WRITTEN BY JEFF SHIFFMAN
CO-OWNER OF BOOM BOX POST
A re-recording mixer possesses many technical skills. Here at Boom Box Post, we’ve covered the subject in countless posts. But outside of the technical realm, what other skills are useful on the job? Here are my top 10.
A Thick Skin
While prepping a mix, you’re going to make thousands of small decisions to make the work (in your opinion) perfect. That’s the easy part. Once clients arrive for playback, you’re going to receive an equal share of notes on that work you thought was untouchable. This is where a can-do attitude and a true spirit of collaboration will serve you well. You can’t take any of it personally. In fact, you need to be able to take critical feedback with a positive attitude, immediately jumping on board with the client’s vision. There’s no room (or time) for your ego on the mix stage. What the client says is correct, as it’s their project and ultimately their call. Agree with a smile, make it happen, repeat. This will continue for hours at a time without any breaks.
The Ability to Work Under Pressure
Time is money and a mixer needs to work fast. Whatever ideas pop up, it is your immediate task to make them happen. Reworking sound effects builds, editing music to fix a joke, finding a “T” sound to help bad annunciation… these are just a few examples of the potentially unlimited notes you may receive. You’ll often be accomplishing these notes on the fly, in front of a crowd, all of whom are waiting for you to make the magic happen. You’ll need to not only pull it off, but do it in a confident and relaxed way that keeps everyone at ease.
Comfort With Small Talk
My business partner Kate Finan has a great analogy for the ideal vibe on a mix stage. The re-recording mixer is like the host of a party, the clients are our guests.
There’s always some down time in a mix. Even if it’s just during the client arrival and exit, you need to be the most fun person at the party, greeting everyone, checking in, making sure the entire crowd feels instantly comfortable and at home on your stage. These clients are going to be spending hours with you on a one-off project. If it’s a series, we’re talking countless hours, at a repeated interval. As a mixer, your social skills are almost as important as your technical skills. You need them to want to keep coming back to the party.
Multitasking Wizard
It goes without saying that being responsible for so many sound elements at once (dialogue, music, effects) requires strong multitasking skills; but that’s not all you’ll need to keep track of. Your brain needs to be logging potential problems and successes at all times. The mix is a moving target in which you are constantly adjusting to find the right balance.
At the same time, a great mixer needs to be clocking repeated issues coming from the client side (to fix as they come up), keeping track of ongoing deliveries and making sure the vibes are right. It’s a lot to keep on track. If you’re lucky, you thrive on this kind of challenge.
A Musical Ear
A big budget project may mean there’s a music editor on hand at all times. But realistically, most projects don’t have that luxury. I’ve found that being able to edit music on the fly is an invaluable skill for a mixer. True, this one is a bit of a cheat since it’s technically technical, but really even just a passing understanding and appreciation for music is a big advantage.
Clients often don’t know if a cue is going to work until they hear it all together with the rest of the soundscape, live on the stage. If you’re someone who can fix music issues quickly and efficiently, it’ll go a long way. Even better, get to a place where you can anticipate potential problems, cutting in alt fix options to present if needed. Master that and you’re infinitely more valuable on the mix stage.
Extreme Attention To Detail
Being detail oriented is hugely important during the mix, yet it’s after the mix that borderline obsessive compulsive disorder can serve a mixer quite well. Labeling files and sessions is a tedious and repetitive task, but one you can’t sleep through. Oftentimes, down to a single letter, these assets need to be conformed to extremely strict guidelines and any mistakes can cause many issues downstream for your clients.
Comfort With Repetition
Mixing is a set of tasks on a loop. You’re going to find yourself repeating many actions over and over (and over) again. You need to love this. You need to thrive on it or it’s going to drive you crazy.
After prepping a mix, you’ll likely have watched the content 3, 5, maybe even 10 or 20 times over. Once clients arrive, that number can easily double. You’re not allowed to get bored with the show. On the contrary, a good mixer needs to stay fascinated by it, excited to continue watching for new ways to improve the work on each consecutive playback.
An Expert at “Where’s Waldo” Puzzles
A lot of mixing involves catching problems. Sometimes these issues are a needle in a haystack - like a tick in dialogue or a bad music edit. A mixer needs to have their ears open at all times for potential problems which can be hidden under countless other sounds.
OK With Minimum Bathroom Breaks
This one is silly but it needs to be said. When you’re on the clock with clients, you are at their mercy. If nature calls, you need to be able to wait - sometimes for hours - to go to the bathroom.
A Hobbit Mentality
As far as I know there are no standing desk mix stage setups. It’s just not practical for what we do. Be prepared to be seated for long chunks of time, often without a standing break at all (“Be quiet Apple Watch reminders, I literally can’t stand up right now!”). You’ll also need to be comfortable in dark enclosed spaces. Windows and soundproofing don’t mix, so be sure to get your Vitamin D while you can - at lunch.
Do you have any non-technical skills you utilize as a re-recording mixer?
Leave your thoughts in the comments.
If you enjoyed this post, check out these similar posts:
Three Basic Skills Every Sound Editor Must Master
How To Improve Your Client Mixes With A Mindful Mixing Process
Music Mixing Basics For TV & Film: Score Mixing