Today we’d like to introduce you to Ethan Arlook.
Hi Ethan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m born and raised in San Fernando Valley, and I’m very proud to call the 818 my home. I grew up with a strong musical background, which helped me develop an ear and true love for song and sound from an early age. I also have so many memories watching all types of films and television shows with my sisters and parents growing up. I feel like I’ve had a real connection to so many amazing pieces of art that have shaped me into who I am today, and given me the insight to contribute to these fields myself.
I am fascinated by how things work and believe that life is all about curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge. I believe it is of the utmost importance to learn as much history about any art form that you wish to contribute to. I took piano lessons as a child, which helped me develop my ear ear and how to understand structures and patterns in music and sound in general. I picked up drums at the age of 11 which really set my musical journey off. I played in bands throughout my adolescence and had the best times. Learning the importance of listening and collaboration has been an amazing foundation for my career in terms of the importance of communication and teamwork in general.
A lot of my experience boils down to the act of being creative. Working and living here where I’m from, and being close to so much of my family and friends is something I deeply cherish.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s always a challenge to figure out what you want to do in life. I’ve dealt with a lot of hurdles in exactly figuring out exactly how I should be applying myself and utilizing my skills to form a life-sustaining career.
As an artist, it is a difficult road trying to juggle your passions while making an income; how can I afford to do all this and keep my sanity? I’ve loved playing in bands but had to make difficult decisions and pivots to survive in the city I’ve grown up in. It’s making it through adversity while still respecting yourself and what you love to do.
We can get bogged down about being the best at something, overcoming our insecurities — but I believe that learning as many skills as the key. It’s all about being multi-faceted, and still making sure to take care of yourself and loved ones.
To me, the most important thing is to just keep moving, to never stay stagnant and keep learning, growing and pushing yourself. I’d say for me it’s been a challenge to juggle my passions while still keeping up with life’s responsibilities.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve always seen my self as a multi-faceted individual. I got my start playing drums, but have since taught myself guitar, bass, piano. Playing music with others is one of my greatest joys in life — a true flow state for me.
I studied at Emerson College in Boston learning Sound Design and Audio Post Production. I also took courses at Berklee College of Music, further developing my musical foundations. I returned home to Los Angeles working in music for film/tv, primarily in assistant roles. I was lucky enough to play a small role as an assistant on the music team for Pirates of the Caribbean 5: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which was an amazing experience to be a witness at that level.
I wrote the soundtracks for a few low budget features, which presented their own challenges and lessons. I enjoyed these experiences but felt that I wanted to transition back to audio post production and sound design. My main bread and butter is in the audio post production world for film and TV. I am sound designer and mixer for films — I always love to contribute to a team and help a director realize their vision.
There are two titles I’ve been particularly proud to work on as sound designer and re-recording mixer. “Swim to Bill”, directed by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack is a lovely short documentary full of poignant themes that I believe resonates with us all. It was Oscar short-listed and a fantastic project to be a part of.
The second film, “All Heart”, was also directed by Will McCormack as well as Michael Govier, who won an Oscar in 2020 for their animated short “If Anything Happens I Love You”. “All Heart” is an animated short, a truly beautiful film I was honored to be a part of. It just premiered at the Sun Valley film festival, and soon at Sundance. Can’t speak highly enough of the directors and the film!
It is extremely rewarding to provide sound and/or music for a project, often the final pieces of puzzle. My daily work these days is in the English Dubbing world — as a dialogue mixer, recordist and editor for foreign language content. I work at a company called Dubbing Brothers, in Burbank. I’m grateful to work with such great people each day. It’s been a professional and personal pleasure to make strong connections with so many directors, actors, fellow engineers and others within this sphere of the audio post production world.
I’d say what sets me apart from others is that I have vast experience in these distinctive fields that interact with one another. I call it “technical empathy”. If I’m working on a project as the sound designer, for example, I will still have that “technical empathy” with the other people in the project who are doing the music, or other parts on the sound or mixing team, because I’ve worn those hats in the past. I believe it gives me credibility in communication.
Simply put, I love all things music and audiovisual. I am grateful to be able to use my ears and technical skills every single day. I would say that I specialize in all things sound and music, and I would hope to be known for my extreme love and passion for these art forms. I have an extreme attention to detail and always strive to create the best product for my clients and myself.
What does success mean to you?
I would define success as working on anything that makes you feel connected to your higher self, knowing that it’s on your path that you’ve been working towards your whole life. As a creative person, anything I can do that feeds that drive and hunger, is something I can be grateful for. Bonus points if what I’m working on is making people happy in some way!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://earlooksound.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ethanarlook/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-arlook/
