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David Nichols is a Tech Graduate in Sound Design and makes his living dreaming up car sounds for video games.
He will be visiting campus in October to speak with current sound students. |
1. Tell me about your work since graduating from Tech.
I graduated in December of 2010, but couldn't find meaningful work. So I started my website, tracktimeaudio.com,
where I could write about car sounds, and interview with people who
work with car sounds, both because it was an outlet for my passion and
also because I hoped it would find me a job. Luckily, in early August of
2012, it worked! Nicholas Wiswell, audio director at Turn 10 studios
(the video game studio that makes the Forza Motorsport franchise)
contacted me and asked if I wanted to help with their next project. I
excitedly said yes and moved out to Seattle. My job consists of studying
and recording car sounds and then reproducing them within the confines
of the game, which sounds a lot easier than it is! But the hard work is
very fun and seeing a product I've worked so hard on make it to the
public has been the most rewarding part.
2. Why did you choose to major in Sound Design at Tech?
I
knew from a very early onset that I wanted to do something related to
audio, because I was fascinated with sound and with recording. I played a
number of instruments but never had the "knack" for composition or
performance, but I really enjoyed playing drums because of all the fun
and weird sounds I could make. I initially looked at Tech for the Audio
Engineering degree, but after researching what sound design was (I had
never heard of it at the time) I felt it was more in-line with what I
enjoy. I'm very glad I did, too -- sound design is the perfect blend
(for me) of technical know-how with artistic freedom that works well
with my personality.
3. What is the most important thing you learned while at Tech?
There
are a great many important things I learned at Tech, and my apologies
to the faculty but very few of them came directly from the classroom. I
learned the importance of self-sufficienty and working interdependently;
I learned that networking is the key to success (particularly in this
industry), and I learned that following the things you are truly
passionate about, while quite difficult and frustrating at times, is
ultimately more satisfying. I've also learned that living minimally and
being flexible is of great benefit in the long term, and to treat each
day as a small adventure because you never know what you're going to
learn by the end of it.
The beauty of
inspiration is that you can't ever know in advance what will be
inspiring as long as you're willing to allow things to be. That said,
for me there's nothing quite as invigorating as the sound of an engine
at full throttle - there are so many intricate details to the sound of a
vehicle and all of them are unique, much like human voices. I also draw
a lot of strength from my wife and my son who are always supportive of
me.
5. How have your experiences at Tech influenced your current work?
One
of the things I've appreciated most about Mr. Plummer's philosophy is
that he embraces not being a technical school in that he does not just
teach techniques; he encourages creative thinking and problem solving
and self-discovery as opposed to just showing how to do things in given
software. That ability to approach sound as wanting a certain change and
using creative thinking with the tools in front of me has proved
infinitely valuable, and for that I am very grateful.
6. What is the most amazing thing you have done since graduating?
I
think the most amazing thing related to my major is a recording project
I started that was funded via Kickstarter. I wanted to learn how to
record a car in the way that video games often do so that I was prepared
for work in that industry, but I knew I didn't have the money for
equipment or for shop time to accomplish it. So, with some motivation
from some of the wonderful people on the Twitter #gameaudio tag, I came
up with the idea of a Kickstarter campaign. Once I had committed to the
idea, I started talking to everyone I knew about it. After just a month I
had raised all the money I needed, and enough extra to hire a film crew
to document the process! The recording session came out pretty well and
I learned infinitely more than I expected to from the process.
(See David's Kickstarter campaign by clicking here.)
7. What would be your advice to students choosing to major in Sound Design at Michigan Tech?
Make
sure you're coming into sound design because you live and breathe
sound. The job market is, let's be honest, tough to get into because
there's more people coming in than there are positions. That might mean
you're going to have to make your own position, or be very patient, and
either of those options will be rough if you're not doing this because
you love it. Also, do your homework but don't forget to explore the many
sights and sounds of the Keweenaw and the surrounding area. You can
learn quite a bit bringing a handheld recorder with some friends on a
road trip to Copper Harbor and back. Also remember that inspiration is
everywhere, but you have to allow it to be.
