"I've always been a fan of random music experiences, wherever they come from. Every Field Day festival I'd always end up spending a load of time watching artists like Omar Souleyman, Imarhan, Mbongwana Star, Toumani & Sidiki Diabaté and Ata Kak etc.
A few years ago, my flatmate put me on to this incredible website - http://radiooooo.com/
It's always my go-to when I want to listen to something a bit different.
Current favourites are 1980's Tanzania, 1970's Zimbabwe (South Rhodesia), 1970's Indonesia and 1980's Colombia.
As the site relies on people uploading new tracks, sometimes some countries don't have a huge selection, but what's up there is usually pretty decent.
"Some corking guitar tunes both old and new, guaranteed to ensue mayhem! These tracks work well both for that early morning commute or jumping around your kitchen, standard."
SNK Studios recently collaborated with creative experts LEAP, on the production of their latest Duracell UK TV Campaign.
To provide an insight into the production process from start to end, and to see how SNK were involved, here is the latest press release from LEAP’s Creative Director, Danny Coster:
LEAP are proud to have been selected as a production partner of choice for Grey London on the Duracell account for the past two years. So when Grey's creative team Nathan Holley and Paul Moran had the idea to create a piece of disruptive advertising, they turned to LEAP to see what was possible within a tight production timeline. Always up for a creative challenge, LEAP Creative Director Danny Coster paired up with Director Rob Toay to create the full film production and post of a 'pastiche' sports brand commercial for the Duracell Bunny to make a surprise appearance.
Shot at dawn in the Queen Elizabeth Park against the backdrop of the Olympic stadium and Aquatic Centre, the commercial needed to feel like a genuine sports brand advertisement. Trusted DOP Cliff Evans worked closely with Rob Toay and the visual effects team to film our actress performing her morning warm up routine and embarking on a run. As she rounds a corner, the animated Duracell Bunny unexpectedly enters the scene to challenge her to a race.
Working closely with Agency Producer Roger Lairisa and Grey’s other production partners including Mikros Studios in Paris, LEAP’s team co-ordinated the pre-production and blocking of theDuracell Bunny scenes. This ensured that everything on the director’s storyboard was achievable on the shoot day and enabled the combined live-action and CGI commercial to be completed in post production on time on budget.
The live-action, sports-style ad takes place after a fully CGI spot in which the Duracell Bunny races the less effective (and cheating) rabbit(s) through a perilous landscape. To bring the ads together with just the right blend of continuity and disruption, we arranged for the talented team at SNK Studios to add sound design and voiceovers.
Watch your commercial breaks closely for the disruptive Duracell Bunny, broadcasting now in the UK.
As part of our ongoing commitment to staff well being, we recently had a visit from Dr.Riaz Rampuri of Auris Ear Care.
Based in Harley Street, Auris Ear Care provide 24 hour, mobile ear health services. Being a sound production company, we understand the importance of proper ear care and how this enables us to provide the best service for our clientele.
Dr. Rampuri provided each member of staff with an ear check and offered care advice and cleaning. His kind and friendly approach left everyone feeling completely comfortable, resulting in an easy and satisfying checkup - we cannot recommend the service enough!
Thanks to Dr. Rampuri, you can ensure our team's ears are the best in the business!
"Our youngest son Stanley, has had trouble sleeping recently, so I put together a playlist of my favourite atmospheric, modern-classical and relaxing scores to help him nod off… rest assured it’s 100% lullaby free. So grab a pillow, draw the curtains and enjoy!"
SNK Studios Director, Seb Juviler, recently spoke with the Pro Sound team to discuss the recent Focusrite additions to our studios.
Our ADR, cinema, sound design and television mixing facilities are all fully fitted with a plethora of Focusrite gear.
We have a fantastic relationship with Focusrite, going back a number of years. Director and Co-Founder Seb, highlighted that the first studio was built 15 years ago with Focusrite in mind: “That studio had the original ISA 428 preamp, which had just been released by Focusrite. We’ve stuck with the ISAs ever since.” High praise indeed!
To find out more about our love for Focusrite equipment, and to read the article in full, click here!
"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something... Oh wait, that's for a wedding! Enjoy my selection - a mixture of stuff I've been listening to over the past few months."
We are very pleased to announce that SNK Studios are official sponsors of The Little Black Book & Friends Beach, Cannes Lions 2019!
The Little Black Book & Friends Beach will be returning to Cannes Lions for 2019. Hosted by LBB, the annual event will run from the 18th to 21st June - taking place at the Plage Croisette Beach, opposite the Miramar on La Croisette.
We hope to see lots of you there in June, glass of rosé in hand!
SNK Studios is one of London’s leading audio post production companies. We occupy 6 floors on Tottenham Court Road – a lovely building stuffed full of recording studios, tracklay suites and production offices! As part of the SNK Publishing Group, the brands here also include Red Apple Creative - a specialist digital and audio creative agency.
We are looking for a Sound Engineer to join the current team of in-house engineers.
JOB OVERVIEW
Clients include major brands like Aston Martin, Hasbro, and NBC Universal. We produce creative audio for TV, cinema and online, and as part of our partnerships also a lot of audio for radio and digital streaming platforms.
You will be responsible for producing your own work, help support the other Engineers and be willing to learn and develop your own skills constantly. You will work closely with the bookings team, the runners and the producers, whilst supporting the day to day running of the facility.
We have long lasting relationships with our clients because they trust us and we always deliver. We’ve seen significant growth as a company in the last few years and it’s an exciting time to join us. We firmly believe that the people in our company are our strongest asset and we’re proud to have a brilliant team who amaze us every day. We boast a high staff retention rate and have more than doubled in size in the last few years.
We’re not looking for back seat drivers because in our company there’s nowhere to hide, but if you’ve got passion, drive and ambition to grow with the business you’ll love it and will become an integral part of the SNK Studios family.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Day to day you will work closely with bookings and production staff to:
Un-archive and prep ProTools sessions.
Help with the technical maintenance of the facility under the direction of others.
Record voiceovers, edit and mix projects.
Interact with clients and host client attended recording sessions.
Use the ISDN system and Source Connect to record voice overs remotely.
Deliver files to the team and to clients.
When required create sound design and operate ADR sessions.
Contribute to the wider day to day running of the facilities – technical improvement, helping runners etc.
Quality check other engineers work when asked.
Set up studios.
Sometimes tidy down studios.
Diligently record sessions in our logging ‘Trello’ system.
This is not an exhaustive list, related tasks will be expected of you, and of course as the role and the company develops, day to day tasks will develop too.
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
At least 18 months experience of client attended audio post sessions.
An extensive, confident knowledge of the ProTools software platform.
Good working knowledge of RX Izotope, Source Connect, Skype and other related Mac audio software.
A good understanding of video in ProTools and Quicktime, including video formats and creating basic WIP files for clients.
Full confidence with voice over recording, including with multiple voices and ‘down the line’ recording, plus tracklaying, sound design, editing audio, internal bouncing and creating stem files (M&Es etc) as requested.
At least some knowledge of 5.1 mixing within ProTools.
Enthusiasm and willingness to learn from all other staff members.
Adapt to any standard practices the company requires.
At all times be polite, helpful and proactive.
Not be afraid to role your sleeves up and help out with anything required of you.
Have a positive, can-do mental attitude.
Good organization and time management.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
A thorough knowledge of ProTools is a must – you will be tested on this as part of the interview process – including knowledge of EQ, Compression, searching for sounds, and how to treat voice files. You will also recognise when something sounds good and when it doesn't.
This job is ideal for a grad with at least 18 months industry experience - although no degree is necessary – you could be someone who's worked as a freelancer for a while and now wants to be part of a bigger, more established team.
Attention to detail is key, being organised is paramount.
You're presentable with great communication skills - good email and phone manner is crucial. You need to be polite, calm and open to learning new things.
Hours:
9am – 6pm Monday to Friday, with one hour unpaid lunch break- often required to be flexible time wise, detailed in T&Cs prior to contract.
Salary & Probation:
Starting salary = £26,000 - £28,000 depending on experience, plus bonus.
Probation period of 3 months, extendable to 6 months at company discretion.
Annual salary review.
Discretionary Benefits (after passing probation):
Share in monthly company-wide target-based bonus system.
Bupa Medical Cover.
Ride to Work scheme.
Generous maternity and paternity policies (above statutory minimum), depending on length of service.
Other benefits:
25 days holiday plus bank holidays.
Creative and relaxed working environment.
A very close team who enjoy social events regularly.
"Here is a selection of what I'm currently listening to, it's a big mix of mainly RnB/Soul fused with some Thai-inspired Funk and a sprinkling of Andy Shauf for extra flavour. Enjoy!"
"I've always been a fan of random music experiences, wherever they come from. Every Field Day festival I'd always end up spending a load of time watching artists like Omar Souleyman, Imarhan, Mbongwana Star, Toumani & Sidiki Diabaté and Ata Kak etc.
