Justin Fraser Interview | Emmy Award Winning Audio Engineer

In this Justin Fraser Interview exclusive, we sat down with our Advanced Diploma in Audio Post Production for Film and TV course leader to discuss the work of audio engineers in motion picture.

Building a career in audio post-production requires strict focus, attention to detail, vigilance, and the ability to create and find opportunities.

Emmy Award-winning audio engineer, Justin has been a Pro Tools expert in the film and TV industry since 2004. Some of his most significant achievements include engineering/mixing “Just Perfect,” by Tracy Bonham, taken from Bridget Jones’s Diary US Soundtrack. This was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards.

In addition, Justin also worked for NBC Sports as a re-recording mixer and technical consultant at the London Summer Games in 2012, which won the Outstanding Technical Team Studio Award at the 34th Annual Sports Emmy Awards.

Throughout his career, Justin has worked on records, tours, visual media, and more – he is considered one of the world’s leading Pro Tools instructors. He has previously engineered U2’s Elevation: Live in Boston and Seal’s album Human Being. In the last 12 months, Justin has received Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe nominations.

Justin discusses how he kickstarted a career in audio post-production, teaching how to mix audio in our Dolby Atmos Mix Suite and tips for aspiring audio engineers looking to work in this exciting industry!

INTRODUCING: A Justin Fraser INTERVIEW

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF!

I started as a musician, which led me to have some success with bands as a teenager, including getting a small record deal and entering the studio. I quickly caught the studio bug because I was more interested in the sonics of things rather than being a virtuoso player. Eventually, I got a work placement at a residential studio near where I lived called Jacobs Studios. Unfortunately, it’s long gone, but from there on, I gradually worked my way through the ranks.

I studied music technology (specifically Electronic Music Production Technology) at university while working part-time in various studios. Upon graduating, I eventually became Trevor Horn’s technical assistant and one of his engineers. I did this for almost five years before going full-time freelance in 2000.

How did you get started IN Audio Post Production?

Between graduating from university and working for Trevor, I did a short stint at the National Film and TV School, and while working with Trevor we worked on the soundtrack music for several films. One of which was Coyote Ugly with LeAnn Rimes.

After going freelance, I mainly worked on music projects in Los Angeles, New York, and London. This was around the time Pro Tools started to make more inroads into the world of audio post. I had a reputation for using Pro Tools with Trevor, which, as a result, meant several facilities got in touch with me to ask if I could help train their staff.

WHAT LED YOU TO TEACHING WITH US?

This is my second year as Programme Leader for the Audio Post Production Diploma. I taught most of the mixing lectures during the course’s first run the year before. I also helped develop the course pre-Covid and was hired to train senior staff on the Avid S6 at the old site at Abbey Road Studios. 

HOW WOULD YOU SUMMARISE THE COURSE?

The Audio Post Production course takes our students from the beginnings of production, location sound recording, terminology, video standards, workflows, dialogue editing, sound design, and Foley recording to mixing. Their final project encompasses all of these elements, so when it comes to their third term, the focus is very much on mixing. 

Not everyone on the course has mixing experience. Many may have some mixing experience in stereo, but mostly music. We guide them from that stage and teach them to mix to picture in stereo, 5.1, and 7.1 surround. We also teach Dolby Atmos as part of the diploma. The course has several dedicated lessons on immersive audio across each term. 

Mixing their final projects in Atmos is currently an option for the students, but is a considerable undertaking. Despite this, it’s been great to see students relish in that challenge and push themselves to do it at this stage because they have the equipment and resources. 

WHAT PRACTICAL SKILLS WILL STUDENTS LEARN?

The course encompasses real-world audio post-production workflows from beginning to end. This includes the inception, editorial, picture re-conforms, mixing and more. The students learn to mix their projects here, attend Foley workshops at Sound Disposition, and participate in one-to-one tutorials. Once the students have progressed well into their mixes, we spend a day with them at Abbey Road’s Mix Stage. This lets them hear how their mixes translate into a large theatrical Dolby environment. We create DCP files (Digital Cinema Packages) after their final hand-in. Following that, we conclude the course with a screening at Universal Headquarters for them to showcase their work.

Aside from the technical elements that form the courseware and the curriculum, I also try to address the psychological approaches and provide them with aspects that have helped me throughout my career. I attempt to get this across from the beginning to instil a positive habit.

HOW DOES THE COURSE HELP STEER CAREERS IN Audio Post Production?

It’s one of many niches! In the course, the students will have played a small part in every audio post-production role. One of the good experiences the students gain from mixing their productions to the level they do on the course is that they very quickly learn to tackle the issues that present themselves in a mix. Thus, this allows them to understand where things can be done better earlier in the process. 

These steps and tools give the students great hands-on experience to propel their careers in Audio Post-Production for Film and TV.

Curious to know more about studying Audio Post Production after reading our Justin Fraser Interview? Head to our course page to find out more about the programme. Check out our article, which Explores The World of Sound Design. Dive into this insightful article on ‘What is Audio Post-Production? The Roles and Process?’ by Travsonic!