Interview: Marian Mentrup - Sound Composer
To start our interview series we speak to Marian Mentrup a sound designer and composer based out of Venice.
Often an overlooked art, when its done well sound design can transcend mere instrumentation to become an integral part of storytelling within film. We talk to Marian about his process, his technical setup and what is important to him when it comes down to sound reproduction.
RINARO: Could you tell me a bit about your background and how you got into Sound Design for the film industry?
MM: I grew up in Berlin and was always interested in creating things myself. As a child I liked building and drawing all kinds of things, and I tried to use the computer for that as well, creating animations, little games, funny videos on a VHS camcorder or whatever interested me. On the other hand I had the chance to learn clarinet and piano when I was young and in that way study classical music. In the early nineties more and more electronic sounds found its way into popular music and that fascinated me. I started experimenting composing and processing sounds with my parent’s computer at the age of 13 when I got a sound card for my birthday. Then I managed to save up for a synthesizer and a Sampler (Akai MPC). After finishing school I studied 2 years at the Technical University in Berlin which inhabits an experimental sound studio. I then decided to apply for a place at the film university Konrad Wolf in Potsdam (close to Berlin) to study sound engineering. Here I started working on bigger projects creating soundtracks or doing the sound design or mix for bigger projects. It was much more project based and I got to know a lot of people with whom I still work.
I was then involved in different kinds of collectives and collaborations in Berlin, then several years in London and later in Venice, where I live now with my family.
Today I partly run a video production in Venice together with my wife and continue working in my studio on sound projects with clients and artists from all over the world. Those might be commercial projects, documentaries, feature films, sometimes multichannel sound installations. And I regularly teach sound design to animation students at the Royal College of Art, which is nice because it gives me a reason to come back to London on a regular basis.
RINARO: Can you explain a bit about your process on a project from start to completion?
MM: There are different approaches. I usually start with sketches and improvisations, very spontaneously. They need to sound like final products, though. I tend to produce and mix my music or sounds immediately. I hardly do rough edits or sketches that still need work afterwards.
Campaign film audio for Stella McCartney & Adidas
“For working long hours… it is good to use open headphones. The high frequencies shouldn’t be too sharp, the mids should be present but not aggressive. The bass is always difficult to judge with headphones. There should be transparency.”
RINARO: What software or hardware do you use in your work?
MM: I am using Pro-Tools for sound design and mixing, Logic for composition. I also like using other programs like Max or Sound Particles, which allows me to render swarms of sounds. Regarding hardware I am using a lot of analog synthesis not only for music but also to intensify recorded sound effects or ambiences when working for movies. I have a few eurorack modules by Cwejman and Macbeth which I like a lot. I use them in nearly every project.
For mixing I am using some custom analog equipment, mostly a unit based on the EMI TG-Limiter (from Abbey Road Studios) for bus compression and limiting and several equalizers. I got in touch with Michael de Albuquerque from S.V.A. Audio in Oxfordshire. He built those for me in his workshop and I am very incredibly happy with them. He let me add features, we discussed the components and I also helped to design the faceplates and the overall look. I don’t think I could get a sound like that with plug-ins it was a real eye(or ear) - opener. I can be very aggressive with compression and overdrive the transformers of those units and it is hard to make them sound bad or wrong. I am also working on a sort of console project with Michael.
RINARO: What sound signature and qualities would you look for in headphones / IEMs when composing?
MM: I think for working long hours with headphones it is good to use open headphones. The high frequencies shouldn’t be too sharp, the mids should be present but not aggressive. The bass is always difficult to judge with headphones. There should be transparency.
RINARO: What has been your proudest project so far?
MM: Hard to say! I am very proud of my music for a norwegian documentary TV series called “Petter Utteligger”. It deals with the life of homeless people and drug addiction in Oslo. It became a hit in Norway and actually had an impact on a lot of peoples’ lifes. The music is very unusual, minimalistic and quite sad. Not at all the music you expect in a TV-series.
But all the films that you can find on my website are films I am proud of.
RINARO: Is there one that has been your most challenging?
MM: Not one particular project. Commercials can be challenging, especially when they go on TV. You need to find something that works for the creatives and the agency but also that represents the client - and works for a broad audience. Often in the edit another track has been used and people got used to it. So sometimes the early sketches need to compete with big productions. Very “artistic” or experimental films with passionate directors can be very challenging too. In terms of planning and on a psychological level.
Marian in his studio photographed by 'The Estate Office'
RINARO: What music are you currently listening to?
MM: I am a bit less curious to learn about new music than I was in the nineties when I was a teenager. I think the first two albums by the Chemical Brothers influenced me a lot, and a lot of other music from the UK. I also love Beethoven, I come back to listen to Beethoven again and again. I think good music always has some mystery, something that you can’t describe easily. Maybe some elements that are in conflict, some friction, some rules that are being broken.
RINARO: Who has been an inspiration to you in Sound Design or Composing Industry?
MM: I think Walter Murch is still an inspiration for a lot of sound designers. The way he used sound to draw you into the story and to manipulate the audience is incredible. And David Lynch for his individual approach to sound. Without sound design his films are completely useless. We had a professor in film school, Martin Steyer, who had worked on a lot of german and international feature films as a re-recording mixer. He has a great attitude and experience and it was good to get to know people like him and see how they work and also talk about projects not only the technological side, but the artistic and creative process.
“Be very critical with your own work and compare it with others… Why does this piece of music evoke certain feelings, why this one not? Why does it make me tap my feet to the beat.”
RINARO: Could you advise on how to start a career in sound design?
MM: For me it helped a lot to work on many different projects, like I did in film school. And to observe other students, listen to their work, presenting your projects in front of others. But I guess every career is different and depends on so many different things. One piece of advice I could give is to be very critical with your own work and compare it with others. If you put your work next to a recording or track that you like and start comparing its components in detail you learn a lot. Why do the drums sound better than in my track? Is it the snare, the hihats, the bass drum, the room, the distortion. Why does this piece of music evoke certain feelings, why this one not? Why does it make me tap my feet to the beat.
RINARO: What personality traits or communication skills are essential for sound designers?
MM: There are different kind of jobs or projects. Some require good team work, patience, high concentration (for example if you work in a team of sound designers for a feature film). If you are working directly with directors you need to find a good way to talk to them about their art, it can become very sensible and it is easy to say something that might hurt them. On the other hand you need to assure them that you know what your’re doing and understand when they are uncertain and need to be guided. Other projects require a lot individualism, creativity and fearlessness.
To discover more about Marian Mentrup head to his website here
