Interview with Whitney Warren

What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love collaborating ideas with clients and getting to see our work
on TV, websites, radio and films.  I also enjoy the networking aspect
of my job.  I take my clients our to dinner every week, attend a lot
of award shows and travel for presentations to all the production
companies and advertising agencies in the country.  I am blessed to
work with an amazing team.

What are three tips you would give someone who wants to get into producing?
Attend as many social networking events as possible because that is
where you are going to make your contacts, dress for the part you
want, and introduce yourself with confidence, a stern handshake, and
look them in the eye.


What aspect would you consider the most challenging in your job?
The most challenging part of my job is to constantly keep up with
all the productions that are going on in the city.  I have to chase
down leads and make sure they are aware of my company and in turn book
with us.  LA is the most competitive market for the entertainment
industry so I am constantly chasing down leads- but I love it   

How did you get into the Producer/Sound/Film Industry?
I use to babysit for the General Manager of Margarita Mix.  I knew
he worked in the industry so when I graduated with a degree in
Advertising I called him.  He hired me 1 month after I graduated as
"Client Service"- serving clients coffee, making copies, picking up
lunches.  While I was doing that I saw what the Executive Producer was
doing and I really liked her job.  So on my lunch breaks I would sit
in her office and stay late and attend events with her where she would
introduce to me more people in the industry.  Eventually she left and
my boss had seen what I had been doing and asked if I wanted to take
her job as they like to hire within.  I have been with this company
for 6 years and love it.  Lesson learned here- never under estimate
babysitting!!!


As a Senior Producer at Margarita Mix Studios, what are your consistent goals with each project you work on?

I always want the client to leave happy with the product we have
created for them.  I want them to be so happy that they continue to
book with us on future projects.  As a producer I always want to know
what the next project is they will be working on so I can keep up on
that project as well.


  




 

Interview with Dave Curtin

What Do You Enjoy Most About Your Job? 

Working in a field I am passionate about that is creative with great people. 
 

What are three tips you would give someone who wants to get into the Music/Advertising Industry?

Just know it is competitive and you should try and carve out a niche.         


What Aspects of your job would you consider the most challenging?

 Expanding and managing cashflow.  There are big ideas and tremendous growth opportunities, but you need resources.

How did you get into the music/ advertising industry

Feel into it backwards.  I was on the music side in a different capacity, and I didn't really know this world existed.  Then, I took a job as a music producer for a composer and cut my teeth and learned the business.
 
As a creative director, what are consistent goals that come along with each project? 

 Delivering a high quality product and pushing the boundries when possible.  Being the first.
    
 

The Pullman Project

This is one of the 6 CD/DVR discs I designed and produced for David Pullman, and the Pullman Group which is a principal investment bank and specialty finance company servicing the entertainment and intellectual property industries. After much trial and error I became very familiar with several computer programs such as Bravo Pro II, Discus 407 and PT Publisher.

Lost & Found Music Wish List

“Lost and Found Music Wish List”

Opening Flea Market:
“Dream”- Timmy Curran (Citsuca)
 Eddie Berman


Opening Surf Montage:
“Hands”- The Raconteurs
“Meltdown”- DeepMix


Traveling:
“Now That I Know”- Devendra Banhart- Chrysalis/BMG
 Eddie Berman


Aaron Chang:
“PK_Peace Reprise”- Paul Kelley


Larry Moore, Photography Career:
“Faded From The Winter”- Iron and Wine- Contact: Sam Beam
 Eddie Burman


Hawaii Transition:
“Crosses”- Jose Gonzalez
“Beautiful Day”- Donovan


Gerry Lopez:
“The Gate Closed”- Anietam (
“All Those Dreams”- From Beta Control
  

Bobby Owens:
“A Poor Mans Memory”- Explosions In The Sky
(First Half) Beta Patrol Music in FILE 1 “05 Track 05”
(Second Half) “1979”- Lucero

Photo Transition:
“Sad And Lonely”- Lucero
“Skinny Love”- From Rights Workshop


Larry Bertlemann:
“Choices”- Xavier Rudd


Bob Barbour:
“Bad Vibrations”- My Education


Buttons:
“On A Silent Night Instrumental”- 8mm
“One For The Road”- 8mm


Duncan Campbell:
“Yesterday Was Hard On All Of Us”- From Music Rights



Rory Russell:
“Down From Above”- From Rights Workshop

Jock Sutherland:
“If I Were A Carpenter”- Tim Rose
 

Greg Weaver:
“White Summer/Black Mountain Side”- Led Zeppelin
“Witness Blues”- DeepMix


Surf Transition:
“Echo Train”- Chad Vangaalen


Dan Merkel:
(1st Half) “Int. 2”- Thee More Shadows (Book Of Bad Breaks)
(2nd Half) “Falling Slowly”- Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova



Surf Montage:
“Can’t Find My Way Home”- Ellen Mcllwaine (Up From The Skies: The Polydor Years)


End:
“Begin”- 8mm

4

The video project I recently worked on for EA sports is a confirmed client now. It was very cool being a part of something that millions of people will view. DeeMpix is doing the sound supervision for some of the new Fifa 12' video game. I would post the video I worked on, but the game is not out yet, so I can't. I get to go to the mixing of one of the commercials at Margarita Mix Studios Hollywood tomorrow. I am super excited to see how that works. As a company, we had another staff meeting a couple days ago and went over some new leads, and checked out the progress on new current projects. I will be posting the outlines for the staff meetings shortly. Another project I have been working on is a surf movie called "Lost and Found", which we are doing the sound supervision for. I created the 1,2,3 music wish list for each que in the movie. We are currently reaching out to record labels and managers to get the licenses for each song. I will be posting the list I created. Over and Out.

3

Knowledge. Knowing what you are selling is key. I watched my boss and fellow employee Nick make cold calls today. It is a difficult thing to do, since most of the time, you get shot down. But, I realized that the  more knowledgeable and more "easy to talk to" you are about what your selling, the better the results. The music industry is a tough game from what I have seen and heard. Almost everyone tries to become a famous artist or musician, but only a small portion make it. The same thing applies to companies. A lot of people think they can just go and start a music company or label. But from what I've learned from my boss is that only a handful of companies make it too. Nothing comes too easy.

2

This last week I took what I learned from the week before and applied it to the best of my ability. We had our 2nd event at the W Hotel, Hollywood. There I used my communication skills to interact with future clients. I made a good connection with Jeff Schofield, who started "Zoic Studios" in Hollywood and now owns his own visual effects company called "Modus Operandi". In the office side of things, I was given a really cool opportunity. My boss asked me to put together our companies pitch for the new EA Sports Fifa 12' Video game. So throughout the whole week, I created a 1:08 trailer of Fifa 2012's video game trailer. I learned how to use ProTools and Photoshop in order to develop this project. It turned out fantastic and we received a positive response from the video game company. Hopefully we will be working with them again soon. I only have two more weeks left here at DeepMix, and our third "Station Unplugged" event is tomorrow night, and it will be great. I look forward to learning more about this industry the next 2 weeks.