VCO Studio Sound Design

 

By definition, sound design "is the art and practice of creating sound tracks for a variety of needs including filmmaking, television production, video game development, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production, radio and musical instrument development. It involves specifying, acquiring or creating auditory elements using audio production techniques and tools."

 

That said, being a sound designer isn't a case of merely plugging into the latest software on offer and conjuring up A-Game results at the flick of a switch. It requires not only an understanding of the medium, but creativity, reliability, and diversity as an artist. Irish-born VCO Studio founder Joe McHugh bases his work ethic on these requirements. 

 

A veteran of the industry, Joe’s career as a sound engineer started off innocently enough as a video editor. The crossover into sound design was seamless in that he wasn't learning a completely new discipline, and with a background in making music it was the next step in working on something that had to do with sound.

 

Joe cut his teeth working for Echolab under the founder Gavin Little, whom he refers to as his mentor. Over the course of nine years, Joe worked on over 600 projects either with Little or on his own, with the pair having as many as six or seven projects going simultaneously on some occasions. Echolab clients / contracts during his time there included Cadillac, Nike, Starz (Originals) and Disney (Tron: Uprising) to name a few. Joe and Gavin also received the Best Sound Design Award from the Queen Palm Film Fest for "The Attaché", directed by Andre Stringer.

 

"I started 10 years ago but I officially worked for Gavin for nine years," says Joe. "He hired me as a freelancer and trained me in his studio for a year-and-a-half before he took me on as a full time employee. I learned very quickly because we were very, very busy. Some of the work I did also included Foley sound; real sounds and natural sounds. So, I would build things from the ground up."

 

While the sound design industry has become populated with more players over the last decade, Joe’s working experience is unique in that he came up with a company that set the standard for sound design. Echolab was able to establish a solid base of clients based on the quality of the work rather than the sparkle and shine of the tools used, and Joe was a part of that.

 

Joe admits that making trailers, doing trailer-oriented commercials are the most exciting projects to work on, but his skills as a sound designer are diverse. A large portion of his work is based on creating unique sound design, blending and layering real and synthetic sound together. While this isn't a unique to the industry at this point in time, far more sound designers rely on synthetic sound rather than taking the extra organic step. 

 

Additionally, Joe puts high value on his commitment to being reliable and getting the work done, and doing it in a fashion that leaves both himself and the client satisfied with the end result.

 

Deadlines are extremely important, they provide the first line of clarity and definition on a project – simply put, that's when the work has to be completed. It is also critical to give clients a choice on projects they have to be engaged in the process to ensure their brief is being met.  
As with all creative endeavours it can be very tempting to ‘own’ the work a little too much which can sometimes lead to challenges and disagreements with clients.

This is why I prioritise the needs of the client and remain flexible and responsive to their feedback and requests through the lifetime of the project.