Female Sound Designer/Engineers/Editors???? - Social Sound Design

Female Sound Designer/Engineers/Editors????

2012-08-29T14:31:32Z

I have just read this article from the BBC: Why are female record producers so rare? I do know of a few female sound people in the UK, but from what I can see it does seem to follow this trend and in my experience this is also reflected by the number of female students taking sound related courses at UK Universities. Is this the same in other countries? Is it different in other sectors of sound? For example, Sound Designer, Sound Engineers, Sound Editors, Foley Artists? Does anyone have any stats? Anyway to encourage more female students to apply for sound courses?

Thanks,

Answer by Shaun Farley for Female Sound Designer/Engineers/Editors????

2012-08-29T18:31:34Z

I personally know a lot of women sound editors/engineers/whatever you want to call the profession...there are even a few on SSD here...but there's a lot of passive sexism in our industry. When guys make comments like Internet Human's comment above (no offense meant, but it's a good example), "I guess women in arts just tend to enjoy more "artistic" positions, rather than technical," or another comment I've seen here on SSD in the past, "Holy crap! There's a girl here?!" (disclaimer: may not be strictly verbatim)...it creates a hostile environment. It's like we're saying they need to justify their presence in our profession.

If you want to encourage women to pursue this profession, we have to change the way we think and talk about the idea. One of the focuses of the Women's Audio Mission, that I mentioned above, is to simply increase the exposure of female professionals; giving young women who might be interested in the field some role models they can look up to. Don't treat the women who are here like they're anomalies. They're not. They're just as talented, artistic, and technically minded as the rest of us.

Answer by Marcin for Female Sound Designer/Engineers/Editors????

2012-08-30T01:04:41Z

In Poland, a lot of trained sound engineers/sound editors, especialy those graduated from "tonmeister" course at Frederic Chopin University Of Music , are woman... I thought about it earlier and I think it's some sort of phenomen. ;)

Answer by oinkaudio for Female Sound Designer/Engineers/Editors????

2012-08-30T07:01:32Z

My career started in Montreal, Canada where I spent many years in post audio. To put a smile on your face and to tell you that there are lots of women working in the post audio industry there from mixing right through to ADR Supervising and on set recording. Natalie Fluerant and Diane Carrier are industry veterans there both in ADR and Natalie Moran and Isabelle Larin are veteran foley recordists- all very technical. It is truly sad to stereotype women in the industry when my experience has been the exact opposite. There are a number on female on set recordists and boom operators of high caliber working in Montreal and Toronto and there are many female foley artists who have years under their belts. Also, I found that it is about a 60% to 40% split in favor of men in the post audio industry but that is a lot better than say 35 years ago when women were stereotyped into admin jobs, make-up, costume and hair. Things are changing and I agree that technology is NOT gender specific and the quality of my past colleagues work is exceptional.

I hope that when you students read this they will be inspired to pursue their dreams in a technological area such as cinema audio. At the end of the day we all have ears and the same neurological ability to process what we hear into a creative vision.

Hope it helps

Answer by Bit Depth for Female Sound Designer/Engineers/Editors????

2012-08-31T13:42:31Z

Thanks to all of you that have responded so far. I'm really keen to get some more input from female sound people. How did you end up in sound? Did you take a direct path or did you come into the sound area indirectly? Did you study a sound related course? What inspired you to take-up sound? Is there anything you think is gender specific?

Sorry for so many questions, but your answers could be a big help to change things in the future.

Answer by Ireri for Female Sound Designer/Engineers/Editors????

2012-08-31T16:31:44Z

Well I have to say, I'm a woman, I'm 24 years old and I'm studying to become a sound designer also, I'm from Mexico and most of my girl-friends are into sound editing, recording, design, etc. :D

Answer by MixingManiac for Female Sound Designer/Engineers/Editors????

2012-09-02T05:50:26Z

I am a post sound b#itch. I love it. It is everything I have wanted since I ran my Cubase system in 89. There is nothing else for me. I started competing for time in the studio at age 13.

While I do call my female comrades "unicorns", as there are not many of us, those that exist would not at all be attracted to more "artsy" course titles or different educational marketing. In fact, if anyone can find an Advanced SSL and/or Neve Automation Techniques for Post seminar or Audio Implementation course for gaming, I would be tickled.

The last statistic I read was 5% females in audio engineering by the US Dept of Labor a few years back. I couldn't tell you why it is so low. I cannot imagine a cooler gig.

All I know is that it is changing and the women that roll in audio successfully are blowing it up. Check out mixer Anna Behlmer (Super 8, Cloverfield, etc), mixer Lora Hirschberg (First Female Academy Award Winner for Audio Mix last year for Inception and also mixed Avengers and The Dark Knight this year.), or Supervising Sound Editor, Gwen Whittle (Tron, Mission:Impossible Ghost Protocol, etc). In fact, Skywalker in general has lots of audio chicks rocking the air waves.

Generally, there seems to be more females in dialogue editing, ADR mixing, & dialogue supervision than sound design, foley, and re-recording mix. But I know plenty of women on the lots in LA who can make things go "BOOM" and can surf faders. Many do so for some of the highest end audio post companies and studios imaginable. Take Ann Scibelli for example. She works for Soundelux and just finished Prometheus this year.

And just to crush another stereotype...I am also girly and hott. I love to nerd just as much as I love to get mani/pedis. We do exist. We are the complete package. We are gunning for your gigs. We are getting gigs and your studio will be assimilated. :)

Answer by Melissa Pons for Female Sound Designer/Engineers/Editors????

2012-09-05T15:53:37Z

I'm from Portugal and I don't know any other woman or girl into sound design in here. I attended a bachelor on Music Production and Technology and between 16-18 students per year, usually there are 0 to 1 girls. Even so, there are some live sound technicians girls and they all enjoy of a nice reputation, actually. I think they are seen as trustworthy. Within these areas, I think the ones who stand out are really good and work hard, more than most of guys, and of course if we are so few, we end up standing out.

Without criticizing anyone I agree to a certain extent the the 'engineering' is usually the weakest part, from what I've been seeing, most woman tend to focus more on the concept and so on, on a theoretical level, then technical experimentation. I guess it's only a matter of time, though.

Answer by Yvonne for Female Sound Designer/Engineers/Editors????

2013-02-09T09:09:14Z

I am shocked that there is still the attitude that women aren't technical!!!! It would be great to know what aspect of studio technology isn't feminine?

A sound engineer of 25 years.

Also a woman.

Answer by g.a.harry for Female Sound Designer/Engineers/Editors????

2013-02-10T09:28:45Z

My live mixing mentor was female.
The badassinest sound dude I ever met.

Answer by Chris Assells for Female Sound Designer/Engineers/Editors????

2013-02-14T22:45:12Z

When I started (around 25-30 years ago) it seemed like the only females were ADR & dialogue editors and foley walkers (now called foley Artists). That has changed.

When we were cutting on film it was a dirtier and much more physically demanding job. Sound FX and design was a boys club ... not anymore. Not even a little bit.

Women are everywhere (thank god!) Where I work there are now as many women as men. Nothing is gender specific anymore. There are more male sound supervisors than female but I think that is just a remnant from the past. There is now a much bigger pool of female sound people ready to rise through the ranks and become supervisors if that is their wish. Some of us prefer to continue to work as editors and designers. It's more fun, independent, creative and you don't have to deal with the suits and budget.

There is nothing holding you back if you have the talent and the drive ... honest.

On a side note, a degree won't help you nearly as much as getting an entry level job at a sound house. This is an industry where friendships and connections will help you much more than a degree. I am working with women who started like I did as drivers and assistants. They made friends, stayed after their daytime job was done and sat in with editors and designers and learned what and how it is really done.

GO FOR IT!