work in the family business and have been doing so for the past 15 years. I always felt that I had unfinished business with film, and it was something I could never quite get out of my system. It was when my girlfriend saw the ad for Pulse College on TV and suggested I go for it.
Q2. Tell us about the concept behind your short film.
It's a story about the internalization of grief and how it can affect previously secure relationships. I've written it and am Producing and Directing it. My colleagues’ from the course will form the crew, I hope! Getting the casting right - it's the next most important thing after the script. The whole idea of how internalisation of grief can affect family dynamics and personal relationship has always been an interesting topic for me to explore, so I can’t wait to see how it translates onto the Big Screen.
Q3. What are you film influences who inspires you from a Director point of view?
Directors - Arthur Penn, Sam Peckinpah, Lasse Halstrom, Woody Allen, John Sturges, Larry Cohen, early Polanski, Coen Brothers, Ridley Scott, Spielberg - all in no particular order, and to varying degrees! Writer - Directors especially, like Allen and the Coens, because it all starts with the writing. Ennio Morricone, Composer - His musical landscapes are incredible, his cues are characters in their own right.
Q4. How did you feel when it was announced that you were shortlisted?
A great deal of satisfaction, followed by panic!
Q5. What are your plans after you finished in Pulse College?
I am starting my own Production company, and doing some script doctoring for a friend. After that I have a couple of ideas for shorts, but nothin
g concrete yet!
Paul Mahon: Film Title: Eric
Q1. Your background? Where you’re from? What did you do before you came to Pulse?
I am Paul Mahon. I am from Kilkenny City. Before I was in Pulse I had done a lot of stuff involving video, a few skate videos, music videos, live visuals along with other projects I've had on the go. Then as most Irish youths with no direction in life I decided to travel the world to find Jesus. Lucky for me I found him, he had some awesome advice, mostly about my hair and beards though. Unlike Jesus I couldn't rely on the fame of family members to get me anywhere, so I decided I'd like to get into TV and Film work. Step one was Googling it. I found details of this course on the Pulse website, and it looked interesting. It was, and still is.
Q2. What prompted you to take up the Film Diploma with Pulse College?
I wanted to learn more about how to get into the business and meet new people with the same plan and/or idea. A friend of mine had done an audio course in Pulse and said it was the bees knees, so that’s why I decided to go, along with my parents saying they would no longer answer my calls if I couldn't
secure an interview on the Late Late Show within the next 5 years. So pressure's on really.
Q3. Can you tell us the background behind the concept of your film?
My short film is about a puppeteer and his puppet. It will just have to be watched for further detail. Most of the class will be helping out with the production but as far as the writing goes, fellow classmate Eoghan McKenna helps me structure things out. I pace up and down the room shouting ideas, and then he decodes them and puts them onto paper. It’s great. I think the entire process of making a short is challenging, in fact anything to do with film is, so much to organize and sort out before filming and its all ahead of me!!, It is amazing to watch a film now and think... "How in the name of God did they sort out a shot like that...?” Where did the idea for basing you film around puppetry? I was always fascinated by Pinocchio as a child growing up and the whole idea of the dynamics between the puppet and puppet master fascinated me. As an adult AI really inspired me from a film stand point.
Q4. What are you film influences who inspires you from a Director point of view?
Music videos have inspired me more, people like Michel Gondry & Spike Jones. Their progression into film is pretty inspiring, and the fact they still do shorts and music videos is great. I think people around me have inspired me more than any name that happens to appear after "Directed by..." in film credits or DVD box.
Q5. How did you feel when it was announced that you were shortlisted?
It was great to get my script picked to be made into a short, especially knowing who was picking them. It's a frightening thing sending something like that away to get judged. Nothing to lose though, so it’s all good.
Q6. Do you have a dream film festival win?
Expresión en Corto International Film Festival, Festival du Nouveau Cinéma.
Q7. What are your plans after you have finished in Pulse College?
Move to the country and get stuck into the projects that are mentioned below and am very excited about!
Q8. Do you have any projects planned for the future that you can share?
The ground work has been set for a few other projects I’m involved in alright. I'm in studio with Stephen White from the audio course recording an EP down for a collective band I started last year called Geppetto. Then there is Geppetto:CoLab, which is a live visuals duo consisting of myself and artist friend, Mick Minogue. We have also just got into some installation projects (one of which is getting an audio make over by Brendan Rehill from the degree course in Windmill). That’s fun. I also provide live visuals for RSAG, so that keeps me quite busy as well with editing and live shows.
Mark Symmons: Film Title: 'These Aren't Toys'
Q1. Your background? Where you’re from? What did you do before you came to Pulse?
I did an MA in Film and Television in 1994 -1995, purely on the theory side of the discipline before moving to the US to get work experience in the industry. I eventually can home to work in the family business and have been doing so for the past 15 years. I always felt that I had unfinished business with film, and it was something I could never quite get out of my system. It was when my girlfriend saw the ad for Pulse College on TV and suggested I go for it.
Q2. Tell us about the concept behind your short film.
It's a story about the internalization of grief and how it can affect previously secure relationships. I've written it and am Producing and Directing it. My colleagues’ from the course will form the crew, I hope! Getting the casting right - it's the next most important thing after the script. The whole idea of how internalisation of grief can affect family dynamics and personal relationship has always been an interesting topic for me to explore, so I can’t wait to see how it translates onto the Big Screen.
Q3. What are you film influences who inspires you from a Director point of view?
Directors - Arthur Penn, Sam Peckinpah, Lasse Halstrom, Woody Allen, John Sturges, Larry Cohen, early Polanski, Coen Brothers, Ridley Scott, Spielberg - all in no particular order, and to varying degrees! Writer - Directors especially, like Allen and the Coens, because it all starts with the writing. Ennio Morricone, Composer - His musical landscapes are incredible, his cues are characters in their own right.
Q4. How did you feel when it was announced that you were shortlisted?
A great deal of satisfaction, followed by panic!
Q5. What are your plans after you finished in Pulse College?
I am starting my own Production company, and doing some script doctoring for a friend. After that I have a couple of ideas for shorts, but nothin
g concrete yet!
Paul Mahon: Film Title: Eric
Q1. Your background? Where you’re from? What did you do before you came to Pulse?
I am Paul Mahon. I am from Kilkenny City. Before I was in Pulse I had done a lot of stuff involving video, a few skate videos, music videos, live visuals along with other projects I've had on the go. Then as most Irish youths with no direction in life I decided to travel the world to find Jesus. Lucky for me I found him, he had some awesome advice, mostly about my hair and beards though. Unlike Jesus I couldn't rely on the fame of family members to get me anywhere, so I decided I'd like to get into TV and Film work. Step one was Googling it. I found details of this course on the Pulse website, and it looked interesting. It was, and still is.
Q2. What prompted you to take up the Film Diploma with Pulse College?
I wanted to learn more about how to get into the business and meet new people with the same plan and/or idea. A friend of mine had done an audio course in Pulse and said it was the bees knees, so that’s why I decided to go, along with my parents saying they would no longer answer my calls if I couldn't
secure an interview on the Late Late Show within the next 5 years. So pressure's on really.
Q3. Can you tell us the background behind the concept of your film?
My short film is about a puppeteer and his puppet. It will just have to be watched for further detail. Most of the class will be helping out with the production but as far as the writing goes, fellow classmate Eoghan McKenna helps me structure things out. I pace up and down the room shouting ideas, and then he decodes them and puts them onto paper. It’s great. I think the entire process of making a short is challenging, in fact anything to do with film is, so much to organize and sort out before filming and its all ahead of me!!, It is amazing to watch a film now and think... "How in the name of God did they sort out a shot like that...?” Where did the idea for basing you film around puppetry? I was always fascinated by Pinocchio as a child growing up and the whole idea of the dynamics between the puppet and puppet master fascinated me. As an adult AI really inspired me from a film stand point.
Q4. What are you film influences who inspires you from a Director point of view?
Music videos have inspired me more, people like Michel Gondry & Spike Jones. Their progression into film is pretty inspiring, and the fact they still do shorts and music videos is great. I think people around me have inspired me more than any name that happens to appear after "Directed by..." in film credits or DVD box.
Q5. How did you feel when it was announced that you were shortlisted?
It was great to get my script picked to be made into a short, especially knowing who was picking them. It's a frightening thing sending something like that away to get judged. Nothing to lose though, so it’s all good.
Q6. Do you have a dream film festival win?
Expresión en Corto International Film Festival, Festival du Nouveau Cinéma.
Q7. What are your plans after you have finished in Pulse College?
Move to the country and get stuck into the projects that are mentioned below and am very excited about!
Q8. Do you have any projects planned for the future that you can share?
The ground work has been set for a few other projects I’m involved in alright. I'm in studio with Stephen White from the audio course recording an EP down for a collective band I started last year called Geppetto. Then there is Geppetto:CoLab, which is a live visuals duo consisting of myself and artist friend, Mick Minogue. We have also just got into some installation projects (one of which is getting an audio make over by Brendan Rehill from the degree course in Windmill). That’s fun. I also provide live visuals for RSAG, so that keeps me quite busy as well with editing and live shows.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Pulse Graduate and Award Nominated Sound Engineer Dominic Lawrence, talks to Pulse News
Many of Pulse Graduates go on to work with some of the top artists and multi media companies in the world. We will check in on our Pulse success stories and find out what life is like post Pulse.
Pulse Graduate and Award Nominated Sound Engineer Dominic Lawrence, talks to Pulse News
In this month's student success section, we profile Dominic Lawrence, a graduate of the Pulse College’s Sound Engineering Diploma course, who is currently working as a sound engineer for Brown Bag Films on many of their award winning projects. The highlight of his career to date is his credit for dialog recording on the Oscar nominated short film Granny O'Grimm's. We delve deep and find out what it takes to become a successful sound design engineer and what life is like working on such prestigious high profile projects.
Q1. Background: Who you are, where you’re from, where you are now?
My name is Dominic Lawrence, I'm from Cork and currently work as a Post Production Sound Engineer for Brown Bag Films, Dublin. I've been responsible for the sound design and mix of all the long form series produced by Brown Bag over the past 3 years, these include “Olivia” Season one (52x11 minute episodes, currently sold to over 120 territories worldwide), “Noddy” (52x11 minute episodes, currently airing: UK - Channel 5, France - France 5/TF1, and Germany - Nick Jr). Other credits include dialog recording for the Oscar nominated short film “Granny O'Grimm's, Sleeping Beauty”, Crap Rap special “Tidy Towns and Tangerines” (1x25min, RTE), Grabby Bag (12x5min, RTE) and dialog recording/sound design work on various commercials. I am currently mixing and designing sound for Olivia Series II (28x11 minute episodes) and Octonauts (50x11 minute episodes and 2x22 minute specials). Both series are currently in production in Brown Bag Films and due to air on Nickelodeon US and BBC respectively in the fall of 2011.
Q2. You initially studied Environmental Science in UCC, what made you to go on to study Pulse College’s audio course?
In 2004, I graduated from University College Cork (UCC) with an honours degree in Environmental Earth Science. By year 2 of it I had pretty much decided that this probably wasn't going to be something I could work at for the next 40 years so whilst I finished the 4 year course, I did not want to pursue a career in it! I had always loved music (played the drums for a few years and can rarely remember going to school without a walkman on...) and I really liked movies and games. I took a year out after the degree, looked at what I liked and then looked at what courses were available. After going to a few FAS and CAO career days, I came across Pulse and had a quick chat, liked what I heard, went to the open day and liked what I saw – the clincher was the Pro Tools mix for the trailer to the Matrix – loved the sounds in the film and seeing it channel by channel just caught my imagination. Superficial reasons aside, Pulse came out on top because of its practical based courses, Pro Tools certifications, they weren't just focused on the music business alone and the classes were small so you weren't going to get left behind if you didn't get something the first time. The equipment they had (and that you got to use) was amazing (I went in there knowing nothing about what it was or did mind you...) from Protools HD systems to classic analog gear, getting to know and use these things is something that has stood by me to this day.
Q3. What did you find the most challenging and beneficial part of the course?
Music Theory – I was a self taught drummer so I had no idea about reading music or chords etc so it took a lot to get my head around it. I liked the practical live sound parts but it’s something you have to do a lot of to be fast and confident. They were probably my only stumbling points really Looking back, there are probably 3 things that have stuck with me:Pro Tools Courses – I had never used it before coming to Pulse but I really liked it and found it easy enough to learn. Using it day-in, day-out on projects was great, I think they are well worth having – being able to walk into a studio and use Pro Tools fast and efficiently might just get your foot in the door. Overall broadness of the course – you come out (at least) knowing a bit about everything so while you won't know it all, you have a decent grounding in most aspects from which to build on, friendly people who are willing to teach, answer any and all questions and in general help you out where they can.
Q4. How have the skills translated into the work environment?
They've been a great help – from the technical side, like setting up a protocols system, to the personal side dealing with clients/artists. The obvious one would be working with Pro Tools everyday on very tight deadlines – knowing key commands can literally save you days over the course of a 52 part series! Knowing some basics on video technology and frame rates really helped me at the start. With nearly everything I do in Brown Bag Films, there is an outside party involved – could be producers, voice artists, advertising, outside studios etc – and having that bit of practical experience from Pulse was a helpful start. I also have to edit music quite a bit so even the dreaded music theory gets used to mix and match different cues!
Q5. You started your career as live sound engineer. Tell us a bit about the types of venues, gigs and work you did during that time.
Tiny venues, some make-shift PA's and a few egos characterised my start in live sound! It's one of those things where you learn a lot in a very short time - think I made every mistake in the book but it was a good (if not always enjoyable...) experience! I'll be the first to admit I was best working with software in a studio environment so it really was just something I wanted to try and do.
Q6. What was the most challenging live sound situation?
Probably dealing with a guitarist and a drummer (2 different nights) who thought they were rocking stadiums rather than 50 seater bars! One kept turning his amp up and up and the drummer 'didn't know how to play quiet' - either way there was no way I could match volumes with the rest of the band so it was a bit of a car crash really.
Q7. You have now changed direction and work in sound design, what prompted this move?
It was always a big interest but I'd never really found the opportunity to get into it. Sounds silly but to this day, the larger-than-life punch fx from Indiana Jones always jump out at me and I guess the older I got, the more I watched films with my ears. I love the variety of sound design - for every one sound, just by speeding it up, slowing it down, adding reverb, putting it through guitar pedals or filters you can come up with a whole host of different variants. In fact if you use stuff the wrong way, you often come up with the best sounds! Mixing a show is pretty different to mixing a song but some principals still apply.
Q8. Congratulations, you were involved in Oscar Nominated Granny Grimm’s. Tell us about your contribution?
Thanks, yeh Granny was a great project that was developed by Brown Bag Films from a comedy sketch performed by Kathleen O'Rourke. I had the pleasure of recording all Granny's voice over parts which was good fun - Kathleen and Director, Nicky Phelan, were coming up with new lines or adlibs mid record so it was always quite entertaining - and a little surreal hearing Kathleen jump from her own accent to that of an elderly Granny mid-sentence! Credit must go to composer Greg Magee and sound designers The Sound Butlers for their work on the rest of the soundtrack.
Q9. How did it feel when you heard the nomination?
Marginal shock, followed by big smiles and a long night of celebrations! It was mad to be honest and took a while to sink in. I only had a small part to play in it but it was great to be associated with something like this. The reactions the film received and seeing it on screen during the Oscar ceremony were the highlights for me. There was a certain satisfaction that we’d beaten Pixar to a nomination too which was a David vs Goliath moment.
Q10. You have now been involved in an Oscar Nominated Project which is a huge achievement, what are your future goals?
I guess we'll have to go one better and win an Oscar next year! I’m working on some really great TV projects in Brown Bag at the moment so a Bafta or an Emmy would be super. We’re being asked for more and more 5.1 surround sound for HD broadcasts and down the line, feature film stuff would be great to do – hearing great soundtracks like District 9, Transformers, Wall-E or Avatar really gets the imagination going and with surround there is a whole lot more ways to mix and design sound. But hey, if none of that works out I'd honestly be happy to just keep on doing what I'm doing now.
Q11. Did you find that the Pulse College qualification opened doors?
It is definitely good to have on your CV and helps to get your foot in the door which is the hardest thing to do in the industry - you have to be sure to impress from there! There is no replacement for getting proper work experience in the workplace as this is where you learn A LOT - I learn something new from every project I work on BUT Pulse provided me with a set of tools that lent itself to nearly everything I do today – If I’m asked “can you do x, y & z?”, I usually answer 'yep no problem'...
Pulse Graduate and Award Nominated Sound Engineer Dominic Lawrence, talks to Pulse News
In this month's student success section, we profile Dominic Lawrence, a graduate of the Pulse College’s Sound Engineering Diploma course, who is currently working as a sound engineer for Brown Bag Films on many of their award winning projects. The highlight of his career to date is his credit for dialog recording on the Oscar nominated short film Granny O'Grimm's. We delve deep and find out what it takes to become a successful sound design engineer and what life is like working on such prestigious high profile projects.
Q1. Background: Who you are, where you’re from, where you are now?
My name is Dominic Lawrence, I'm from Cork and currently work as a Post Production Sound Engineer for Brown Bag Films, Dublin. I've been responsible for the sound design and mix of all the long form series produced by Brown Bag over the past 3 years, these include “Olivia” Season one (52x11 minute episodes, currently sold to over 120 territories worldwide), “Noddy” (52x11 minute episodes, currently airing: UK - Channel 5, France - France 5/TF1, and Germany - Nick Jr). Other credits include dialog recording for the Oscar nominated short film “Granny O'Grimm's, Sleeping Beauty”, Crap Rap special “Tidy Towns and Tangerines” (1x25min, RTE), Grabby Bag (12x5min, RTE) and dialog recording/sound design work on various commercials. I am currently mixing and designing sound for Olivia Series II (28x11 minute episodes) and Octonauts (50x11 minute episodes and 2x22 minute specials). Both series are currently in production in Brown Bag Films and due to air on Nickelodeon US and BBC respectively in the fall of 2011.
Q2. You initially studied Environmental Science in UCC, what made you to go on to study Pulse College’s audio course?
In 2004, I graduated from University College Cork (UCC) with an honours degree in Environmental Earth Science. By year 2 of it I had pretty much decided that this probably wasn't going to be something I could work at for the next 40 years so whilst I finished the 4 year course, I did not want to pursue a career in it! I had always loved music (played the drums for a few years and can rarely remember going to school without a walkman on...) and I really liked movies and games. I took a year out after the degree, looked at what I liked and then looked at what courses were available. After going to a few FAS and CAO career days, I came across Pulse and had a quick chat, liked what I heard, went to the open day and liked what I saw – the clincher was the Pro Tools mix for the trailer to the Matrix – loved the sounds in the film and seeing it channel by channel just caught my imagination. Superficial reasons aside, Pulse came out on top because of its practical based courses, Pro Tools certifications, they weren't just focused on the music business alone and the classes were small so you weren't going to get left behind if you didn't get something the first time. The equipment they had (and that you got to use) was amazing (I went in there knowing nothing about what it was or did mind you...) from Protools HD systems to classic analog gear, getting to know and use these things is something that has stood by me to this day.
Q3. What did you find the most challenging and beneficial part of the course?
Music Theory – I was a self taught drummer so I had no idea about reading music or chords etc so it took a lot to get my head around it. I liked the practical live sound parts but it’s something you have to do a lot of to be fast and confident. They were probably my only stumbling points really Looking back, there are probably 3 things that have stuck with me:Pro Tools Courses – I had never used it before coming to Pulse but I really liked it and found it easy enough to learn. Using it day-in, day-out on projects was great, I think they are well worth having – being able to walk into a studio and use Pro Tools fast and efficiently might just get your foot in the door. Overall broadness of the course – you come out (at least) knowing a bit about everything so while you won't know it all, you have a decent grounding in most aspects from which to build on, friendly people who are willing to teach, answer any and all questions and in general help you out where they can.
Q4. How have the skills translated into the work environment?
They've been a great help – from the technical side, like setting up a protocols system, to the personal side dealing with clients/artists. The obvious one would be working with Pro Tools everyday on very tight deadlines – knowing key commands can literally save you days over the course of a 52 part series! Knowing some basics on video technology and frame rates really helped me at the start. With nearly everything I do in Brown Bag Films, there is an outside party involved – could be producers, voice artists, advertising, outside studios etc – and having that bit of practical experience from Pulse was a helpful start. I also have to edit music quite a bit so even the dreaded music theory gets used to mix and match different cues!
Q5. You started your career as live sound engineer. Tell us a bit about the types of venues, gigs and work you did during that time.
Tiny venues, some make-shift PA's and a few egos characterised my start in live sound! It's one of those things where you learn a lot in a very short time - think I made every mistake in the book but it was a good (if not always enjoyable...) experience! I'll be the first to admit I was best working with software in a studio environment so it really was just something I wanted to try and do.
Q6. What was the most challenging live sound situation?
Probably dealing with a guitarist and a drummer (2 different nights) who thought they were rocking stadiums rather than 50 seater bars! One kept turning his amp up and up and the drummer 'didn't know how to play quiet' - either way there was no way I could match volumes with the rest of the band so it was a bit of a car crash really.
Q7. You have now changed direction and work in sound design, what prompted this move?
It was always a big interest but I'd never really found the opportunity to get into it. Sounds silly but to this day, the larger-than-life punch fx from Indiana Jones always jump out at me and I guess the older I got, the more I watched films with my ears. I love the variety of sound design - for every one sound, just by speeding it up, slowing it down, adding reverb, putting it through guitar pedals or filters you can come up with a whole host of different variants. In fact if you use stuff the wrong way, you often come up with the best sounds! Mixing a show is pretty different to mixing a song but some principals still apply.
Q8. Congratulations, you were involved in Oscar Nominated Granny Grimm’s. Tell us about your contribution?
Thanks, yeh Granny was a great project that was developed by Brown Bag Films from a comedy sketch performed by Kathleen O'Rourke. I had the pleasure of recording all Granny's voice over parts which was good fun - Kathleen and Director, Nicky Phelan, were coming up with new lines or adlibs mid record so it was always quite entertaining - and a little surreal hearing Kathleen jump from her own accent to that of an elderly Granny mid-sentence! Credit must go to composer Greg Magee and sound designers The Sound Butlers for their work on the rest of the soundtrack.
Q9. How did it feel when you heard the nomination?
Marginal shock, followed by big smiles and a long night of celebrations! It was mad to be honest and took a while to sink in. I only had a small part to play in it but it was great to be associated with something like this. The reactions the film received and seeing it on screen during the Oscar ceremony were the highlights for me. There was a certain satisfaction that we’d beaten Pixar to a nomination too which was a David vs Goliath moment.
Q10. You have now been involved in an Oscar Nominated Project which is a huge achievement, what are your future goals?
I guess we'll have to go one better and win an Oscar next year! I’m working on some really great TV projects in Brown Bag at the moment so a Bafta or an Emmy would be super. We’re being asked for more and more 5.1 surround sound for HD broadcasts and down the line, feature film stuff would be great to do – hearing great soundtracks like District 9, Transformers, Wall-E or Avatar really gets the imagination going and with surround there is a whole lot more ways to mix and design sound. But hey, if none of that works out I'd honestly be happy to just keep on doing what I'm doing now.
Q11. Did you find that the Pulse College qualification opened doors?
It is definitely good to have on your CV and helps to get your foot in the door which is the hardest thing to do in the industry - you have to be sure to impress from there! There is no replacement for getting proper work experience in the workplace as this is where you learn A LOT - I learn something new from every project I work on BUT Pulse provided me with a set of tools that lent itself to nearly everything I do today – If I’m asked “can you do x, y & z?”, I usually answer 'yep no problem'...
Friday, May 21, 2010
Greg Magee: Guest Lecture Profile
Pulse has a renowned list of high profile experts, who regularly lecture on our courses. Many with interesting and varied careers, in this section of our newsletter we aim to delve into their background to get tips on how to succeed in the professional environment.
Greg Magee: Guest Lecture Profile
In this months guest lecture profile, we get a unique insight into the world of multi award winning sound producer Greg Magee. With an Irish Film & TV Award for Best Score under his belt for work in Winters End, he is also responsible for composing and producing all the music for The Fairytale. The Fairytale is a 26 part multi-award winning animation series, based on the stories of Hans Christian Anderson, which was broadcasted in more than 90 countries. We are delighted that he managed to find time to share his industry knowledge and his passion for all things music related with Pulse news.
Q1. You started your music training with the Royal Academy, was music always of interest to you from a young age?
I guess I've always had a huge interest in music. I didn't start formal lessons until I was ten, because it wasn't practical to start flute lessons until that age!
Q2. Was music a big influence in your house growing up?
Neither of my parents were professional musicians, but my father liked to play violin and to this day he has a deep love of classical music. I don't think I listened to anything more contemporary than Tchaikovsky until I got my first walkman at the age of 14, but I sure made up for lost time!
Q3. You then went on to study a Music Degree in Trinity, what made you go down the academic route?
I initially started computer science at TCD, but after two years of writing, arranging and performing music when I should have been building computer circuits and writing software I decided to go back to the beginning and enrol in their Music & Composition Degree.
Q4.Why did you decide to go down the producing path?
With a passion for all things technological I really didn't see it initially as anything more than justifying my appetite for tech. After my initial attempts at recording my own music and being called on as a session musician in various studios I started to realise that it wasn't just about writing / performing great music but that the actual recording process and balancing of sound was something that could radically affect what everyone would hear as the end result. Over the course of months working on an album or film score I think it's really easy to deceive yourself into thinking that your vision or concept translates accurately from your brain to the outside world in the form of a CD or DVD. I've learnt that in my case it's really important to have the knowledge and control over production tools so that whatever crazy idea I come up with sounds just as crazy or sane to you as it did to me the first time I thought of it.
Q5. You then went on to receive a scholarship in film music studies in LA, which must have been exciting, what influenced your interest in film music?
I received a bursary award to take part in a work training programme in LA. I was fortunate enough in the two years after my degree to take part in the Screen Training Ireland programme which brought the UCLA Film Scoring Programme to Ireland where such Hollywood legends as Don Ray, Bob Drasnin and Conrad Pope gave of their time and experience through their teaching, mentoring, supervising and recording sessions. The most exciting aspect of the industry in LA is that everybody takes it seriously and has a professional ethic which really does inspire you to be the best you can be and to take yourself seriously as a professional who has a contribution to make in the world of movie and music making.
Q6. What is your favourite and most inspirational film score to date?
It's an extremely difficult question to answer - it changes quite a lot. The two scores that made me want to be a composer were by John Williams and Ennio Morricone. ET and The Mission. Music has such a huge part to play in these films and really do take the viewer on an emotional journey. I saw Ennio Morricone in concert in Belfast last year and I'd have to say that the Theme from Cinema Paradiso moved me to tears!
Q7.You have had a very diverse career from starting off as sound supervisor on “The Last Word” to working on “A Love Divided” amongst others, has this diversity help your career path?
Despite the fact that so many of our jobs today are highly specialized it still comes down to people working alone and working in teams to get work significantly larger than themselves completed. In most cases the jobs I have done to date have simply been a case of being in a position to complete one piece of a jigsaw puzzle. Most of our skills do translate in other jobs or facets of production. I had a background working for a music publisher at one stage and this really did help me in the role of music supervisor on one feature. I played in orchestras and learned to read orchestral score in school and college. This helped me in my role as score supervisor. Who knows? My experience as a film composer may make me a better teacher or vice versa.
Q8. You been involved in many award winning productions such as “The Fairy Tale” and recently won best score for IFTN for “Winters End”. What did it fee like for you work to be so highly regarded by your peers?
It is certainly great to receive recognition for your work. It's not often that people working behind the camera or in post production get to be acknowledged for their work. For the vast majority of us it's not really the driving force behind the work, but it's great to see the fruits of your struggle rewarded with some deserved attention from time to time.
Q9. With so many awards behind you, what is the secret to your success?
If I seem to have had success in my career so far it's not always immediately obvious to me. Seriously, I think that it's not something that you can always work towards. It's like trying to become a millionaire by working in entertainment. Success, money or whatever markers you use to measure success are just that. They're indications of how well people think you performed at a particular job at one time or other. I don't view myself as successful, but I do take pride in trying to be as good as I can be for every job I do. It doesn't always turn out how you planned it, but it's the sincerity of your efforts that people come to respect.
Q10. You are currently guest lecture for Pulse College how did you get involved with the college?
I think I first met Aidan and Tony around twelve years ago while recording some film cues on the Film Music Course. I taught a few classes on music technology for film composers just after I completed the programme and Aidan approached me to guest lecture on Pulse’s Sound Engineering courses. Over the past few years Aidan and Tony have recorded my music and I have worked for them.
Q11. How do find the challenge of teaching?
It's a rewarding one. The real difficulty is assessing what's needed. There's only a finite amount of time and you need to make it as practical as possible. It's easy to stand up and talk about subjects that interest me personally, but it's really all about what the student needs not the teacher.
Q12. You are now based mainly in you studios in Dublin how do you find the music industry in Dublin in comparison to the other cities you have worked in?
I think there is a prodigious amount of talent and some great music being created here. I do still think we have a very young film and music industry. While there is definitely talent I think we could take a leaf out of other's books and concentrate more on our professionalism and less on what people think of us. If you genuinely work hard at creating something and spend less time judging the efforts of others I think you feel better about your own worth.
Q13. Any advice for our Pulse College Graduates starting out their career?
What's that old saying - Knowledge doesn't weigh anything. I think working in as many aspects of the business as possible will do nothing but improve your prospects. I think it helps to have a real interest in everything around your own main discipline. I love learning more about film making, talking with people who are in the thick of it, thinking about why a composer chooses particular entry and exit points in a scene. I'm a composer, but that doesn't stop me from learning or seeking to understand how other creative minds in different disciplines find solutions.
Q14. What do you see as the future of music production?
Firewire or Fibrechannel to Neuron interface... Less people playing more or more people playing less. I'd like to think we will move forward towards great music where its inception is artistically or creatively driven rather than an average of market surveys. There are more tools now for fixing less talented musicians than there are for elevating good ones to greatness. Maybe that's something to think about.
Q15. In between lecturing in Pulse College, what other exciting projects have you got lined up?
The most exciting project that I have lined up right now is tidying up and perhaps redesigning my studio after a house move. There are a few interesting film projects coming up, but their NDA's are so tight that if I told you I would have to shoot you.
Greg Magee: Guest Lecture Profile
In this months guest lecture profile, we get a unique insight into the world of multi award winning sound producer Greg Magee. With an Irish Film & TV Award for Best Score under his belt for work in Winters End, he is also responsible for composing and producing all the music for The Fairytale. The Fairytale is a 26 part multi-award winning animation series, based on the stories of Hans Christian Anderson, which was broadcasted in more than 90 countries. We are delighted that he managed to find time to share his industry knowledge and his passion for all things music related with Pulse news.
Q1. You started your music training with the Royal Academy, was music always of interest to you from a young age?
I guess I've always had a huge interest in music. I didn't start formal lessons until I was ten, because it wasn't practical to start flute lessons until that age!
Q2. Was music a big influence in your house growing up?
Neither of my parents were professional musicians, but my father liked to play violin and to this day he has a deep love of classical music. I don't think I listened to anything more contemporary than Tchaikovsky until I got my first walkman at the age of 14, but I sure made up for lost time!
Q3. You then went on to study a Music Degree in Trinity, what made you go down the academic route?
I initially started computer science at TCD, but after two years of writing, arranging and performing music when I should have been building computer circuits and writing software I decided to go back to the beginning and enrol in their Music & Composition Degree.
Q4.Why did you decide to go down the producing path?
With a passion for all things technological I really didn't see it initially as anything more than justifying my appetite for tech. After my initial attempts at recording my own music and being called on as a session musician in various studios I started to realise that it wasn't just about writing / performing great music but that the actual recording process and balancing of sound was something that could radically affect what everyone would hear as the end result. Over the course of months working on an album or film score I think it's really easy to deceive yourself into thinking that your vision or concept translates accurately from your brain to the outside world in the form of a CD or DVD. I've learnt that in my case it's really important to have the knowledge and control over production tools so that whatever crazy idea I come up with sounds just as crazy or sane to you as it did to me the first time I thought of it.
Q5. You then went on to receive a scholarship in film music studies in LA, which must have been exciting, what influenced your interest in film music?
I received a bursary award to take part in a work training programme in LA. I was fortunate enough in the two years after my degree to take part in the Screen Training Ireland programme which brought the UCLA Film Scoring Programme to Ireland where such Hollywood legends as Don Ray, Bob Drasnin and Conrad Pope gave of their time and experience through their teaching, mentoring, supervising and recording sessions. The most exciting aspect of the industry in LA is that everybody takes it seriously and has a professional ethic which really does inspire you to be the best you can be and to take yourself seriously as a professional who has a contribution to make in the world of movie and music making.
Q6. What is your favourite and most inspirational film score to date?
It's an extremely difficult question to answer - it changes quite a lot. The two scores that made me want to be a composer were by John Williams and Ennio Morricone. ET and The Mission. Music has such a huge part to play in these films and really do take the viewer on an emotional journey. I saw Ennio Morricone in concert in Belfast last year and I'd have to say that the Theme from Cinema Paradiso moved me to tears!
Q7.You have had a very diverse career from starting off as sound supervisor on “The Last Word” to working on “A Love Divided” amongst others, has this diversity help your career path?
Despite the fact that so many of our jobs today are highly specialized it still comes down to people working alone and working in teams to get work significantly larger than themselves completed. In most cases the jobs I have done to date have simply been a case of being in a position to complete one piece of a jigsaw puzzle. Most of our skills do translate in other jobs or facets of production. I had a background working for a music publisher at one stage and this really did help me in the role of music supervisor on one feature. I played in orchestras and learned to read orchestral score in school and college. This helped me in my role as score supervisor. Who knows? My experience as a film composer may make me a better teacher or vice versa.
Q8. You been involved in many award winning productions such as “The Fairy Tale” and recently won best score for IFTN for “Winters End”. What did it fee like for you work to be so highly regarded by your peers?
It is certainly great to receive recognition for your work. It's not often that people working behind the camera or in post production get to be acknowledged for their work. For the vast majority of us it's not really the driving force behind the work, but it's great to see the fruits of your struggle rewarded with some deserved attention from time to time.
Q9. With so many awards behind you, what is the secret to your success?
If I seem to have had success in my career so far it's not always immediately obvious to me. Seriously, I think that it's not something that you can always work towards. It's like trying to become a millionaire by working in entertainment. Success, money or whatever markers you use to measure success are just that. They're indications of how well people think you performed at a particular job at one time or other. I don't view myself as successful, but I do take pride in trying to be as good as I can be for every job I do. It doesn't always turn out how you planned it, but it's the sincerity of your efforts that people come to respect.
Q10. You are currently guest lecture for Pulse College how did you get involved with the college?
I think I first met Aidan and Tony around twelve years ago while recording some film cues on the Film Music Course. I taught a few classes on music technology for film composers just after I completed the programme and Aidan approached me to guest lecture on Pulse’s Sound Engineering courses. Over the past few years Aidan and Tony have recorded my music and I have worked for them.
Q11. How do find the challenge of teaching?
It's a rewarding one. The real difficulty is assessing what's needed. There's only a finite amount of time and you need to make it as practical as possible. It's easy to stand up and talk about subjects that interest me personally, but it's really all about what the student needs not the teacher.
Q12. You are now based mainly in you studios in Dublin how do you find the music industry in Dublin in comparison to the other cities you have worked in?
I think there is a prodigious amount of talent and some great music being created here. I do still think we have a very young film and music industry. While there is definitely talent I think we could take a leaf out of other's books and concentrate more on our professionalism and less on what people think of us. If you genuinely work hard at creating something and spend less time judging the efforts of others I think you feel better about your own worth.
Q13. Any advice for our Pulse College Graduates starting out their career?
What's that old saying - Knowledge doesn't weigh anything. I think working in as many aspects of the business as possible will do nothing but improve your prospects. I think it helps to have a real interest in everything around your own main discipline. I love learning more about film making, talking with people who are in the thick of it, thinking about why a composer chooses particular entry and exit points in a scene. I'm a composer, but that doesn't stop me from learning or seeking to understand how other creative minds in different disciplines find solutions.
Q14. What do you see as the future of music production?
Firewire or Fibrechannel to Neuron interface... Less people playing more or more people playing less. I'd like to think we will move forward towards great music where its inception is artistically or creatively driven rather than an average of market surveys. There are more tools now for fixing less talented musicians than there are for elevating good ones to greatness. Maybe that's something to think about.
Q15. In between lecturing in Pulse College, what other exciting projects have you got lined up?
The most exciting project that I have lined up right now is tidying up and perhaps redesigning my studio after a house move. There are a few interesting film projects coming up, but their NDA's are so tight that if I told you I would have to shoot you.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Diary of a Leonardo Intern from Naomi Macleod
With Pulse College receiving Leonardo funding for the second year running, Pulse news jumped on the opportunity to get the inside story on what it is like to be an intern in some of the UK’s most exclusive recording studios. Naomi Macleod was placed in the Idyllic Leeders Farm Studio and tells us all about her experiences of late nights, Hungarian metal and tea making!
I am Naomi Macleod and I was lucky to get the opportunity to work in the breathtaking Leeders Farm Studios in Wymondham as part of my Leonardo placement. Norfolk is about 2 hours north of London. I flew to Stansted airport on the 28th of March, very excited, if a little nervous!
Leeders Farm is in a tiny village about 20 minutes from Norwich city. It is a residential studio on 4 acres, and runs two Pro Tools HD-equipped recording studios, as well as a large instrument hire company. They often record to tape, and have more vintage gear than you could shake a mic stand at. Needless to say, upon arriving I was fairly awestruck by the studio -built within the various barns and gable ends of a farmhouse dating back to the 1600s. The whole place has an instantly friendly and welcoming vibe, with the gold records and signed posters providing just enough of a reminder that it's all still rock 'n' roll! Nick showed me around the house and studios, and introduced me to the engineers and clients. As I would be mainly assisting in Studio One for the two weeks, in which a month-long session had just begun, I left my luggage at the nearby B&B and got straight to work in studio. The band I was assisting for was a Hungarian metal band called Heavenblade. Lucky for me, they provided some interesting challenges, in terms of sound engineering, including a 28-piece drumkit, which I helped Owen, the engineer, mic up.
As the band's album was very much in the operatic metal style, the music was sufficiently complex that I got to witness and help out with hours upon hours of editing - I picked up more than a few quick tips in Pro Tools! After a day or two of tiredness, I finally settled in to the working hours. We would start most days at 10 or 11am, and finish between midnight and 2am. As time went on, I progressed from making tea for the band and engineer, to sitting at the desk operating the talkback, then to operating Pro Tools. It was great to see that the studio had built up a trust in me as an assistant in the space of a few days. At the end of the first week, I began staying in the studio's residential accommodation, in the lovely oak-frame farmhouse. This made the late hours a lot more bearable.
One of the main things I enjoyed learning all about was the workings of Studio One and Studio Two. Owen was more than happy to talk me through it all as he went along, which was great. As both studios are made up of large amounts of very old equipment, I was keen to see how certain compromises were worked around. It was great to build on what I'd learnt in college already, and use it to understand the quirks of this particular studio!
Needless to say, throughout the experience it was not all work no play; there were several band outings to the local pub, which provided pleasant relief from the sometimes stressful environment in the control room. By the end of the two weeks, I felt I had both built on my college learning to date, and learnt a lot of new things in terms of recording, production techniques, general creative dynamics, and the general workflow of a residential studio. Heavenblade and Owen, as well as the various engineers I assisted, were all a joy to work with -I really didn't want to leave, and I'm hoping to someday return there to work.
I am Naomi Macleod and I was lucky to get the opportunity to work in the breathtaking Leeders Farm Studios in Wymondham as part of my Leonardo placement. Norfolk is about 2 hours north of London. I flew to Stansted airport on the 28th of March, very excited, if a little nervous!
Leeders Farm is in a tiny village about 20 minutes from Norwich city. It is a residential studio on 4 acres, and runs two Pro Tools HD-equipped recording studios, as well as a large instrument hire company. They often record to tape, and have more vintage gear than you could shake a mic stand at. Needless to say, upon arriving I was fairly awestruck by the studio -built within the various barns and gable ends of a farmhouse dating back to the 1600s. The whole place has an instantly friendly and welcoming vibe, with the gold records and signed posters providing just enough of a reminder that it's all still rock 'n' roll! Nick showed me around the house and studios, and introduced me to the engineers and clients. As I would be mainly assisting in Studio One for the two weeks, in which a month-long session had just begun, I left my luggage at the nearby B&B and got straight to work in studio. The band I was assisting for was a Hungarian metal band called Heavenblade. Lucky for me, they provided some interesting challenges, in terms of sound engineering, including a 28-piece drumkit, which I helped Owen, the engineer, mic up.
As the band's album was very much in the operatic metal style, the music was sufficiently complex that I got to witness and help out with hours upon hours of editing - I picked up more than a few quick tips in Pro Tools! After a day or two of tiredness, I finally settled in to the working hours. We would start most days at 10 or 11am, and finish between midnight and 2am. As time went on, I progressed from making tea for the band and engineer, to sitting at the desk operating the talkback, then to operating Pro Tools. It was great to see that the studio had built up a trust in me as an assistant in the space of a few days. At the end of the first week, I began staying in the studio's residential accommodation, in the lovely oak-frame farmhouse. This made the late hours a lot more bearable.
One of the main things I enjoyed learning all about was the workings of Studio One and Studio Two. Owen was more than happy to talk me through it all as he went along, which was great. As both studios are made up of large amounts of very old equipment, I was keen to see how certain compromises were worked around. It was great to build on what I'd learnt in college already, and use it to understand the quirks of this particular studio!
Needless to say, throughout the experience it was not all work no play; there were several band outings to the local pub, which provided pleasant relief from the sometimes stressful environment in the control room. By the end of the two weeks, I felt I had both built on my college learning to date, and learnt a lot of new things in terms of recording, production techniques, general creative dynamics, and the general workflow of a residential studio. Heavenblade and Owen, as well as the various engineers I assisted, were all a joy to work with -I really didn't want to leave, and I'm hoping to someday return there to work.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Ger McDonnell Guest Lecturer Profile
This month's guest lecture profile we look into career the of Ger McDonnell, music producer/mixer/engineer with credits including U2, Manic Street Preachers, Dido, Texas, Def Leppard, Kasabian to name a few. Dublin born and bred, at the age of eight, he began to study orchestral percussion at the College of Music. Having studied there for eight years, poised for a career in teaching, he decided to follow his long-harboured desire to be involved in the world of "making records". Having served his time working as an assistant/trainee recording engineer In various studios around Dublin he had a chance meeting with producer Mike Hedge. Ger went on to work extensively with Mike and various high profile artists such as U2. Working in many of the best recording studios in the UK Ireland and France Ger gained invaluable experience along the way.
Q1. You started your music career at the tender age of eight. Where did this love of music come from?
I would have to say that my love of music comes from my parents, really, you could argue that it's in the genes! Neither of them played an instrument, but are great singers. When growing up there was always music on in our house, be it on the radio or on the turntable. My Mum loves The Beatles and a lot of pop music, my Dad is a fan of Buddy Holly and Johnny Cash, so we had a bit of a mixed bag of tastes in there. I tried to get them into some classical music and Joy Division in my teens, but to no avail. Can't think why!
Q2. You were set for a career in teaching, what changed your mind?
I guess I was probably on a path towards teaching orchestral percussion, as I enrolled at the College Of Music in Dublin when I was eight. I was driving my folks crazy whacking the living daylights out of biscuit tins, so they were advised to help me get it out of my system. So, parallel to secondary school, I went through the grades studying music, but I'd always had this fascination with the mystery of recorded music, and I'd been dabbling with four-track cassette recorders. So when it came time to leave school and make my choice for adulthood, so to speak, all of this combined and sound engineering seemed like an obvious choice.
Q4. How did you manage to break into the industry, was it hard?
Well, I wouldn't call it breaking into the industry as such, more like 'burrowing' into it... around the time I left school in 1990, there weren't really any training courses available in Dublin, so it was a case of trotting around the various studios I knew about with my C.V. under my arm, and from there managed to get in on work experience. And the rest, as they say...
Q5. Tell us about your career background, you have worked with some of the top artists in the world from The Cure to The Manics and most famously U2.
I have been quite lucky and stuck with it, I guess it pays off in the end. I basically studio-hopped for a few years, assisting and making tea/getting experience at various studios around Dublin, Westland, Sun, Windmill, Sonic Studios, plus I did manage to get some experience with live sound and rigging PA systems, but I realised I much preferred the safe cocoon of studio life! Doing live sound at a local level I found quite unrewarding. Good front-of-house sound is a proper skill, but it just bored me, really. I ended up settling in as assistant engineer at the wonderful Bow Lane Studios, that was where I really started to get my teeth into engineering, learning the craft. I had great freedom there. I got to work with Def Leppard and an artist called 'Dara' (Daragh O Toole), whose demos I worked on there came to the attention of Sony UK, and of course, Mike Hedges. Daragh himself very kindly pushed to get me involved in engineering the album sessions with Mike, so after meeting him in Dublin for a quick interview, I went over for a few days' trial at his studio in France. I've been working with him ever since. It opened up a whole new world to me really and I've been very lucky to have worked on a lot of great projects as a result, lots of amazing studios (which are getting rarer these days...), Abbey Road, Air, Wessex, Westside, Miloco, Strongroom, Whitfield St....
Q6. What have been the highlights of your career to date?
Highlights, hmmm, every session is different, I think it's important not to expect the same experience from one session to the next, but I find enjoyment in them all, really. Obviously the higher-profile projects have their moments, like being in front of a fantastic vintage Neve console and having every member of U2 at the other end of each microphone. That was quite cool. Having the pleasure to work with real talent, James from the Manic Street Preachers is amazing. Every time an artist approves a mix I do, for me that's a highlight. As a mixer or recordist, you aim to please, but we all need these little pats on the head from time to time, it keeps you going. I'm sure Mr Rick Rubin does it for exactly the same reasons.
Q7. What has been the most challenging project you've worked on?
Diplomacy is the greatest skill you can aspire to have as a producer...! From a technical point of view, perhaps some of the U2 remixes) I worked on with Mike were fairly tricky, purely from a track-count point of view. It was our task to sift through the original multitracks and be a bit creative with rebalancing, they gave us free-reign to look for alternative takes of songs, etc. Because the digital 'MDM's had just come out when they were recording it, when we got hold of them all and eventually transferred the whole lot into ProTools, there were something like approaching 300 tracks on each song. There is always something in the studio, computers crashing, mics crackling, dodgy cables, tapes snapping, tea with too much milk in it, tempers flaring, artistic toes being trod on, egos to be massaged, record label personnel to be appeased... just count to ten and find a happy place. It's only music.
Q8. You have worked in studios all over Europe. How does the Irish Music Industry compare?
By comparison to the UK or Europe, the Irish recording studio scene is obviously quite small as an industry, but it does seem to be weathering the recessional storm quite well, many major studios in the UK in particular have closed down over the years, landmark spaces like Olympic in Barnes with a huge history of classic recordings just vanished, seemingly overnight. Quite sad, I think, but as commercial spaces they just weren't viable anymore. Even Abbey Road is up for grabs, that I find interesting too. So the whole technical software-based studio revolution that we all screamed for has definitely called the whole concept of the term 'Recording Studio' into question, and as much as I welcome the 'anyone with a laptop can do it' approach, I can't help worrying that basic engineering skills are suffering as a result of the studios' demise. One little gripe I would say has always been a problem for me here in Ireland has been that of studio maintenance. I suppose I was lucky enough to have worked at great studios with in-house fixers, but in Ireland there just aren't the in-house maintenance skills or wages available to pay them, more to the point.
Q9. What drew you to Pulse College as a Guest Lecturer?
I was asked by the lovely Pulse people to attempt to impart some 'grand-old- man-of-the-studio' wisdom to their students a couple of years ago, and I'm always glad and flattered to help out. I've always loved the atmosphere at Pulse, genuinely, I'm not just saying it! There is a certain pride in what they do that is infectious, staff are always polite and fun at the same time. I've enjoyed great work there, and hope to do so again soon. I'm particularly pleased by the Windmill Recording acquisition, I think it will prove to be a great facility.
Q10. As an industry expert what advice would you give to Pulse graduates?
Industry expert I most certainly am not! That would be my first bit of advice, probably because I'm frustratingly modest. But I think that the moment you assume you are an expert, then you're in trouble, you'll lose your edge. It's all about gathering experience, balancing that with healthy doses of confidence, having infinite patience and sleep deprivation, eventually you'll get there. Wherever that is... oh, and use your ears as well as your eyes occasionally.
Q1. You started your music career at the tender age of eight. Where did this love of music come from?
I would have to say that my love of music comes from my parents, really, you could argue that it's in the genes! Neither of them played an instrument, but are great singers. When growing up there was always music on in our house, be it on the radio or on the turntable. My Mum loves The Beatles and a lot of pop music, my Dad is a fan of Buddy Holly and Johnny Cash, so we had a bit of a mixed bag of tastes in there. I tried to get them into some classical music and Joy Division in my teens, but to no avail. Can't think why!
Q2. You were set for a career in teaching, what changed your mind?
I guess I was probably on a path towards teaching orchestral percussion, as I enrolled at the College Of Music in Dublin when I was eight. I was driving my folks crazy whacking the living daylights out of biscuit tins, so they were advised to help me get it out of my system. So, parallel to secondary school, I went through the grades studying music, but I'd always had this fascination with the mystery of recorded music, and I'd been dabbling with four-track cassette recorders. So when it came time to leave school and make my choice for adulthood, so to speak, all of this combined and sound engineering seemed like an obvious choice.
Q4. How did you manage to break into the industry, was it hard?
Well, I wouldn't call it breaking into the industry as such, more like 'burrowing' into it... around the time I left school in 1990, there weren't really any training courses available in Dublin, so it was a case of trotting around the various studios I knew about with my C.V. under my arm, and from there managed to get in on work experience. And the rest, as they say...
Q5. Tell us about your career background, you have worked with some of the top artists in the world from The Cure to The Manics and most famously U2.
I have been quite lucky and stuck with it, I guess it pays off in the end. I basically studio-hopped for a few years, assisting and making tea/getting experience at various studios around Dublin, Westland, Sun, Windmill, Sonic Studios, plus I did manage to get some experience with live sound and rigging PA systems, but I realised I much preferred the safe cocoon of studio life! Doing live sound at a local level I found quite unrewarding. Good front-of-house sound is a proper skill, but it just bored me, really. I ended up settling in as assistant engineer at the wonderful Bow Lane Studios, that was where I really started to get my teeth into engineering, learning the craft. I had great freedom there. I got to work with Def Leppard and an artist called 'Dara' (Daragh O Toole), whose demos I worked on there came to the attention of Sony UK, and of course, Mike Hedges. Daragh himself very kindly pushed to get me involved in engineering the album sessions with Mike, so after meeting him in Dublin for a quick interview, I went over for a few days' trial at his studio in France. I've been working with him ever since. It opened up a whole new world to me really and I've been very lucky to have worked on a lot of great projects as a result, lots of amazing studios (which are getting rarer these days...), Abbey Road, Air, Wessex, Westside, Miloco, Strongroom, Whitfield St....
Q6. What have been the highlights of your career to date?
Highlights, hmmm, every session is different, I think it's important not to expect the same experience from one session to the next, but I find enjoyment in them all, really. Obviously the higher-profile projects have their moments, like being in front of a fantastic vintage Neve console and having every member of U2 at the other end of each microphone. That was quite cool. Having the pleasure to work with real talent, James from the Manic Street Preachers is amazing. Every time an artist approves a mix I do, for me that's a highlight. As a mixer or recordist, you aim to please, but we all need these little pats on the head from time to time, it keeps you going. I'm sure Mr Rick Rubin does it for exactly the same reasons.
Q7. What has been the most challenging project you've worked on?
Diplomacy is the greatest skill you can aspire to have as a producer...! From a technical point of view, perhaps some of the U2 remixes) I worked on with Mike were fairly tricky, purely from a track-count point of view. It was our task to sift through the original multitracks and be a bit creative with rebalancing, they gave us free-reign to look for alternative takes of songs, etc. Because the digital 'MDM's had just come out when they were recording it, when we got hold of them all and eventually transferred the whole lot into ProTools, there were something like approaching 300 tracks on each song. There is always something in the studio, computers crashing, mics crackling, dodgy cables, tapes snapping, tea with too much milk in it, tempers flaring, artistic toes being trod on, egos to be massaged, record label personnel to be appeased... just count to ten and find a happy place. It's only music.
Q8. You have worked in studios all over Europe. How does the Irish Music Industry compare?
By comparison to the UK or Europe, the Irish recording studio scene is obviously quite small as an industry, but it does seem to be weathering the recessional storm quite well, many major studios in the UK in particular have closed down over the years, landmark spaces like Olympic in Barnes with a huge history of classic recordings just vanished, seemingly overnight. Quite sad, I think, but as commercial spaces they just weren't viable anymore. Even Abbey Road is up for grabs, that I find interesting too. So the whole technical software-based studio revolution that we all screamed for has definitely called the whole concept of the term 'Recording Studio' into question, and as much as I welcome the 'anyone with a laptop can do it' approach, I can't help worrying that basic engineering skills are suffering as a result of the studios' demise. One little gripe I would say has always been a problem for me here in Ireland has been that of studio maintenance. I suppose I was lucky enough to have worked at great studios with in-house fixers, but in Ireland there just aren't the in-house maintenance skills or wages available to pay them, more to the point.
Q9. What drew you to Pulse College as a Guest Lecturer?
I was asked by the lovely Pulse people to attempt to impart some 'grand-old- man-of-the-studio' wisdom to their students a couple of years ago, and I'm always glad and flattered to help out. I've always loved the atmosphere at Pulse, genuinely, I'm not just saying it! There is a certain pride in what they do that is infectious, staff are always polite and fun at the same time. I've enjoyed great work there, and hope to do so again soon. I'm particularly pleased by the Windmill Recording acquisition, I think it will prove to be a great facility.
Q10. As an industry expert what advice would you give to Pulse graduates?
Industry expert I most certainly am not! That would be my first bit of advice, probably because I'm frustratingly modest. But I think that the moment you assume you are an expert, then you're in trouble, you'll lose your edge. It's all about gathering experience, balancing that with healthy doses of confidence, having infinite patience and sleep deprivation, eventually you'll get there. Wherever that is... oh, and use your ears as well as your eyes occasionally.
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