Throughout my time on the BA Sound Arts course, my aspirations have shifted from becoming a sound artist to focusing my career on post-production sound. My long-term goal is to become a successful hybrid sound designer. Since the beginning of my course, I have worked on gallery installation projects such as ‘It’s Not A Phase’ (2023, Gallery 46), alongside collaborating with both film and animation students also at London College of Communication (Where the Seas Doesn’t Follow). Although both required different approaches, they equally consolidated my love for sound design. The creativity in making a sonic palette for both projects excited me. Continuing, I underwent a Diploma In Professional Studies; where I became an intern for a post-production sound company called Sound Disposition. Here I was able to spread my wings in the post-production realm and gain hands-on experience in sound design – learning in a real industry setting. After working my way up within the company from intern to assistant sound designer – I felt that I had found the path I wanted to undertake within my future career.
My work at Sound Disposition very much mirrored that of my sound arts course. With Sound Disposition I was lucky enough to have designed for multiple gallery projects as well as TV and film. This duality of post-production sound and gallery-driven projects has honed my experience as a hybrid sound designer. Both the student collaborations at LCC alongside my professional work experience have helped me improve my sonic storytelling. All projects have made me realise the valuable relationship between picture and sound, and its impact on narration.
My Artist Bio: I’m a sound designer and sound effects editor from the North of England, now an adopted Londoner – bringing my Northern grit and a bold, creative edge to the world of post-production. As a young female creative, my work is driven by a deep curiosity for emotionally resonant and impactful storytelling.
My professional journey spans feature films, television series, short films, and gallery installations. I’ve crafted sound for cinematic projects such as Marching Powder and Strangers 2 and designed immersive audio experiences for gallery works with Frameless and the National Portrait Gallery. Across all mediums, I bring a unique and experimental sonic flare to shape and support the story. My approach draws on compositional techniques to create a distinct and expressive audio palette.
Outside the studio, I’m drawn to documentary-style art and photography – quiet studies of the real world that influence the honesty in my sound work. To me, sound is more than a technical layer. It’s a creative force; an anchor of expression. My aim is always to find the heartbeat of a story and let it speak through sound.
Looking Forward:
Looking forward I realise the opportunities in which going freelance can provide you as an artistic professional. This would give me more creative freedom and space to flourish my experimental sound design flare. Unlike other sound designers, I hope to place myself in the world of avant-garde storytelling with an expeirtilised sonic approach. Unfortunately my current position; working at an in-house post-production company does not allow me to flex these skills. Instead, I bound to a team effort and company style of sound design to clientele. With the freedom of freelance I believe I could find my own genres and style of film as a sound designer; solidifying my artist identity in the industry. Former inspirations like Hildegard Westerkamp and Jana Winderen on me during my time as a sound artist – due to my deep appreciation for acoustic ecology. However, since my progression within post-production, recent sound work such as Season 3 of The White Lotus sonically inspired me toward a path I would love to follow. Mark Allen (sound fx editor for The White Lotus Season 3) skillfully blurred the lines between sound designer and the natural world. His use of instrumental noise to mimic animals, waves and earthly elements was a truly unique approach that I have not seen before. With my interest in the sonic elements of the natural work – this piece of work is one I aspire to similarly create.
My Process Towards A Freelance Career:
To achieve the freelance workstyle I am aware I must extend my contacts within the industry. Since deciding I wanted to spread out into the freelance world of sound, I decided to recently join the Association of Motion Pictures for Sound (AMPS). This is a professional body that represents people who work in sound for film and TV within the United Kingdom. They host monthly “socials” where members can meet up and network. This has become a vital lifeline to expanding my professional contacts within the television industry. I have since met many professionals who I hope to work with in due course. Additionally, AMPS provide all members with the chance to join their mentoring scheme where you can be paired with a mentor free of charge. The mentors provided are often made up of working professionals who’ve reached the highest levels of their careers, including Oscar and BAFTA-winning individuals. With holes in my post-production sound knowledge like the ability to produce final mixes and dialogue editing – this program could help me reach the level of ability I need to be to forward myself as a freelance sound designer.
Overall:
Overall I hope to continue my journey in post-production by improving my sound skills and continuing to work on a range of different styles of work. Eventually, I hope to have the freedom of freelance work and solidify my artistic identity within the sound-for-film world.