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Audio Designer (Fixed Term Employment)
Onsite @ Insomniac Games
Fixed Term Employment is a new, at-will employment classification at Sony Interactive Entertainment (“SIE”). A Fixed Term Employee (“FXT employee”) is an SIE employee possessing a highly valued and/or specialized skillset unique to Sony PlayStation, who is hired under a fixed term contract for a minimum term of one year and maximum term of three years to perform work on one or more specific project(s). Fixed Term Employees are eligible for health, vision and dental benefits, and receive PTO.
Burbank, CA
Responsible for being an active and key contributor for the creative direction and style for audio assets and workflow processes throughout a production cycle. Creates, edits, and implements game-ready audio. Works closely with the rest of the audio team to maintain a high level of quality and consistency of assets.
Responsibilities:
- Highly proficient in creating complex sound effects, by using advanced audio methods and techniques to push the creative boundaries
- Employs advanced innovative strategies and best practices for sound implementation in the game that yield highest quality results
- Utilizes highly advanced technical experience to ensure sound effects meet technical requirements of game including voice channel limits, memory management, etc.
- Investigates sound effect issues to debug, fix and ensure sounds play correctly in the game
- Highly proficient and works independently at pre-mixing all sound effects when being implemented into game and oversees final sound design mix of the game
- Proactively and clearly communicates ideas and technical details with other teams/departments in the development process
- Independently communicates progress toward goals on a regular basis with audio director, audio lead and project manager
- Ability to perform high-level scripting tasks using visual scripting platforms
- Provides high level of knowledge and understanding of schedule creation and forecasting duration of tasks
- Regularly reviews the work of other sound designers and ensures that the work fits within the context and limitations of project/s
- Key contributor to defining sound design specifications and developing tone of audio for style guide documentation of projects
- Serves as a mentor to the audio team
Qualifications:
- Education and/or Experience: Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university; or five to seven years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience focused on experience in original sound effect design, creation, mixing, processing and implementation or computer game product development experience.
- Language Skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
- Mathematical Skills: Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
- Reasoning Skills: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
- Computer Skills: Highly proficient with multitrack project mixing software/hardware and session set-up (Avid Pro Tools experience preferred). Advanced experience with mixing stereo and surround sound formats. Advanced proficiency with PC-based sample editors (Sound Forge). Experience with Wwise and Audio Plug Ins. Comfortable and adept with both PC and Mac-based operating systems. Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.
- Other Skills: Strong written and verbal communication skills required. Must be able to present ideas clearly and work well within a large team environment. Emphasis in sound effect and dialogue mixing and post production work. Emphasis on microphone placement, operation and recording. Thorough understanding of audio compression technologies and surround sound formats. Basic understanding of audio physics principles. Film or television production/location recording experience preferred. Understanding of music/ playing an instrument is a plus. Thoroughly understands the foundations of dynamic, frequency, and time based effects as well as audio synthesis.
- Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is frequently required to sit and talk. Employee is required to hear regularly. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
- Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Employee will be exposed to varying levels of sound based on work and project.
Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, legally protected physical or mental disability, covered veteran status, status in the U.S. uniformed services, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, genetic information or membership in any other legally protected category.
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