My Industry Experiences
by
Ken Lanyon
When I first started my career in audio engineering, I knew that I would have to take an internship to get started. Most studios just don't take in engineers off the street. Everyone needs to prove themselves as having the skills to deliver a product that their clients are happy with. Beyond that, the studio needs to make sure that these people have a good work ethic, and a personality that can be compatible with anyone that comes into the studio. The studio personnel are constantly evaluating all these things during your internship, and it is essential that one learns how to prove themselves, or else their career will be short lived. In light of that, I wanted to share a small bit of my story and offer up my advice to those who are planning on working up the ladder at any studio.
So here I am after graduation from recording school ready to take on the industry. This is the time that is so exciting and scary at the same time, not knowing what to expect in the next few years. I was determined to work my tail off trying to gain some experience and make a name for myself. My school had told us partly what to expect from our internship, which would included making coffee, going on food runs for the clients, and a lot of cleaning! Looking for a studio to intern at was a difficult thing in itself, because there was a lot of competition from my classmates looking for internships. I knew the big studios would be expecting a lot from the new interns, seeing as they were supposed to be the better students from each class.
Prior to graduation, I had finally secured an internship at Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta Georgia, and that took a huge weight off my shoulders. I didn't want to graduate without having a job lined up, and I certainly wanted it to be in the audio industry. Now I just had to get myself moved up to Atlanta, which would come in the next few days.
After getting moved in, I gave the studio a call to see when I should start, and they told me to come in that day. I knew a few weeks before that I would be working with two of my classmates, which was actually cool, but at some point, I would have to make myself shine out above them to get noticed by the studio manager. Just like we had been told, we all started out cleaning everything in sight. We weren't allowed to play with any of the gear without an engineer around, so that left us looking for things to occupy our 8-hour shifts (10am to 6pm). On top of that, we weren't getting paid, and while I was living off saving from my previous career, my classmates had to get jobs.
This moved them up to the nightshift after our 2 week training period, so they could work during the day. For the next 4 weeks, I continued to work hard to impress the staff, all the while keeping a good attitude about having to clean all the time. I kept reminding myself that it would all pay off, and at the very least, I was working at a beautiful recording studio where some big hit albums had been created! I have to admit though, that at the end of the 5th week, I was very exhausted with doing nothing but cleaning each day, but I realized later that it was just a normal occurrence, and that most of the interns had a discouraging week or two like that.
During this time, I got placed on a few sessions as an intern. Interns are often placed on bigger sessions to help out the assistant with whatever needs done. This mainly includes picking up food orders, catering to the clients, and cleaning up during the session, but the benefit is that the intern gets to watch the session happen from inside the control room when he/she isn't busy. They get to see how the engineer mics the instruments, hooks up the gear, and gets his sounds up. They may even get a chance to set up some mics and other equipment. It is a real privilege for an intern to get to sit in on a session because it shows that the manager has faith in them and that they are doing a good job, so it would be wise for this person to pay attention. It is also important because this may be the only preparation the intern has before being placed on a session as an assistant, and you want to make sure you are ready for that.
Despite what my school told me about how internships should normally last 6 weeks, mine kept on until my 3rd month, where I was finally given the chance to assist. I think until you get thrown into a session, you don't realize how much work you have to stay on top of. Assisting the engineer is really a busy job before and after the session, setting things up and tearing down. You will be expected to set up mics, run mic cables, calibrate tape machines, and maybe even set up a Protools session. Everything needs to be in order by the time the client arrives, or it looks like the studio doesn't have it together. This is why I always try to be about 2 hours early when I have to set up mics. It really depends on what your sessions needs as to how early you get there, but don't ever show up 5 minutes before the clients arrive. It just isn't professional.
Now, while you do get to sit back and let the engineer run the session, there are also a number of things you must keep on top of, such as labeling the console with the instrument names, patching various signals around on the board, and keeping track of CDs and DATs used. You may also be asked to document the settings on outboard gear, so good note taking is a must. Needless to say, I leaned a lot of lessons on my first assisting session, but
I made sure that I was ready for my next one. As a result, I have been working consistently as an assistant from then on. This is why I stress for any interns to really talk to the assistants early on to find out what they do during their sessions so you will be prepared for your big chance. I made sure that I talked to the engineers and assistants whenever I could about how they run their sessions, and how certain equipment worked and was hooked up.
Get them to show you what you don't feel comfortable with because it not only prepares you for future sessions, but also shows the staff that you want to learn.
Once you get your first assisting gig, more will follow, but don't get discouraged if they still consider you to be an intern. That is the way it works at some studios. You are an intern when you aren't assisting. Many studios in LA have interns working for a year or so until they get moved up to an assistant.
Obviously having gone through all this, I have a few pointers on surviving your internship that I wanted to share with those just starting out.
-
Be prepared to work hard and long hours. My first few weeks at the studio were nothing but 14-hour days, 7 days a week, building performance stages out of wood and doing yard work.
-
Find anything you can to do. Even when the big chores are done, like sweeping, mopping, and cleaning bathrooms, check the dust levels on the windowsills, desks, and pictures. Check for cobwebs on the ceilings, change burnt out light bulbs, organize closets…I guarantee there is always more work to be done!
-
Don't hang out in the lobby or sit on the couches during your free time. This shows that you have nothing to do, and studio managers don't have time to babysit those who can't find things for themselves to do. I knew one guy that used to sit on the couch in the lobby after he did a few chores, and his excuse for this was that he wanted to be available when they needed him. Of course, this got him nowhere because they thought he was lazy. If you have nothing to do, then they don't need you!
-
Try to anticipate what the studio needs. This could be things like grocery items (coffee, creamer, ketchup), new hinges for a broken cabinet, or anything else that you know would make the studio appear to be well maintained.
-
Take on projects that you know need to be done, like organizing or cleaning a certain room. I can promise you that your boss will love to see you taking on a project that no one else wants to do, or don't have time for. We have a few loading docks at my studio that are always getting cluttered up to the point that no one can walk in them. Take the time to organize places like these so that management doesn't have to ask someone to do it.
-
Tell the management about anything broken when you discover it. This also includes when you run low on things like vending items and toilet paper.
-
Make sure to see if any of the staff are hungry before going on a food run. I have found that people are a lot nicer when they feel that you are looking out for them, and pretty pissed off when they find out you went for food and didn't ask them. And always bring back receipts!
-
Treat the facility and all gear with respect. If they know you know how to treat the equipment, they are more apt to show you how it works and let you learn it on your own.
-
Read up on any manuals you can find. This will become valuable knowledge when you get your first assisting gigs.
-
Always maintain a positive attitude and drop the sarcasm. I have seen a few interns come and go that were very bitter about not getting as far as they wanted, but their problems were two-fold. First, they did a half-ass job on most the tasks they were given, and secondly, they always displayed a reluctance to do the work, often being sarcastic about agreeing to do the work. Management WILL see this and it wont get you anywhere.
-
Try not to annoy the staff by always asking questions or talking during an intern session. There is a right time and place for questions and if you pay attention, you will know when that is. The motto is "Interns should be seen and not heard."
-
Help out the assistants whenever possible because they will be more willing to show you things about the studio when they can. I know that I really appreciate it when the interns help me set up mics and get things going for my sessions. In return, I have developed good friendships with a few and teach them what I know. More importantly, when the management asks me who I think is doing well, or who I want to work with, I will know whom to suggest.
-
Do everything the staff asks, and always follow through, making sure they know you finished the job.
-
Don't give up. This is probably the most important thing I can suggest. It may be a long road, but keep your spirits up. You will get there if you are dedicated.
Now that I am more of an assistant than an intern, I find myself taking more time to sit down and practice my mixing. When you have the chance, take some time to mic up a drum set and practice your EQ techniques. It's also important to practice mixing, and learn any software programs that your studio uses.
Having been out of school for a while, it's interesting to hear about how 80% of my old recording school classmates are not even working in the music industry, completely throwing away their degree. A lot of this has to do with needing to find a part-time job for support, but many get frustrated with having to work so hard and give up. I have seen so many interns develop a bad attitude about working hard because they are tired of taking out the trash after 6 weeks and feel they are owed an assistant position, or get bitter because they aren't getting to where they want to be fast enough. All I can say is to stick with it. If you really work hard, I guarantee that the management will notice and give you your rewards. Just try and keep things in perspective and be realistic. Even with all the hassles of starting out, it will definitely all be worth it in the long run, and you will be a better person for it all. Good luck on your new career!
(c) 2000, Ken Lanyon,
All rights reserved.
About the Author
(You are allowed to copy and use this essay for your own non-professional use. You are prohibited from distributing copies to others for a fee or for no-charge. You may not publish or quote this essay without obtaining the written permission of the author.)
|
