Wave Studios on 6 Years Producing High-End Sound and Next Gen Talent in New York

When Wave Studios launched its New York office in 2018, executive producer Vicky Ferraro told LBB that Wave’s success was a result of their “warmth, authenticity, and familial approach to the business”. This is the culture that ECD and partner Aaron Reynolds, a founding member of the audio post production company’s original London office, brought with him across the pond to run the new site alongside Vicky.

Reflecting six years later, Vicky says, “Seeing how proud they were of what they'd built in London and Amsterdam made me want to be part of something that was really special, with great people. Community is so important with what we do and I think that sometimes gets overlooked.

“Everybody has the same work ethic, we work really hard but we also look out for each other,” she adds. “Everyone's nice! I know that sounds so simplistic, but it’s true. That's something we spoke about in our first meeting - warmth. They really think of each other as family, and that's really important.” 

Above: Aaron and Vicky

Starting out with just two studios for Aaron Reynolds and Chris Afzal, a New York-based sound designer/mixer, the site has gradually expanded with additional studios for sound designer/engineer Isaac Matus and junior engineer Austin Ferreira, and five other full-time Wave team members to utilise, along with visiting clients.

Growth, in addition to producing the best creative work, has always been an ethos of Wave Studios, which Aaron says has never been a company that rests on its laurels. Soon after opening in New York, the covid pandemic threatened to stymy this goal, but after a quiet few months, they adapted and have been on a rising trajectory ever since.

This momentum only increased after Wave’s successful campaigns with the likes of The New York Times, and more recently after founding partner, Johnnie Burn, took home the studio’s first-ever Oscar for sound on 'The Zone of Interest'.

Speaking on The New York Times work, Aaron says, “That really put us on the map with regard to high-end sound design and mixing. We get a lot of references to that, so we were very lucky to get such a good quality campaign a year in.”

"Us coming in [to the office] really helps too,” adds Vicky. “We were coming in before a lot of other studios, so we had a lot of clients asking if it was possible to have an in-person session. So we reintroduced it early and clients were really enjoying getting a taste of normality.”

Some of their other standout projects include their Smirnoff campaigns with 72andSunny New York and Isaac’s work with the SickKids Foundation - itself proof of Wave Studios’ model, as Isaac began as a runner in 2018 and quickly found an affinity for communicating with clients.

“He's so lovely and very talented, with a background in sound design and music - he went to Berkeley,” says Vicky. “He approaches everything really well, and I think it speaks to the mentorship that Aaron provides and the way we do things. And that's how Aaron learned when he was growing here.”

Above: Studio 1, Wave Studios NY

Coming up through the ranks of the London office, learning from the can-do attitudes and willingness to ‘muck in’ of founders Johnnie Burn and Warren Lloyd Hamilton, Aaron says he never felt restricted and was empowered to stay at the studio and tinker with equipment to his heart’s content. 

“It was a great experience to have that freedom and it's the same here - the guys want to work and they’re happy to use the kit after work, do short films…” he says. “Go for it! Fill your boots! No one's ever going to be hovering over your shoulder, micromanaging you. Everyone can just do their thing and grow that way, and that was something that, for my journey, I loved and appreciated. The whole environment has always been fun - you play hard, but you work hard.”

He continues, “That makes you feel very comfortable and relaxed in your work life, which allows you to then grow, develop and be the best that you possibly can… I just like to be more of a help, rather than telling people how to do it. That's something I really valued, so that's what I'm trying to do with everyone here as well.”

This culture is something that Vicky feels is pretty unique at Wave, and applies this way of thinking to production as well. “Rather than dictating the way it has to be, I like to help our team find their own way there. If you get to point B in a different way, but still in a way that makes sense, then that's great. Our production team is really strong because of that.”

Above: Studio 2, Wave Studios NY 

Both naturally collaborative people, Vicky and Aaron agree that their relaxing and open demeanours lead to a complimentary leadership style, with Vicky bringing her business, production and marketing talents to match Aaron’s creativity and people management skills. “When you have that at the top of an office, it bleeds down,” says Vicky. “Those are the people that are drawn to you, that you hire, that want to stay in the company.”

Over half of the team’s recent additions have been from gen z, often pulling talent from colleges - although not necessarily from sound design courses. For Aaron and Vicky, it’s more important in an interview to ascertain someone’s people skills and passion for the craft, so that they can evaluate how a person will interact with a client, and the tight-knit unit they’ll work with day-to-day.

These people skills become the most vital attributes to look for when hiring junior talent, who can otherwise be moulded into proficient technical sound engineers or producers, especially when you have a small team. “You can't afford to have a bad apple,” adds Vicky. “You really need to make sure that every person is individually amazing”

Looking toward the next six years at Wave Studios NY, additions to the roster aren’t the only growth that the team expects, either. Aaron shares that there are ambitions to add more sound studios for the up-and-comers to cut their teeth in, hopefully including a Dolby Atmos studio in the not-so-distant future.

“What I love about Wave is that they're always evolving,” says Vicky. “Going back to my first interview, I always felt like Warren and Aaron were looking forwards, and had good visions. They adapt and see what's happening in the future, what's happening digitally and with AI... We're all constantly trying to think about what's happening and incorporating that into how we work. Rather than letting the trends happen and react, we're being proactive.”   

And throughout the excitement of all the growth, success and awards of the past six years - and the anticipation of industry advancements in the next - one thing has remained and clearly will remain constant at Wave. Namely, Vicky and Aaron’s dedication to not just producing high quality sound for clients, but also to supporting the next generation of talent as it comes through.