Tuesday 18 October 2016

Working for the Beeb

Recent graduate (and Sennheiser award winner!) Mark Timms sent us some news from his current work on the BBC series 'Doctors'.

Working alongside top Production sound mixers such Tony Wass and Andy Redfern, Mark says...

"I’ve just finished my fourth week on doctors now for the BBC and it’s lots of fun, very hectic as they shoot a lot of material each day but you get used to it! I’m the sound assistant and second boom operator, so I’m in early prepping the kit for a 10-11 hour shoot then de-rigging in the evening. The team there are great though and it’s a good environment for learning and making contacts."



He adds that 'There's still loads to learn but knowing my stuff with the Sound Devices 664 mixer and having location sound experience got me in so couldn’t have done it without the help received on the course at Bucks'

As if that isn't a good enough start in the industry, Mark has also been working as a runner at one of Soho's premier Audio post-production facilities Warner Bros De Lane Lea. Of his experiences there so far he says, 'I was able to sit in on several ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement/Dubbing) sessions, including one with Brian Blessed for the Lego Dimensions game, and one crowd session for a film called How To Talk to Girls at Parties. I learnt a lot about how ADR is done at that level, I also spoke to the mix techs about what they do and they walked me through their set up which was great to see.'

Go Mark!!!


Awards Season!









See the full story here... http://bucks.ac.uk/content/newsroom/2016/Daniel_Sloma
http://bucks.ac.uk/content/newsroom/2016/Mark_Timms

Tuesday 24 May 2016

BUCKS NEW UNIVERSITY GRADUATE IN TUNE WITH HER CAREER IN DELTA SOUNDS ROLE

Buckinghamshire New University BA (Hons) Audio and Music Production graduate Cara Smith has praised her degree as she forges a career as a Project Manager with the Royal Albert Hall for global audio and communications company Delta Sound.
The company has worked with the world-famous venue for 20 years and Cara’s role includes includes quoting for the use of the in-house EM Acoustics PA system for new productions and project managing sound for events, from quoting a price to ensuring all is set up properly on the day.
Cara Smith_Royal Albert Hall
Cara said: “I also have the opportunity to mix Front of House and Monitors at some of the gigs we do at the Hall, which is great for keeping my hand in sound engineering and broadening my work.”
Since completing her degree in 2015, Cara has also worked as an Events Assistant at StubHub.
Speaking of her education, she added: “University helped prepare me for this role through both my degree and the work I did outside it whilst studying at Bucks.
“The Live Sound module in particular with Daniel Peters helped broaden my knowledge of how a live gig is set up and run, whilst I also worked as a sound technician covering events at Bucks Students’ Union. This cemented my experience in a real-world situation.
“Through my hard work during my degree, I was also put forward to work at Glastonbury Festival in 2015 as part of their ‘Next Generation’ scheme. I worked with NEG Earth Lights Ltd on the Pyramid Stage and this experience was really beneficial and really helped me gain first-hand experience of how a large-scale event is planned and then run.
“I wouldn’t be in the role I am now if it wasn’t for studying my degree at Bucks, as not only did I learn a lot during my time there but also the connections I made and people I met ultimately helped me secure this job.”
Daniel Peters, Lecturer in Audio & Music Production (Live Sound), said: “Cara’s success reflects the opportunities open to someone as dedicated as she was in her studies.Cara Smith_Royal Albert Hall_BW
“The facilities at Bucks and the combination of transferable audio engineering and management skills taught on the Audio and Music Production degree mean students are ready for industry by the time they graduate.

Monday 25 April 2016

Trip to Pinewood



2nd year students had a visit to nearby Pinewood film studios. This included spending some time with Rerecording mixer Brendan Nicholson who gave us a mixing demo in the Powell dubbing theatre - the largest mixing stage in the UK and equipped for Dolby's latest surround sound format; Dolby Atmos. There have been some amazing films mixed here such as Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting and 28 Day Later


Students also had a tour of the studios, led by Ann Runeckles from Pinewood. This included a peek into the stages where the latest series of classic sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf is in production. 

Many thanks due to all at Pinewood for a great day, and a rare insight into the heart of uk film production.











Friday 19 February 2016

Top Guest Lecturers

We've had some incredible guests visiting us recently, such as Tudor Davies who came in to talk about his work as Sound Supervisor on Later with Jools Holland, Glastonbury for the BBC, TFI Friday and a whole lot more. Many thanks Tudor!