Jessica Elton - Audio Producer
Audio Producer - Forever Audio
Experience 5+ years
“We are always considering how we can be innovative and creative to impress the client and act as a bridge between them and the engineer who then uses their technical skills to create the finished product.”
Describe your job role and the kinds of projects/clients you work with.
Specialising in audio, my role is about producing world class audio, which is done through managing a team of sound engineers, briefs for sessions from clients, project requests and problems that arise during the post-production process. Requests can be recording sessions, mixing sessions, sound design /edits. I work across a variety of advertising platforms, such as TV, radio, digital and cinema and manage the process from brief and scheduling, to asset gathering / prep, quality control and delivery. Clients can vary from direct brands and advertising agencies to production companies, podcast companies or just anyone needing assistance with anything audio-related.
What does an average day look like in your post production working world?
It can be exceptionally varied, no two days are the same due to the nature of requests we receive, projects we work on and people that we meet. I receive multiple requests throughout the day and it’s my job to assess what is needed to keep the client happy and deliver a briefing. This may mean cost tracking, casting assistance, liaising with the engineer on technical requirements prior to the session, sourcing SFX palettes, library music tracks, prepping assets that we either have in the system or are yet to receive, scheduling the recording and mixing job in and managing the process through the end once the final delivery has been shared with the client - there is a lot of time management involved. It can be very hands-on and fast-paced due to the volume of requests in advertising, and this can sometimes mean scheduling conflicts at the studios, but it’s a lot of fun sitting in with the engineer feeding back information/sound designing against picture for a TV/radio campaign etc and the creativity that comes with that.
We are always considering how we can be innovative and creative to impress the client and act as a bridge between them and the engineer who then uses their technical skills to create the finished product. It may be that we receive small requests such as a simple voiceover recording to picture for an internal comms video a company is using with their staff, or it could be a full campaign project spanning several months with multiple castings, recordings, sound design, music edits, cinema mixing etc. Part of my role is to quality-check for small specification audio requirements for advertising platforms, such as having 6 frames of silence at start and end of TV mixes, making sure audio is well balanced, script wording is correct i.e. is the tagline correctly included at the end? Is the brand’s sign off included? Are the legals in this radio spot clearly heard and not rushed? - that sort of thing.
Sometimes I may also voice small character lines for scripts which can be lots of fun, or assist with a guide read, direct voice artists etc, and then additionally manage cost tracking where budgets are concerned. As the role is client-facing, good communication skills is key, be it with the client themselves, the engineer, other producers, agencies etc. A client may not necessarily know what will make something pop from an audio perspective, and part of the role would be to delicately craft this into a conversation without treading on anyone’s toes. There are a lot of email and phone communications too, so however you’re speaking to someone, it’s important to consider how that information will come across to the person on the other end.
How did your career in post production begin?
I originally had hoped to work in video editing, and through a friend of a friend heard of an entry level position working as a receptionist at Forever Audio. This was a great experience in gaining an understanding of advertising post-production and audio-workflows, the kind of projects that are worked on, people that you meet etc. From there, I fell in love with audio post-production - I figured a lot of the same skills in hospitality such as keen abilities to project manage may apply to being a producer and when a spot opened up in-house on our studio time I decided to go for it. Over the years I gained more experience on different projects and I now manage the largest studio clients at our company. The rest is history.
What has been your career highlight?
One of my most recent campaign projects was a multi-platform advertising campaign for Sky Vegas as they launched their re-brand. This involved 8 spots in total across TV, radio & cinema (not including digitally also), and working very closely with an agency. At times it can be very difficult to manage a campaign that large effectively; there can be diary clashes and scheduling conflicts, the client having a lot of amends and tweaks, and usually the time frame can span several months. It was a highlight because it went exceptionally well and I am pleased with the outcome / work we achieved throughout the sound design process. At times I needed to drive sessions and steer direction between the engineer and agency to make the processes more efficient; which reminds me of how far I have come in an industry I accidentally stepped into!
Who are your role models in post?
My role models are all people I have worked with: my previous manager, Dan. Our Global Head of Production, Sam Dillon, our Head of Music, Jack Whitney and my new manager Tobie Pettitt. I credit all of these people as mentors who have taught me so much over the years, and without whom my experience and knowledge would not have blossomed so, in the way that it did. I admire their knowledge in different areas and skills, and each brings something new to the audio table.
What advice do you have for others wanting to start a career in post?
It would be nice to see more women, either as engineers or producers. I think having an interest in production work is important and runner roles, receptionist roles etc. are a good way to get a foot in the door or start out gaining knowledge in the industry, in the same way that I did. Being passionate about work you want to create is key too!
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