July 2021
Ben is an established Senior Sound Designer at Machine London with over 16 years’ experience of collaborating with top directors and creative agencies. He is well-versed in deliverables across cinema, television, online and radio advertising and has worked on multiple award-winning campaigns, including the Royal Marines ‘Spider’ spot which won Best Sound Design at the Music and Sound Awards.
Let’s hear from the man himself…
MASA: Hi! It would be great to hear how your career started and progressed to where you’re at today…
BEN: My career started soon after finishing college. Having opted for a HND rather than a degree, I chose to look for work within the music industry rather than continue on to University. I’m a bass player but then I found myself behind the desk more often than not, be it live sound or recording demos between my friends. This led me to pursue a career behind the desk. After a tonne of rejections I was introduced to 750mph who I was told were looking for a runner. That was 17 years ago. I had been there barely a month before I said to Nancy, who was MD at the time, that this was exactly what I wanted to do.
MASA: Do you have any favourite ads that you’ve worked on over the last few years? And, if so, what made them stand out for you?
BEN: I’m fortunate to have worked on many different campaigns over the years and there have been so many I’ve enjoyed doing for various reasons. Assisting Andy Humphreys on T-Mobile Dance and Sing-a-long, Met Police Anti Knife Crime and Counter Terrorism, Carwow’s wolf pack of cars, Guinness Cowboys, Christmas brand spots, Nissan’s Formula E 360 ambisonic experience, Location Records with the British Army. There are so many and all for different reasons. I find that campaigns that stand out as good memories are those that have the balance of great ideas, executed well. They often involve intricate work and allowing time to refine and develop the idea. What can be done to make it even better? It’s the whole experience from start to finish and working with the agency and production team that I really enjoy. I consider myself very much a people person and I like to incorporate that collaboration into the job.
MASA: Have there been any particularly challenging jobs that stand out?
BEN: T-Mobile Sing-A-Long was very challenging on the technical side. Nissan formula E was a new experience mixing in ambisonic and figuring out how best to achieve the desired experience.
Lynx and Carwow were particularly enjoyable with the challenge of keeping the sound design unique. When we worked on Marines Spider the constant need to work out how to make it better, then make that better, then try another idea, make that better, then make….. you get the idea. Each job has its own challenge.
MASA: Has Covid impacted your work? Have you had to put anything in place to overcome restrictions?
BEN: Covid has impacted us all, everyone has had to adapt and work out the best way to provide a high quality output. Thankfully we were still able to provide the service we had always been offering. Once there was a process and a little more light shone on how the business was going to continue to produce work it was then more about figuring out how to provide that for remote clients and voice talent. I’ve mentioned before that I prefer to have people around me so working unattended all day, every day, was a tough one to cope with. I look forward to having people back in Soho and familiar faces seen out and about. I do expect there to be some continuation of the way we are now working but it can only get better from here out…
MASA: What kind of things inspire those ideas for the many unique sounds heard in your work?
BEN: I have lots of nostalgia and ideas that I incorporate from other uses of audio that I find interesting. I then use those to feature where it’s necessary, but in another light. For example, I used the idea of the Joker’s “Theme” from The Dark Knight - this long distressing undertone that gives real drama, intensifying the longer it evolves. I made something with that in mind to feature in Carwow. Essentially it’s a drone and I created it to build a feeling of unease, to really underlined the film and what it was trying to make the viewer feel. I think my approach is to understand what the film’s emotional intention is, then incorporate ideas that are not specifically literal, to help really develop that.
MASA: What hardware / software do you use the most?
BEN: Hmmm, I dont think I’ve ever given that much thought. I know what I want to use when I’m trying to achieve a sound or mix quality and try various approaches. It took me a few years to figure out how to use less, well, rather than entering a wormhole of effects layers which evidently can turn a creative idea to mush. I use distortions and overdrives. I love Soundtoys Tremolator. I loved the Eventide DSP 7000 Ultra Harmoniser that was a staple for years, that was always particularly fun to feedback on itself and create strange tones. There’s so many new tricks, toys and new processes that you learn from so many different people and places. I’ve had to adapt to new software a few times now, I’m even doing so as this is going out. It’s hard to say what I use the most that isn’t the obvious dull DAW or mastering chain answers.
MASA: How do you think winning awards affects a company’s reputation? Does it have an impact on attracting clients?
BEN: Winning awards is an acknowledgement of the hard graft you’ve put in over the years and the progress you’ve made in your career. It’s obviously a very nice feeling! The recognition of your peers saying that the work you do is worth the award. That in turn can affect how you’re seen by your clients in the industry. It shows that you are reliable in creating something special. The shortlist often shows just how much talent there is out there. When you don’t win that gives you drive, listening and learning from others and what they’ve created, their sound choices and how the job’s been mixed. This often leads to you developing your own approach.
MASA: Any words of wisdom to impart to upcoming talent?
BEN: Keep plugging away, keep asking questions, getting opinions, and make harsh decisions about what you’ve done. Countless times I’ve created something that I thought was a great sound that I’ve, in the end, never used. Go with what is best for the job and is ultimately important to the story you’re trying to tell. Perhaps there’s more than one way to do that, so try alternative approaches without straying too far from the brief. Hard work does pay off. Look and listen to your peers in the industry, there’s always something to learn from the experienced and the fresh-faced. Be unique and always enjoy what you’re doing. This is probably the most important thing… make sure you’re enjoying yourself!
MASA: And lastly, what will you be looking for when judging this year’s Music+Sound Awards?
BEN: What best enhances the idea, delivers an extra layer of experience to the film, and has a great unique approach to hold my attention. A finer approach to detail and something that makes me wonder how you did it!
MASA: Fantastic Ben, thank you so much for taking time to chat to us here. Hope you enjoy the MASA judging experience!
Find out more about Ben and the team at Machine London here: https://www.machinesound.co
