Turning up the Volume: The Sound Designers Taking Rumble to the Next Level

For Sean Wilkinson and Daniel William, two of Rumble Studios’ freshest sound designers, passion for sound comes first. From their early inspirations to notable projects, they discuss their roles, creative strategies, and the crucial role sound plays in elevating the impact and message of advertising campaigns.

The pair share how they source and create captivating sounds, and how success in their line of work is driven by creative collaboration and bringing ideas to life through audio.

LBB> What initially sparked your interest in audio editing and sound design, and did you always see yourself working in the advertising industry?

Sean> I’ve always had a fascination with audio production. Initially my intrigue came from watching old Hong Kong action films as a child, trying to understand how they made these explosive soundscapes and where the sounds came from. Sound design came into my life very organically, and the advertising industry was the perfect outlet to showcase my creativity. 

Daniel> I was drawn to sound design when I started university at UTS. We had to create sound for animation, films and experimental projects and I became obsessed with how sound was made and manipulated. That led me to working at Rumble which is where I really started to understand and love advertising.

LBB> How would you describe your role, and what are your key responsibilities and challenges?

Sean> At Rumble our main objective is to open the gates for creativity and inspiration. As an engineer we strive to generate a comfortable and enjoyable environment for everyone involved allowing creativity to flow freely, allowing us to join in on this journey and bring to life our own ideas.

Daniel> What I love about my job is I get to work on all disciplines of engineering and sound design at the same time. I record and direct voice talent, create and source sounds, edit dialogue and mix and master. The challenge comes with balancing all these elements and being able to understand and interpret what my clients want. Sound can be very subjective, what a summer day might sound like to one person could be very different to another so experimenting with exploring sounds till I create the perfect sound can be a big challenge but also a lot of fun.

LBB> Can you share any notable projects or campaigns you have worked on in the advertising industry? What were some of the creative and technical aspects involved in those projects?

Sean> Most recently I was lucky enough to work with Sigrid Thornton on cummins & partners latest campaign for Cerebral Palsy Alliance. Sigrid is an incredible artist who brings breathtaking performances in anything she touches, and in those scenarios the best thing I can do is give her the space she needs to perform at her best. I was also able to work on a Tennis Australia spot recently which allowed me to dive into a more creative headspace and experiment with different sound scapes. 

Daniel> I have been fortunate enough to have been a part of some incredible projects over the last couple of years. I worked on was BMF’s ALDI Special Buys relaunch. This was one of the first projects which I was the lead engineer on, so it was amazing to work with the creatives (Kiah Nicholas and Emily Field) from start to finish. The project was all about exploring the most special things in the universe from the sound of a blackhole to the flap of a butterfly's wings. One of the most technical sounds was transitioning from travelling through space to travel through and out the mouth of an ALDI shopper. I created the sound by using the recording of a microphone slowly coming out of my own mouth, pitch bending the recording and time stretching it to sound more like it was coming from deep inside the body. Then laying underwater sounds and a heartbeat which slowly cross-faded into a recording of a real ALDI store.

LBB> What strategies do you use to effectively communicate and bring brand ideas to life through audio?

Sean> I'm very big on asking questions, a lot of questions. The more I ask the closer we can get to a creative goal, and sometimes a well worded question can save an hour of trial and error. This can also be helpful if the spot requires a deeper thought process, and if we accidentally stumble upon an idea that wasn’t there prior, that’s an even bigger accomplishment. The more questions the better.

Daniel> Listening is the most important thing I do to effectively create what my clients have in their head. But it's more than just listening, it’s about reacting to the body language and the energy of the people you're working with. You know straight away when a voice artist has delivered the perfect line or you have created the sound someone was looking for just by their reaction. 

LBB> What role does sound play in enhancing the overall impact and message of an advertising campaign?

Sean> When sound is at its best, it conveys an emotional message that connects with the viewer. It can lead a story in a creative direction, or it can highlight smaller intricacies that can make a delicate impact. Sound can greatly enhance any message when at its best, and that is what we strive towards every day at Rumble.

Daniel> Sound can do a lot of different things for a campaign. It can make something feel authentic and real or it can exaggerate and intensify a moment. What it's always doing is capturing someone's attention and enveloping them in the world the campaign is creating. Sound also plays a huge role in communicating emotion in a campaign. Sometimes this is done with the sound design but a lot of the emotion in a piece is communicated from dialogue and voice over. Which is way voice over direction and recording is a huge part of my role. 

LBB> How do you source or create unique and captivating sounds for advertising projects? 

Sean> I love creating my own sounds. Whether it's recording foley in my suite or designing extravagant sound effects, creating from scratch gives me more control over the timbral characteristics in the project. There have been times I’ve used mastering techniques to amplify the overall sensory experience, simple things like adjusting overall frequency levels or additional saturation can give life to an otherwise monotonous mix.

Daniel> As a team we are constantly creating and recording new sounds. Sometimes it's as simple as recording the perfect performance of someone taking off a jacket by actually recording removing a jacket in sync to the picture. Or it could be recording someone screaming which is then pitched down and warped to create an eerie horror ambience.

Tourism Tasmania, the call of the off season which I worked on with Liam Annert (Senior Sound Designer Rumble Melbourne) is a great example of this. We had to create the sound for a number of vignettes from around Tasmania, but we only had a few seconds of each moment. This meant we need to be very precise and authentic with the sounds we used. The crunch of ice under a snow boot was created by blending a sample of a footstep with a subtle recording of ice cracking in warm water. The sound of steam coming from an outdoor bath by recording gently simmering water layered with the sizzle of water on a hot fry pan. 

LBB> How do you measure success in your line of work?

Sean> I believe exploring different ideas through the creative process is a strong measurement for success, and its something we do really well at Rumble. Having the opportunity to collaborate with creatives and directors opens new ideas to the table, which I see as an accomplishment.

Daniel> Success is as much about the creative process as it is the end result. Being able to work with creative teams to bring the sounds they are imagining to life is the most rewarding part of the job for me. If the project goes on to be well received by an audience that's a bonus.