Transitioning from music to post

[Nu Mixer]

I'm in my early 40's and have made a living producing and engineering music (out of my own studio) for the past 12 years. Prior to that I was an assistant engineer at big studios.

Business has not been stable and I need to explore other career options.

Any recommendations on how to get started in post? I've mixed many radio spots, and cut and edited lots of dialog. However I have no experience with video.

Someone suggested starting in Transfer. Any advice to get me started? I know I will have to humble myself, start at the bottom, etc. I'm looking at the long term here, ie, the next 30 years. I am proud of my music accomplishments, but realize they mean little or nothing in respect to getting work in post.

Thank you.

[philper]

Originally Posted by Nu Mixer

I'm in my early 40's and have made a living producing and engineering music (out of my own studio) for the past 12 years. Prior to that I was an assistant engineer at big studios.

Business has not been stable and I need to explore other career options.

Any recommendations on how to get started in post? I've mixed many radio spots, and cut and edited lots of dialog. However I have no experience with video.

Someone suggested starting in Transfer. Any advice to get me started? I know I will have to humble myself, start at the bottom, etc. I'm looking at the long term here, ie, the next 30 years. I am proud of my music accomplishments, but realize they mean little or nothing in respect to getting work in post.

Thank you.

Your music work doesn't mean nothing, it means a lot, it means you can mix and have a developed sense of audio aesthetics. Many people in post started in music, I'm always a little suspicious of posties who DON'T have a music BG. If you are looking to have a JOB working for someone else in post, you'll probably have to be in a major market like LA or NY--in smaller markets audio post facilities are either very small or are small departments of video post houses anymore. If you are thinking of having your own room (pretty much your only choice outside the major markets), then pony up and have at. (Lots of great info in the stickies of this forum and the DUC.) There is a lot of techno stuff to learn, but nothing too surprising or hard if you have an extensive professional music audio background. And like music audio, it is a whole lot about GETTING and KEEPING clients.....

Philip Perkins

[Nu Mixer]

Thanks for the info, Philip! I am based in LA and would love to get my foot in the door somewhere. I can immerse myself into learning the lingo and wrapping my head around the tech stuff. Once I do this research, what position should I realistically aim for?

[philper]

Originally Posted by Nu Mixer

Thanks for the info, Philip! I am based in LA and would love to get my foot in the door somewhere. I can immerse myself into learning the lingo and wrapping my head around the tech stuff. Once I do this research, what position should I realistically aim for?

If you end up working on big stuff on audio post crews you may have to decide between sound editorial and sound mixing. Others here can advise you way more accurately about all that than me, but I do know that there are a lot more editors than mixers..... Everyone working in post below that level does both, a lot of the time.

Philip Perkins