Jobs: Dmitry Novozhilov, sound designer and founder of the Daruma Audio Studio

"I had to write all in a row and offer their services": the first steps in recording and working with provincial rappers

- You have more than 10 years of work with sound: eight years kept his music for the Togliatti rappers and now doing sound design for the largest Russian and foreign brands - Google, Snapchat, «Yandex" Pornhub. As you noticed?

- At the university I liked the profession of graphic designer. I wanted to work with big brands, form of identity, study naming and corporate identity elements. About six years ago, when I was seriously engaged in sound design, I realized I could do all this with the help of sound.

The first time I had to write all in a row and offer their services to earn portfolio. And then played the role of word of mouth: when you perform tasks well, you begin to recommend. So I I came to cooperation with major brands. We wrote the music for the TV prompts the "Super" and voiced advertisement "Alice" from "Yandex" and masks for Snapchat.

- What project was the most memorable and important to you?

- During the year, we carry out about 200 projects, so it's hard to single out one. I remember that it was interesting to work with "by Yandex", because the company employs guys with their own vision of the final work. They want the result to retrieve the original, so often call and say directly what they want to change.

We voiced commercials about the virtual assistant "Alice": added in the video sound effects and writing music. "Yandex" has for a long time did not take a job because I wanted more, but we still have achieved the result. And it was worth it.

In addition, we have articulated logo London orchestra, which plays live during the screenings, and still making music and sound design for the show, dedicated to tales of Pushkin.

3D-animations projected on the Moscow Manege. The latter project is particularly significant for me because it is thanks to him that I first began to delegate responsibilities and manage a team. I served as an art director, a job tracking a sound designer and composer. Before that I did not like, so that the task lifted me to a new level.

- When did you first realize that the work with the sound - it is yours?

- my adolescence in any way associated with the sound: in 5 years, I realized that on the tape can be record voice, 13 started a home esters for personal listening, and at 15 began to read rap. In the future, I decided to enroll in a sound engineer. But in Togliatti this specialty was not, and go to another city I would not like. In the end, I went to a psychologist and now I do not regret.

Of course, to work with sound need highly specialized knowledge, but I find it easier to get them to fight - while working on real projects - and dry theory difficult to digest. In addition, each teacher talks about his own experience, and therefore, in the course of study you unwittingly become like him, and not on himself.

I managed to avoid it, but it had to be pretty suffer. I remember standing at the bus stop and I thought, "Lord, well, when did I become a sound engineer? When I had everything out? "With each new project, the experience becomes more, so now I can say with confidence that I have learned the self.

- How was your first recording studio?

- In 2004, I had a musical group "Nebro". we decided to record in the studio of one of the songs in front of the famous festival RAP MUSIC. When I went to pick up a result, sound engineer just have modified our track. I watched the process, caught fire and decided to do the same. I was just amazed that he was sitting at the computer, doing something and earn money on it. Besides, I liked the sound, so that mixing songs is perfect for me.

I bought a cheap sound card, microphone and began to train at home - just poked at everything I see, because no lessons had not yet existed. After a while I decided that I wanted to make a sound. I took 10 000 rubles, bought a better sound card, headphones for 500 rubles and organized a studio with separate entrance in one of the rooms in a private home with parents. I did a newsletter "VKontakte", and I started to come to Togliatti rappers. As a result, the studio almost immediately paid off, because I'm quite a bit invested in it - about 30 000 rubles.

Probably, if I had kept the studio, but now would have earned a lot of money, but at that time rap was unprofitable. Artists already existed and would be recorded, and the direction has not become as popular as it is now.

As a result, four years later, I realized I could no longer work in the studio, because I spend a lot of time there, but get too little in return. In addition, the rappers - is flying teenagers who do not value your time. And I've been wanting to work with large clients, who have well-honed structure interaction and money.

- And then you began to study sound design?

- Just at that moment came to me a friend who became interested in a motion graphics, and asked me to help him with the sound. He came to me with the visuals and I had his voice. I agreed and began to earn for one commercial twice as muchThan music track mixing. Then I decided to gain a foothold in the field of sound design.

"Rain resembles the sound of frying bacon in a frying pan": large projects

- What is the sound design?

- Sound design combines several areas of work. One of them - creation of an atmosphere. It helps to understand what surrounds you, and immerse yourself in the space: in the forest, we always hear the rustling of leaves and the birds singing, and in the city - the noise of cars and people's voices.

The second direction - synchronous noise. In the film we hear the footsteps, the rustling of clothes, slamming doors. But in fact, these sounds are not recorded on the court - sound designer working on them.

Third - sound effects that can not be recorded in reality. For example, the spacecraft noise or voice robot Valley. Any sound that we can not meet in nature, Created from scratch.

- How do you pumped skill to become one of the best sound designers in Russia?

- I do not consider myself one of the best sound designers in Russia. However, if you want to learn this profession, you first need to build up a library of sounds that was plenty to choose from when working on the roller. Slamming doors can be recorded on a microphone without leaving the house, but with the roar of a lion is more difficult.

For such cases, there are special resources. One of them - Freesound. Here you can add your own sound or pick someone to use in the future. Some large companies provide paid themed library and sell them, for example, for $ 300. you buy rights to useTo further safely use these sounds to work.

My personal library formed a very long time: some sounds I recorded myself and others searched in the public domain or bought. In addition, I constantly studied the popular branded videos to understand how they are made. I was drawn to their sound and guided by Western experts, because in Russia there was no sound designers, which could be equal. It was difficult, because in my head there is an interesting solution, but there was no skill to implement its plans. Over time, increased the library and skill, so that now there is almost no problems.

- How hard is it to pick up a moving image the right sound?

- When you see an image on the screen, then almost immediately there is an understanding of how it should sound. Then just have to find the right sounds in the library or burn them. Once we have done the roller for Pornhub - about a lazy panda who do not want to multiply. We had to figure out how they will sound steps. As a result, we have inflated the ball, hit it and strongly squeezed. Then isolated fragments of these records, and mixed with each other to get a cool result.

- There have been cases when the right sound easy is not it?

- If you turn on the imagination, always manages to find the right option. In the end, it is possible to create even improvised. Suppose the submarine's propeller can be voice, pressing flush the toilet, and then lowering the resulting track for a few tones. Rain, for example, resembles the sound of frying bacon and knock halves of coconut on the table - the clatter of hooves. Find the right sound is always possible. Another question, if I can find nontrivial solutionWhich will be interesting for the customer and spectators.

When you make up the sound, the more often are using multiple layers to get rich texture that will not violate anyone's rights. So we created a growl Roshan of the famous game Dota 2. At first we were shouting at the microphone through the ball, and then lowered to get the sound into several colors, make it more languid. Then we slipped roar bear and lion, and finally added synthesizer sounds. So it turned out interesting and original element of the image of the character.

- Do not feel like a crazy person who only does that hunts for the sounds?

- No, I do not go with the recorder constantly because they are too lazy to do not so love the sound. However, I always fantasize about how this or that image could sound, and then looking for association with this sound, in reality, to write it.

- More often than not you are working with foreign customers. Really in Russia sound design no one needs?

- In America, every day there are many services that require voice clips - there are similar projects put on stream, so that we can work almost every day. In Russia, about the importance of a sound and a motion graphics are also thinking, and we have already worked with some companies.

The only problem is that you can not save the sound: it strongly influences the perception of the video. In Russia, it is very small budgets for commercials for small businesses, so that only a few can afford to order a good Productions.

In addition, domestic customers love to do everything in a hurryAnd I do not like to work in such conditions. Americans are more sensitive to time management, and I close. There are large Russian companies, who are pleasant to work, but it is rather rare.

I also do not like to call up - I like to discuss work in plain text format. Americans are so clearly paint a task that you can immediately start it. And Russian customers like to call, and to reflect on the phone. The only problem is that it does not affect my work. It is necessary to accurately set the task, and we will fulfill it - it's simple.

- It turns out, in Russia there is almost no orders, and therefore the sound designers?

- They are quite a lot, but they are concentrated in the film and gaming industry, and I often do ekspleyner movies that explain how the service or product. In 2012, when I first came on the market, there were only four sound designer of this type in Russia, but the number of specialists is increasing gradually.

'The first employee I took the job because he was born in January ": the recruitment of the team and the principles of the organization of space

- You are now runs his own studio Daruma Audio. How does it come from?

- To be honest, I've always dreamed of a big team. But it needs to be motivate and contain, so that ambition subsided with time. Now Tolyatti sound design takes only three people and all of them work in my studio.

It is not a physical studio. When I studied sound engineering, I hated that I was tied to the workplace. I always wanted to work as designers, who can carry out orders at any place, taking with him a tablet or laptop.

Sound design allows for a similar lifestyle, I can take a headset and a laptop to be able to work from anywhere in the world. All my employees carry out orders of the house, because it is very convenient: you can not spend time on the road and choose any location that allows you to be productive.

- How are you going to command?

- First experience recruitment It was pretty funny. I became interested in astrology and decided to select employees on the signs of the Zodiac: Capricorn invited only because they have knowledge and work on the result. It seemed to me that if we assemble a team of the same, as I do, then we will simply unbeatable.

In general, the first employee I took the job because he was born in January. It's funny, but now this guy - my right hand, so here I am not lost. Second Capricorn was a great technician, but we had not worked together. From that moment I dropped the idea of ​​signs of the zodiac and began to choose the people with whom I feel comfortable.

Many employees simply could not cope: it is important for me that the result corresponds to the expectations of clients. And if something goes wrong, can I respond harshly. The company now has a total of three sound designer, including me, and we feel that we are in tune with each other. As a rule, I supervise the work, and the guys involved in the selection of sounds. Some projects require writing orchestral music - in such cases we have composer from Moscow.

- You demanded specialists, and these guys are usually quick to move to Moscow. Why are you still you remain in Togliatti?

- I work with Europe and America, so I do not care where you are. With his earnings, I would have felt comfortable in Moscow, but in Togliatti, of course, you feel even better. In addition, I have a family, so move somewhere doubly difficult.

I had the opportunity to go to Europe, but I refused, because I would be working for another company, and not for themselves. I do not want to move anywhere - I am very good in Togliatti. I wake up in the morning, I see a new project from the Americans, and do it while they are asleep, and by the evening of the next day sends the results. It is convenient for all, because they do not bother me, but I quickly and accurately perform all for them.

- How does your workplace?

- On the table is a laptop that I connect to the monitor, a pair of speakers, headphones, sound card, MIDI-keyboard and a microphone, if you want to do podcast. Yet I have a recorder that I use to record new sounds. This is enough for me to work.

Recently, I found myself thinking that I buy too many gadgets that do not use - it's just a fetish. I am struck by people who do not pursue innovations and projects do no worse than the guys with a lot of items on hand. Now I no longer spend money and try to achieve results that have. Minimalism - it's very cool, so I aspire to it.

I used to move objects in their makeshift home studio, because I hate to be in the same space. I can rearrange the sound card to another location, or remove the keyboard to change the atmosphere. it is almost the same as that ventilate the room for me - in a different environment is easier to work and come up with something new.

- How you organize the: are using an application or technique of time management?

- For me, sound design - all of life, but it is very bad. There is no separation between the work and recreationSo I do things almost always. I want to structure their activities, but it turns out badly. The problem is that I do not write anything: all project tasks are stored in my head. I have a good memory, but it strongly loads a brain.

Sometimes I write the task in Things application, but then still forget to look, because remember them all yourself. I also use the app Bear - is a text editor, which I bring topics for podcasts or leave links to interesting resources. To communicate with the team I use Slack. As soon as the problem is, I just write it back to lock. This guarantees that it will be executed.

As a rule, I begin to work right out of the beds immediately take the phone, examine the treatment of clients and distribute the task team. Then avert my children to school, I have breakfast with his wife and continue to work. Here there is no structure, I just do things that appeared in the morning.

- In addition to working in the studio, you record two podcasts - "Pies" and "Noise". How did they come from?

— «pies"Appeared quite spontaneously. My friend and I were sitting in a cafe and decided to start Elementary podcast. When thinking about the name, I turned my head to the window and saw the pies - and chose. That's a pretty personal podcast, in which we are at home discussing the series, parenting and personal experience.

The "noise"The other direction. In it we are talking about important issues and problems trying to figure out whether they are really important. So far recorded only one issue - about the Internet. We considered all the pros and cons of this phenomenon, structured information and expressed their opinions on the bill whether it is needed at all.

To be honest, I want to connect my life with podcasts: I like to write them down. I want to make on this matter just as much as in the sound studio.

- And what else do you do in your spare time?

- If I have free time, I spend it on family - spend time with his wife and children. We can choose to walk or to plan joint travel on the sea. Four years ago we had a dog, and unanimously decided that it should deal with it myself. So in addition to everything I try to live up to expectations and regularly go out with her.

Layfhakerstvo by Dmitry Novozhilov

books

• «Tell me life, "Yes!""Viktor Frankl.

The real story of the person who passed the camp. In this book, I learned the thesis that life needs meaning. If a person has something to live for, everything else plays a minor role.

• «Siddhartha"Hermann Hesse.

This book is about a man who in search of himself has gone from the hard ascetic to the wealthy. I liked the idea that if you try to be someone else, then at that moment you are not yourself.

• «batman Apollo"Victor Pelevin.

In this book, I learned the idea that a person is happy when making others happy. And only so.

Videos and Podcasts

• Leonid Balanev.

Leonid is very interesting and accessible tells stories about himself, his family, and everything that surrounds it. High-quality video shooting and editing. Leonid general channel - is a great example of how to tell stories in video format.

• «it happened».

This podcast Catherine Krongauz and Andrei Babitsky. They are considering a variety of topics from the perspective of ethics. It is very interesting to observe their discussion.

• BeardyCast.

Russia's only about an interesting podcast technology. Cool top and themes. Just as well go and other projects of these guys.

• Busy Podcast and "Showroom».

These are two separate podcast by two designers - Sasha Bizikova and Dan Talal. But they are not only about design. It's such a personal audio diaries with interesting presenters, guests and stories. Both podcast sounds cool.