5 Minutes with… Lou Allen
Lou Allen began her career in audio post production over 20 years ago and has been part of the Factory Family for 16 of those years. She joined Factory in 2007 where she quickly established a production department, leading her to become the head of production.
Among Lou’s list of award-winning projects are the iconic Honda’s ‘Paper’, John Lewis’ ‘The Long Wait’ Christmas campaign and Aoife McArdle’s feature film, ‘Kissing Candice’. Today, in her role as managing director, she gets to not only be proud of the incredible work she’s produced over the years, but also of the unique team she has helped nurture.
Lou looks forward to the future filled with expectations, new tech and the Factory Family’s expansion, as well as its incredible new immersive studio. Growing the Family both professionally and personally, she is completely committed to diversifying projects, keeping up with new and better developments and placing her foot firmly on the pedal.
LBB’s Zoe Antonov spoke to Lou about assembling the production department when she joined Factory, and going from not having a mobile phone in the first days of her career to working with AI today.
LBB> Tell me about your start in the industry - did you know this is your path or was it more of a coincidence?
Lou> It was definitely a coincidence. I didn’t even know the industry existed.
When I began my career back in 1993, I didn’t have a mobile phone, there was no easy access to the internet and of course no social media. After I moved to London in 1993, I started as a runner at an ad agency called Delaney Fletcher Slaymaker Delaney (DFSD) and absolutely fell in love with London life.
LBB> And how did you find your specialism - why audio post production?
Lou> I had been at DFSD for around five years, and I was ready for something else. I saw an ad for a receptionist at an audio post production company called Grand Central (GC) and I was intrigued as to what audio post production was. I had no idea you could actually have a career in sound and music.
I joined GC in 1998 and worked my way up through bookings (now known as audio production), learning my skills from a very talented team. I was very lucky as I worked with a fantastic group of people who took the time to properly explain the process of sound design and music to me - I was hooked! I’ve always loved how sound and music can evoke an emotion or memory, so I immersed myself in it.
LBB> How did the audio post production niche within the industry look like 20 years ago compared to today and what have been some developments that shaped your career?
Lou> Twenty years ago, media spend was mainly based on TV & Radio campaigns and that was it really. We now have a vast array of media deliverables which means a vast array of audio specs. Things like VOD, cinema (Dolby 5.1, 7.1 and Atmos) and a multitude of social media channel assets are becoming the norm. We saw an increase in experiential installations (art/theatre/live events) before the pandemic and we’ve seen the rapid return of these already. At Factory, we now have a dedicated immersive audio department - that was unimaginable twenty years ago!
Overall, I feel audio post production has undergone a remarkable transformation. The shift from analogue to digital workflows, along with huge technological advancements, has opened things up to exciting opportunities whilst also expanding the creative possibilities that we can now achieve.
All of this has certainly kept me on my toes and keeps me excited and passionate about what I do.
LBB> What are some lessons you learned over the years that you'd like to share with those entering the audio and post sphere today?
Lou> You learn so much as a runner, not just about the company or the industry, but learning about yourself. It’s an important part of the career process and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Immerse yourself in it, be interested and keen, ask lots of questions and you’ll shine through. Also, it’s okay to make mistakes. Learn from them and move on. It makes me so sad to see the younger generation blinded by perfection, particularly from social media, it must be so stressful. Nobody is perfect… it’s okay to be different, it’s okay to have different opinions and it’s OK if you trip up once in a while!
LBB> You have been at Factory for quite some time now. What is something you love about the culture of the company and what makes you proud to be part of the Factory Family?
Lou> Yes indeed, I’ve just celebrated my 16th anniversary! I joined Factory in 2007, where I assembled the audio production department. Anthony (founding partner) and I were very focused on how we wanted our production department to be completely immersed with the engineers and clients in every project. We wanted to shake the process up and make it more collaborative. From here, I was promoted to head of production in 2013 and began to further build our blossoming team.
I absolutely love our culture in the Factory Family, to nurture and inspire. It makes me so proud to see the team achieve their goals professionally and personally, and I love that we’re able to give the team the space to do that. Not only is our team exceptionally talented but they’re all lovely people that genuinely care about our clients, our work and each other.
LBB> You have been in the managing director role since 2021, so you have had some time to get a feel of what it's about. What are its biggest challenges and equally, the best parts about it?
Lou> I think the biggest challenges are also the best parts and that’s the people - our team.
We have a team of 30 and it’s important that I’m supportive of everyone’s career progression and their personal needs. Ensuring everyone is on the right path and feels supported can feel like spinning plates at times. However, when a member of the team moves closer to achieving their goals and you can see what they’ve accomplished, it’s very rewarding.
LBB> What does your day-to-day in the role look like? Do you still deal directly with audio production or more with the management side of things?
Lou> I love being in the studio every day, I like to be around our team and connected to our clients. I’ve always loved the buzz of the studio, that has never changed.
My day is very varied, it really can depend on what’s going on and who needs me. I usually start the day catching up with everyone. I champion well-being at the Factory Family, and I like to ensure everyone in the team is feeling good, both professionally and personally.
My role as MD is very management based, that’s why I love it. Overseeing and seeking out new opportunities is very exciting and inspiring to me.
LBB> What is a project you have done over the years that you're exceptionally proud of and why?
Lou> Oh, that’s a difficult question! My favourite ads were probably Honda’s ‘Hands’ and Honda’s ‘Paper’ as they required some very specific recordings of Honda products which was quite a challenge from an audio production perspective.
Aside from ads, I really enjoyed working on ‘Kissing Candice’, Aoife McCardle’s debut feature film; I loved working with the team at Somesuch and the wider post-production team. It was a hugely collaborative project. I may be biased, but the haunting music score by Jon Clarke and the immersive sound design by Anthony Moore makes for a truly outstanding piece of work.
LBB> What are some tech developments today that you expect to shape the way audio production works and why?
Lou> I would say the big tech developments right now revolve around two areas, immersive audio formats and AI. It's important for us to stay ahead of the curve and embrace new tech, which is why we recently opened our new immersive department which is centred around audio design, development and integration across many varied platforms.
We're seeing Dolby Atmos becoming more of a standard deliverable across advertising, film and TV, not to mention other exciting spatial formats which seem to be popping up all the time. The ability to integrate our sound design successfully in these developing formats has become invaluable for our clients as they constantly demand the highest standards regardless of the challenges.
AI is here - it's scary but also fascinating. Again, new tools are coming through, helping to improve workflows and changing what’s possible to achieve. It’s exciting!
LBB> What does the future of the Factory Family look like from your current perspective and what are the most exciting developments for the company on the horizon?
Lou> The future for the Factory Family is exciting. We have such a talented team and they’re all eager to learn their craft and seek out new opportunities.
We’ve just completed a huge sonic rebrand for Channel 4 in collaboration with 4Creative.
The Factory Family teams across Factory and SIREN combined to create a new sound and sonic feel for this iconic brand. Working across many touch points and led by a signature brand mnemonic, the team worked hard to encapsulate the sound of Channel 4 as it moves forward into the digital age. What’s great to see is how much focus the brand has put into creating a cohesive sonic identity, it’s so important these days – good sound stays with you!
And then there’s our immersive department. There is so much new tech available and so many platforms for us to expose our expertise in audio, the possibilities are endless.
LBB> What are your hobbies and passions outside of work?
Lou> Fitness and nature. Both energise me and give me time to think, reflect and then move on.
Walking my dog, Winnie, is the best!
Also, I’m a huge house music fan. My partner and I will often head out for a dance on a Saturday night.
