A sound enthusiast and De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) graduate has landed an exciting job at the trailblazing sound design studio behind some of the most memorable campaigns ever created.
Rory Wallace, who graduated from Audio and Recording Technology in 2015, is working as a Runner at Soho’s Grand Central Recording Studios (GCRS).
GCRS’ passion for audio has helped create powerful campaigns for world-famous brands such as Jaguar, Samsung, Pampers, BBC, Sky and Sainsbury’s.
The 21-year-old said: “What originally drew me to GCRS was the fact that they’ve been leading in this industry for over two decades. I was impressed by all of their work I’d seen and heard on TV.”
As a Runner, Rory’s role is varied and with a focus on ensuring that clients get the best possible experience out of their time at GCRS.
He said: “My job can involve anything from opening up the building, setting up the studios and stocking up stationery, to arranging flowers, ordering lunches and printing scripts for clients.
“Good communication skills are crucial in providing a five-star service. Things can always go wrong, but it’s how you deal with them that’s important.”
Rory plans to work as a transfer engineer at GCRS and ultimately train to be a sound designer. He is in the enviable position of working for a company which is committed to providing staff with meaningful opportunities to advance their skills.
Carole Humphrey, Founder and Managing Director of GCRS, said: “Out of our eight world-leading sound designers, seven of them have been here over 10 years and one for eight years. All but one of them started their career at GCRS as a Runner and worked their way up.
“One of the things we do is we make sure that everyone starting at GCRS is paid a proper wage which allows them to support themselves and live in London.
“We know that lunch can be a bit of a luxury especially at the beginning of a Runner’s career, so we provide free lunch for all of our team, and give them £50 on their birthday to help them celebrate.”
Rory feels his course at DMU prepared him well for the industry, such as learning about the metering standards used in television broadcast, which are the standards GCRS works to.
He said: “Not only was the course content really relevant to the industry, I also got valuable practical experience both through placements and at DMU.
“We were told about a day of sound-recording work going at Metropolis, a professional recording studio and production facility in London, which I jumped on. This led to more work with them, which was really good for my CV.
“I also worked for Demon FM at DMU, which gave me the chance to do sound design for radio in my own time. This opportunity really helped me develop, as I was in charge of a few people and responsible for developing new filing systems to improve how we worked.”
De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU) coordinates more than 100 societies and sports teams at the university.
Posted on Wednesday 23 March 2016