A 'SOUND' CAREER

Soundrecording and audio production is a relatively newarea in our country. But it is fast gaining popularityas
the media industry continues to constantly boomhere and all over the world. If you have the ability to listen
intentlyand love quality sound, this might just be the career for you.
Accordingto a 2009report jointly published by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FICCI) and KPMG, the media and entertainment industry in India is likely to growat a compound annual
growth rate(CAGR) of 12.5per cent per annumover the period between 2009-13and touch US$20.09billion
by 2013. Along with the other categories of the entertainment industry, the music industry is also expected to
growsubstantially. Industry experts estimate that the current size of the music industry is about US$ 149
million. According to a PwC study, the industry is likely to grow to become a US$ 164.56 million industry by
2012.
With this kind of a forecast, a career choice in the media and more importantly the music industry can be a
goodoption andoneto beconsidered. Somekeyprofiles that aregainingpopularityandcreatingwaves inthis
industry are sound recording and audio production. Even in the filmindustry, sound recording and production
profiles now hold the key along with filmediting, direction and other such roles.
It has been made clear time and again about howimportant sound recording is in the music industry. It really
is the core of every music release as all depends on quality and standard of recording. On the other hand, If
you think of a film, serial without audio you can appreciate howsound changes the entire moodof film be it
a feature, TV commercial, documentary etc. Sound recording has become an integral part of filmproduction.
Themain role of a sound recordist or a production mixer is to ensure that quality audio is recorded during the
process of production by mixing a variety of sounds.
That being said, before you consider making sound recording as your profession, does evaluate yourself. It is
considerablynew, but slowlyandsteadily theimportanceof qualitysound recordists andaudio professionals is
being felt in the industry. Do ask yourself if you have patient and insightful listening ability and if you are
interestedintheworldof sound. Does deliveringaqualitysoundtrackfor afilm, event, or asongget your mind
racing? When listening to a song or a soundtrack, do you feel it could have been produced better? If the
answer is yes, Perhaps, you should consider sound recordist as a career seriously.
The work for a sound recording/audio professional generally falls into two areas: capturing of the original
sound and post-production of sound. Sound Recordists/Production Mixers record sound on location or in a
studio, also in synchronization with the camera if needed, to enable the highest quality of 'real' sound to be
recorded at the time of filming/recording. They monitor the quality of the sound recording through
headphones, and work closely with the Producer/Director, BoomOperator and sometimes the Sound Editor,
often using multiple microphones. Reproducing a similar experience while playing back the recording is their
main purpose. Aton of post productiontechniques arealso needed to enhancethesourcerecordingandmake
it suitable for the relative content before it can reach its final avatar.
Sound recording and professional audio graduates are required in recording studios, television studios, radio
broadcasting stations, in addition to filmproduction houses and advertising companies. Besides recording for
television and films, a sound recordist can consider a career in acoustics, which would relate to designing
auditoriums, concert halls and sound studios. With this special training, the sound engineer knows the quality
of sound, its boomness in halls and its character and many other attributes.
In India currently there is limited number of institutes offering sound recording courses.
Soundrecordingcourses are offered at PGdiploma, undergraduate and post graduate levels. The courses
offered at post graduate level are conducted by the filminstitutes in the country and are highly technical and
mostly require a B.Sc degree. A majority of the PGdiploma audio recording courses offered by private
institutes are for duration of one year and balance the technical with the creative and the practical.
Essentially an audio recording course will train a student in the hardware, software and technology needed to
excel as an audio professional. As this is the age of digital technology, a quality sound recording course along
with additional audio technology attributes includes training on the digital audio workstation (DAW) and other
advanced production technology. This will help a student to match up to international standards.
Another crucial aspect of the audio recording course is listening and analyzing. This is of utmost importance to
anyone working in the industry and is make or break as far as ones standing and growth in the profession is
concerned.
In addition to the streamlined curriculumof any soundrecording course, there are fewskills that one must try
andacquire that will stand goodstead in the profession to be successful. Problemsolving - thejobwill involve
solving problems created by particular locations or situations. In such asituation, the abilityto think creatively
is vital. For instance, As microphones pick up every minute sound, the ability to concentrate and pay close
attention to detail is crucial. Sharp listening, agility and good sense of timing; good communication,
interpersonal and teamskills; patience, self-discipline and reliability; diplomacy and sensitivity are of utmost
importance when working with clients, artistes and crew members and are some of the skills that will not be
taught in any audio/ sound recording course but will be vital to survive in the profession.
Once through with the course, there are a number of openings in the industry. Many sound recordist are
freelancers as the demand for a qualified one is very high in today's industry scenario. If one is at a 'hot'
industry location such as Mumbai or Chennai then starting salary can be around Rs 15-35 thousandand varies
fromRs 15-20 thousand elsewhere.
For more details visit http:/ / www.sac.ac.in/ sound-recording-design-course.asp