Birmingham, AL (December 6, 2018)—Atlanta-based sound mixer Nicholas L. Minter has been juggling the demands of recording for both TV and film projects including Saints and Sinners 3, Mile 22, Rapture and Top Gear. That he’s working in that area might be a surprise, as he started his career as a music recording engineer and a music composer for video games.
“What I love about sound is it’s constantly changing every single day,” says Minter, who holds several degrees including a BFA in Interactive Design and Game Development and a BFA and MFA in Sound Design.
Key to Minter’s career trajectory has been the foresight to keep investing in himself, whether through education or surrounding himself with gear that can handle whatever a project requires.
His big break as a sound engineer came after one of his projects, Horror Hotel, did well on Hulu. “When I started earning money, I began renting Lectrosonics equipment, which opened the door to other gigs,” he says. When his career took off in 2013, he says, “I was finally able to invest in my career and bought my first basic sound kit which included three Lectrosonics SQMV transmitters and three UCR 411a receivers.”
Reality TV productions such as T.I. & Tiny: The Friends & Family Hustle present a different set of challenges, he says. We have to stay out of the shots and make sure the frequencies are right. I use the Lectro IFB so the producers have the ability to go between both sound bags. It’s convenient and flexible for the producers to follow the story while we’re recording dialogue on separate sides of a location.”
This year, he worked on three feature films in Birmingham, AL, all produced by Mary C. Russell, and Scott LaStaiti and starring the likes of Julianne Hough, Aaron Eckhart and Elizabeth Reaser. “When I’m on a feature film, I’m working with the full team, so at that point, it’s about speed and being aware of everything that is going on. I need to be fast and versatile,” says Minter. Given the variety of audio professions he works in, Minter likely is.
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