Little Things’ Latest Hire Finds Inspiration in Artful Soundscapes

Vika Vinnikova’s path to sound design was an unconventional one – she actually started her career in finance and it was only during the covid pandemic that Vika had the time to re-evaluate if that was the right choice for her. Still, music was always a part of her life. Though her family wasn't musical in the traditional sense, there was a lot of karaoke and singalongs at every familial get together, which she attributes to her Eastern European roots. As a teenager, she also performed as part of a folk ensemble across Eastern Europe, played guitar, and wrote songs.

Once she returned to university and started studying female electronic musicians like Pauline Oliveros and Suzanne Ciani and their experimental approach to music technology, her interest in sound made itself apparent. Vika then quickly got stuck into recording student bands and her experience in sound engineering and music production led to her first sound design project for a small theatre production of ‘Belinda’. She has two short films under belt too, a horror and a comedy, working on which helped her find a niche in audio post-production. 

With Little Things for over six months now, Vika was first intrigued by the independent and employee-owned structure of the business and joined the team when she realised that their values, like investing in talent and focusing on growing everyone’s expertise, aligned with hers.

“At Little Things we get a real kick out of nurturing new talent. It is within the ethos of the company, being employee owned, that opportunity exists for everyone with no limitations. This is particularly beneficial for our new starters like Vika at the beginning of their sound design journey as we look for talented individuals to join our company and an environment where they can learn and rapidly gain experience. When you're ready and an opportunity comes your way we'll be there giving you a gentle nudge,” comments Christopher Wrigglesworth, Little Things’ managing director. 

LBB sat down with Vika to find out more about her intriguing turn to sound design, the artful soundscapes and their creators she finds inspirational, and how Little Things is already investing in her career. 

LBB> Tell us a little bit about your experiences with music while you were growing up.

Vika> On my family side, no one was particularly musical or worked in music, but my parents loved karaoke. It’s a part of the culture where I grew up to have singalongs at every gathering. From a young age, that built a love for expressing myself through singing; it showed me the healing power of music.

In school, I learned to play classical guitar and a little piano. I also attended a music school after regular school, which introduced me to playing instruments. As a teenager, I joined a Russian folklore singing and dancing group, where I learned harmonies, singing with others, and stage performance. Those were my first experiences of being on stage and performing in front of people.

LBB> You studied finance before switching to music. Why the switch and when did you realise that you wanted to pursue sound specifically as a career?

Vika> Music always found its way back to me. Even when I was studying at university or working in various international corporations, I kept music in my life—whether it was singing in a choir, performing, or writing songs. The moment I realised it was time to make the switch was during covid. The pandemic gave me the space, courage, and savings to say, "Okay, now I’m going to pursue this thing that keeps calling me back and that I’m truly passionate about."

When I returned to university to study music, I gravitated toward sound, particularly Music Production and Sound Engineering. In my first year, I learned about female pioneers in electronic music, like Pauline Oliveros, Delia Derbyshire, and Suzanne Ciani, and how they approached music technology in experimental and playful ways. Their work inspired me to explore sound without fear and with curiosity, even though it was a new area for me.

LBB> You’ve worked on two short films – one horror, one comedy. What did you learn about how different atmospheres are conjured through sound by working on such contrasting projects?

Vika> Those were the first two short films I worked on as a sound designer, so there was a lot to learn. With the horror film, I was really excited because I naturally gravitate toward darker TV shows, like ‘Severance’. I enjoy how they build tension, and I drew from those references. For horror, I focused on using lower-frequency sounds, rumbles, and dissonant tones to create unease. It was about building a subconscious emotional response—something the viewer doesn’t consciously notice but that makes them feel unsettled.

In contrast, the comedy required lighter, more realistic sounds. There were no low frequencies, and the atmosphere was more grounded. I actually found comedy more intimidating because it felt like there was nowhere to hide. Timing is everything—you have to punctuate sounds precisely to match a punchline or a funny moment. If you’re even a second too early or late, it just doesn’t work. Horror is more subconscious—the viewer doesn’t quite understand what they’re feeling. In comedy, it’s very clear. You can hear the sounds, and they stand out more to the viewer. That was quite scary for me because I kept thinking, “Oh my God, am I going to ruin the joke? Will it not be funny?” But in the end, it worked out well.

LBB> Why did you decide to join Little Things? What appealed to you about the company?

Vika> Even before my interview with Chris and James, I was intrigued by the independent, employee-owned structure of the business. I realized that in this kind of structure, decision-making is collective, and every small decision can have a big impact. That idea really resonated with me.

During the interview with Chris [Wrigglesworth, MD] and James [Clark, senior sound designer] I felt that my values aligned with theirs. They focus on building knowledge and talent within the company—staying small in size but growing their expertise. It’s a place where everyone is deeply involved in continuous learning and skill-building, which aligns perfectly with how I want to grow.

Another thing that stood out was how the runner role at this company differed from others I’d seen. They wanted someone to get up to speed quickly, work behind the mixing desk on smaller tasks, and be involved in the production side. It offered a comprehensive overview of the entire process—from when a client brings in a request to the final delivery. That opportunity to learn and see the bigger picture was really appealing.

I think I landed the job not just because of my sound knowledge and expertise but also because of my varied experiences, like project management, admin, and process improvement. The company feels like it’s in an exciting growth stage, and it seemed like the right time and place for me. It’s an exciting time for sound and for the business as a whole.

LBB> You’re at the start of your sound engineering/design career – what kind of support and learning opportunities is Little Things providing?

Vika> From the first week I joined, I had a lot of shadowing opportunities where I could observe how everyone works during sessions. Since then, I’ve always had support whenever I didn’t understand something. For example, I had never used Nuendo before—they use it as their digital audio workstation—but I had experience with Pro Tools and Logic. Learning a completely new piece of software could have been daunting, but I never felt afraid to ask questions. The sound designers are incredibly helpful and always ready to explain anything.

When I don’t have runner responsibilities, there’s a strong encouragement for me to get into the studio and practice as much as possible. I’ve been working on sessions from previous projects to refine my skills and get ready for any jobs that might come in. It’s all about practice, practice, practice, and that support has been invaluable for my growth.

LBB> Have you had a chance to work on any spots since starting? What part of the process do you find the most interesting?

Vika> I’ve assisted on a wide variety of jobs and have taken on smaller mixing tasks as well. When I first started, I did a lot of assisting on foley work, which was incredibly fun and creative. I loved finding innovative ways to recreate sounds, and that process has always been a lot of fun for me.

For smaller jobs, my favourite part is receiving the brief and brainstorming ideas—thinking about where the world-building will take me and figuring out how to achieve the mood or story that the client wants to hear. I enjoy getting lost in the process of building that world piece by piece, finding references, and crafting the right elements. Of course, in this industry, you have to be mindful of time constraints, but that creative process of sound design and world-building is what excites me the most.

LBB> You mentioned that you find the soundscapes for ‘Chernobyl’ really inspirational. Why has the sound on that series left such an impression on you?

Vika> The whole series was done so incredibly well, but the sound design stood out to me as particularly inspirational. I did some reading afterward and learned that the sound team went to great lengths to create an authentic experience for viewers. They used actual diving suits from the events depicted in the show, recording the sounds they made. It’s incredible to think about going out and sourcing those materials to capture such authenticity.

The tension-building in the series was done so tastefully. It’s a sound world built around alarm sounds—police sirens, public announcements, dosimeter clicks—and these elements keep returning in different iterations, creating an uneasy and intense atmosphere. It’s difficult to watch at times, but it’s done beautifully. The sound team even sought out alarm sounds that matched the time and place of the events, which is just remarkable.

Another aspect I found fascinating was how the soundscapes created by the composer Hildur Guðnadóttir blended seamlessly with the sound design. I love series where you can’t tell where the sound design ends and the composition begins—it’s done so masterfully here. Hildur even visited a decommissioned nuclear plant in Lithuania to experience and record the atmosphere first-hand. She captured metal impacts and ambient sounds from the site, which she later incorporated into her compositions for ‘Chernobyl’.

LBB> What are some trends or developments in the world of audio and sound that you find particularly interesting?

Vika> I’m not a big gamer, but I’ve noticed a lot of trends from game audio that are being adapted in other industries recently. Specifically, the way game audio creates dynamic, interactive experiences that adapt to what the player is doing. This approach is making its way into advertising, where brands are increasingly looking for personalised and interactive soundscapes. This shift is really exciting because it opens up so many more opportunities for sound companies to create sounds tailored to personal experiences.

When I was at university, I worked on a project using programming audio software called Max MSP to create an interactive soundscape. It allowed users to interact with sounds like rain, traffic, or spot effects, giving them control to build their own sound experience. I think we’ll continue to see more of this in advertising, where campaigns will extend beyond TV ads into interactive spaces where users can engage with the sound both physically and digitally, such as on home speakers or smart devices. Consumers are becoming more aware of the importance of sound in the experience, and I think they’re ready for more of that immersive sound world.

On a more technical side, I think the developments in artificial intelligence for cleaning up audio are incredibly exciting. It’s often a tedious task to clean up dialogue stems, like when you have background noise such as airplane sounds. AI tools are improving and getting better at cleaning up audio, which speeds up the process and allows us to spend more time focusing on the creative aspects of sound design.

LBB> Finally, what are some of your dream projects that you would love to work on in the future?

Vika> I got into sound because I believe it’s such a powerful tool for telling a story—more powerful than music in some ways. I’d love to work on a project where sound is used in such an upfront way, leading the narrative.

Some brands that come to mind are Apple and their accessibility tools. For example, there was an ad called ‘Lost Voice’ about their personal voice feature that can recreate your voice if you’re at risk of losing speech. It was a beautifully made story, and very sound-led. Similarly, their recent ad for hearing aids was another example of how sound can be used to create a deep emotional response. Both campaigns used sound in such a beautiful way that it really highlighted the power of storytelling through sound. I also really enjoyed Channel 4’s Paralympics campaign this year. From the beginning, I was mesmerized by how all the sounds throughout the ad came together to form a sound composition. It was a powerful way of telling a story, emphasizing the strength of the event, and how the visuals and audio worked in harmony to elevate the whole experience.

In the future, I’d love to work on a project like that—something challenging that allows room for creativity, experimentation, and play, ultimately creating a sound-led story.