Sound Editing while traveling - Can it be done?
In this blog post I want to speak candidly about how there is a certain stigma in our industry surrounding the idea that you you can't work in audio post while traveling. I'm here to say that not only is it POSSIBLE, but if you have the right gear; it's easier than ever to be able to edit while traveling!
I've traveled to several countries all the while I needed to get work done and make sure that it was finished by it's respective deadline. I think the biggest fear of telling your mixer/sound supervisor that you'll be working while on the road is that they think that 1. you won't be able to get your episode done on time 2. it's not going to sound as good as if you were working from home/studio and 3. that everything is going to blowup into a million pieces.
The biggest obstacle to overcome is yourself. If you're going to take on the task of managing to work while traveling you need to make sure you're mentally prepared to say NO to sightseeing/making plans so you can dedicate enough time to get the job done just as well as if you were in your home studio. I cannot stress this point enough! If you've always worked in a studio and have never made the leap to work from home then you definitely won't be able to effectively maintain your work while traveling. There have been plenty of times where I wish I could've been spending my time sightseeing or doing activities, but I knew that I had to get my work done first. It may sound cliché, but if you work hard you can play harder.
The second biggest obstacle with working while traveling is making sure you have the correct equipment to get the job done. Here's the basis of my mobile editing rig:
15" MacBook Pro: 2.6GHz Intel Core i7, 16GB 2400 MHz DDR4 RAM and a 500GB SSD internal drive
My SFX library is on a 2TB SSD drive - this REALLY helps with load times when I'm scouring my library with Soundminer. If you're looking for a great library to get you started you should absolutely checkout BOOM Library & Soundmorph.
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro Headphones
Kensington Trackball
Chargers
Cables
iPad
iLok
Extra hard drive with lots of storage - I like to bring one of my Western Digital 4TB drives
ZOOM F8 multi track field recorder/audio interface
RODE NT5 matched pair microphones
RODE NT4 stereo microphone
Also, Soundminer is the most used tool I use to get my work done. Seriously.... I wouldn't be able to work as fast/efficiently as I do without it. I'm currently using Soundminer HDPlus, but I'm getting ready to upgrade to Soundminer v4.5Pro/v5.
I'd like to leave off by saying that working on the road is doable and fun! It certainly comes with it's own unique set of challenges, but if you're able to mentally prepare yourself and get in the correct mindset of working efficiently, it can be done!
Have you ever worked on the road/abroad? If so, what are some of the obstacles you've faced? How'd you overcome those obstacles? I'd love to hear anyone else's experience!
