Peer Review: Hannah Webster

Who are three contemporaries that you admire? 

There’s a lot of people I respect, but I find it difficult to admire people I don’t have a relationship with, as I feel it’s not very helpful, and the term ‘admire’ kind of has the same meaning (in a work sense) of idolising someone. It puts people on a pedestal and makes what they have achieved less accessible to you. 

At university we were shown the BTS on how the [Lord of The Rings] soundscapes were made. I remember thinking it was so cool and this is what I wanted to do.

However, in terms of people I’ve worked with who I respect, the list is endless!

There've been some amazing engineers Gez Lloyd, Jamie Thomas, Ben Leeves, Sean Mahoney, Luke Isom. But I really have to mention my UNIT production team Tania De Sousa (Head of Production) and my partner in crime Wil Male, who have always and continue to champion me. 

Please share 3-4 pieces of work that exemplify great sound design. 

The first piece of work for me would be Lord of the Rings. I remember, I was in a lecture at university and we were shown the BTS on how the soundscapes were made. I remember thinking it was so cool and this is what I wanted to do, to be a sound designer.

I loved how practical a lot of the sounds were for the creatures, like for the Balrog where its ‘roar' was a heavy cinder block being pushed. To get the reverb right, rather than using a plug in, they played the sound through a speaker down a long, underground tunnel. Or how to combine different animals to create a completely new sound.

Just seeing these guys have the freedom to experiment and be so creative through sound always stuck with me, and I’ll never forget the ‘pig dog’ sound. This was my first true exposure to sound design and it’ll always have space in my heart.

 I like that I get to be creative and be in a hub of people who care about the outcome of the job, no matter how big or small the project is. 

Tekken, any Tekken game. I love the SFX they create when a character hits the commentator and the fact they kept the sound design mostly the same even with the improvement of graphics and gameplay. It shows that it stands the test of time… 

Last one is also a game, which is Abe’s Exoddus/ Oddyssey. The sound design is incredible. It’s done so smartly as you are on a set screen (all the backgrounds are hand painted which are visually beautiful) and you have puzzles which span across several screens that you can’t see, but you can hear (for example… If there is a certain enemy or a secret passage, there will be a small sound that can help indicate where it is and where you are.)

I’ve seen a lot of people review it as being quite accessible for blind gamers, and I think that’s just great! 

Above: The Balrog's roar in Lord of the Rings was made with practical SFX. 

What do you like most about the work that you do?

I like working with people. I like that I get to be creative and be in a hub of people who care about the outcome of the job, no matter how big or small the project is. I feel very lucky to do what I do.

What was your journey to becoming a sound designer? 

I started at uni doing a music tech course. It was more science based so I learned more about programming than how to mix. But in the modules where I did learn about sound I loved it, and then I found out about this career and I was set.

In a full circle moment UNIT offered me the role of becoming a full time sound designer. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do what I had been working towards since 2013. 

After a few work experience places and applying to many post houses I started at UNIT in 2013 as a runner. Eventually I was able to get into an audio assist role and was supported by great sound designers around me. 

I got an amazing opportunity to go work at Jungle and learnt so much from so many great people. Then the pandemic hit, which unfortunately set me back a little. But in a full circle moment UNIT offered me the role of becoming a full time sound designer. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do what I had been working towards since 2013. And it’s been so fab coming back to the amazing support of old and new producers and other sound designers.

Above: Tekken and Abe's Oddysee game covers. 

How have you found your experience of entering the industry? Has it been what you expected?

It’s such a vibrant industry with people all around, with all different experiences which have helped build me as the woman and as the sound designer I am today. 

The more confident you are with your equipment and software, the more you can concentrate on the fun bits.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but that was kind of the fun of it all. Everyday and every job is different so will always keep you on your toes. 

What is one thing all sound designers need?

Ears, I guess.

Who was the greatest sound designer of all time?

Tommy Talerico…. 

(If you have the inclination to watch [the video below] all the way through, you’ll understand why this is a joke)

Did you have a mentor? 

I’ve had many people be big supporters in my career, but I’ll always give a huge shout out to Ben Leeves and Jamie Thomas. Some of the most incredible talent and all round good guys. Never shy to share their knowledge. I’ve learned so many different things from both of them and I can safely say I wouldn’t be half the engineer I am today without them. 

What’s changing in the industry that all junior sound designers need to keep up with?

Your tech and day to day equipment. I think I entered the industry in such a massive time of change, which has been so wild. I’ve worked from when mixes on TV were still 6PPM and we were laying off to tape, to now where I can export viewing files easily and online actually has a spec (although as a chronic YouTube watcher, hasn’t helped some ads). 

You don’t need to put people down to push yourself up. If you put in the work you shouldn’t be afraid to shout out good work when you see it.

Things are always changing, even in the last few years where remote working has been more popular. The more confident you are with your equipment and software, the more you can concentrate on the fun bits.