What makes great sound designer?
It’s simple: listening. I know that sounds weird, but I’ve been around since the late ‘70s and lots of gear has come and gone, and a lot of things have changed, but like a painter, it’s not about the paint or the brushes you use, it’s about what you want to create first in your head. And then finding the right tools to achieve that goal. What you have to do is start listening. When I interview people, the ongoing joke in L.A., for the people that know me, is the question I used to ask young sound designers: “Describe rain to me.” It would allow me to get an insight to the person and they way they listen and think by their answers, because a lot of people go “Rain? I dunno, it’s heavy, it’s wet, it’s heavy.” And I say, “Yeah, but what about rain on windows? What about rain on water? Slow drips, fast drips, rain down gutters? What about all of the details that rain can give you and the emotion that it brings? And the rhythm. Everything’s got rhythm, whether it’s a very slow drip on a hot
