Interning at a Studio Part 3 – The tips
So here we are at Part 3. This entire post will be dedicated to tips on how to survive as a recording studio intern. It is important to remember that an intern is part janitor and part concierge service. While both jobs may seem mundane or stupid the both can teach you a lot and give you plenty of contacts for the future. The one thing to remember is that being an intern is a stepping stone to the job in audio that you really want. You may not care for the clientele that comes in to do work or the type of recording (live sound, ADR, scoring, ect.) that is done in one particular studio and decide to go to another studio to work. The thing is that regardless of where you end up working the skills that you learn along the way as an intern can do nothing that help you deal with whatever may come up in the future.
Detail
Pay attention to detail. This is the number 1 tip I can give anyone going into the recording industry. People at a studio are paid for their attention to detail. As an intern it will become apparent within the first day or two that in order to succeed every detail to any and everything must not be overlooked. The head engineer used to throw pennies underneath the couches and racks of gear where they weren’t easily visible at the studio I used to work at. Why? It was a test to see if the person cleaning the room actually took the time to clean everything in the room. Taking the time to make sure whatever job is given is done right shows the higher ups that you’ve got potential.
Notes
Take copious amounts of notes. I used to carry a notebook around just to make sure I had my tasks listed so I wouldn’t forget them. It also came in handy with food orders and notes for future research. No one will ever get made or make fun one someone that’s taking the time out to make sure they have all the information they need to complete a job. It’s about taking the time to pay attention to detail. See a theme going on here?
Petty Cash
Most everything that is purchased for a studio be it gear, groceries, or media, will be purchased with Petty Cash. Always remember to get a receipt and the correct change for the transaction. I used to send the interns out with an envelope to hold any cash or receipts at the place I worked at. It made things a lot easier when it came time to return the money to the studio manager.
Groceries
Usually there are snacks and drinks readily available in the studio for the clientele. When a session is booked usually the client is asked what kind of snacks they’d like while working. If they don’t the studio will usually have items that they stock the room with like fruit, chips, water, candy, and soda. Make sure to get name brand items, unless instructed to do otherwise, because it makes the studio look like they went cheap for the client. Try to get enough supplies to last for a few days and if the studio doesn’t have a club card for the local supermarket go ahead and get one because it’ll save some money in the long run.
Meals
Sometimes interns will be asked to go out and pick up some food for the session. It’s important to know how to get to the place and what everyone is ordering. Make sure there is enough money for the order before going out to pick it up. If you’re the one placing the order make sure you get an amount before leaving. Double check that all the food that has been ordered is there before leaving, along with anything else that might be needed for the order like straws, napkins, or condiments.
Research
From time to time an intern may be asked to do research. Regardless of what needs to be researched a clean guide of the found results that anyone could pick up and understand should be documented. I always used Excel or whatever spreadsheet program was around because it was easy to lay out the options, final costs (taxes or shipping), locations, phone numbers, and possible URLs for whoever was going to look at it.
Equipment
It’s important to know all of the equipment in the studio and how it’s used. Get used to reading a lot of manuals and don’t hesitate to ask someone how or why a piece of gear is used (as long as it isn’t during a session). The more you know about the equipment in the studio and how to use it the more valuable you become. Also try to learn how the studio’s signal flow works. How is the gear wired up to the console? How is the recording medium (tape, ProTools, Logic, ect.) tied in? This is all valuable information that will help you out.
Contacts
It’s a really smart idea to start making up contacts as soon as the internship starts. I’m not talking about talking up big wigs at record labels; I’m talking about creating contacts with the people you’ll talk to on a regular basis. If you’re sent out to buy a piece of gear find out who the Studio Rep at the store is. Usually a large music store will have a sales rep dedicated to selling to recording studios. They’ll know every piece of gear their stores sell – and how to use it, and will be a valuable asset when a piece of gear is needed in a pinch. Get to know the people at the rental houses that the studio rents from. They’ll be able to get you whatever you need to rent and if they don’t they’ll tell you who to call to get it. In the long run if you decide to leave the studio you’re working at and go to another one these contacts will still be around to help you with anything that might come up.
Free Time
Every once in a while some free time comes up where there isn’t much to do for the studio. The problem is it’s never wise to look like there isn’t anything to do. Try reading a manual, learn the different types of cables that the studio uses(do you know the difference between a mic cable and an Elco cable?), wash windows or take out the trash. If the engineer is around ask questions or talk to the assistants about things that might need to get done. It’s important to always stay busy and make the most out of the time that you’re there.
Hopefully this guide will help out. As I mentioned earlier it’s not a glamorous job but it can open up a lot of doors and create more opportunity for you than you might know. The last tip I can give you is patience. There will be times that a client is obnoxious, that the hours are too long, and that things don’t seem like they’re going right at all. If you have patience it’ll make the whole ride a lot smoother.
