Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Sweetland.
Hi Rachel, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey began when I was in middle school; I knew then that I wanted to work in film. Throughout high school. Though, I wasn’t entirely sure if it was a career worth pursuing. So, I went into junior college as a general studies major. In my second year of junior college, in the process of completing my transfer application to University of Houston, I decided to take the risk and study my greatest passion. I kept reminding myself that if I studied something more likely to get me jobs rather than what I love, I may end up hating work forever. I made the leap and began my first semester at UH as a Media Production major. I spent the first two years thinking I wanted to be a writer and director, but it wasn’t until May 2021 that I found my calling. A friend of mine, who I had become closer with during the COVID-19 pandemic, invited me to his hometown to work as a grip on his short film. I arrived a few days early to help him prepare for the shoot when he told me that their sound mixer would not be coming, asking if I would like to try it out. Wanting to be as helpful as possible, I immediately accepted the offer, and within the first few hours of filming, I fell in love with audio. Since then my time has been all consumed by sound for film and television. I spent the next two and a half years studying every aspect of sound, building my own kit of equipment, and working on every type of project I could. Now, having graduated from University of Houston in May 2023, I am almost three years into my audio engineering career and falling more in love with my work each day.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My first major struggle was attempting to find work while still in school. I was fortunate to become a student worker at Cullen Performance Hall, which allowed me to pick up more skills in audio for live entertainment; however, I struggled to find work on set as my schedule was not flexible. Another hindrance was the amount of self-teaching I had to do due to the lack of audio-centric courses at University of Houston; the only class offered was an introductory course with very little hands-on experience. My most recent struggle has been that of the WGA and Sag-AFTRA strikes in the summer and fall of 2023. I graduated college in May 2023 with the knowledge that the writers’ strike was looming, but could never have imagined that it would expand to include SAG-AFTRA as well. I fully supported the cause and knew these strikes were occurring for good reason; however, it was incredibly stressful navigating the beginning of my career after college with little to no work.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a sound engineer specializing in location sound mixing and boom operating for film and television shoots. I am incredibly proud of the Houston film industry as a whole and the wonderful peers I’ve met within the industry, some having become very close friends and mentors. What sets me apart from others is my tenacity. When I’m on set, I give every ounce of energy and focus into my work. I want the best sound I can possibly get from both the boom microphone and the lavaliers. I believe the rapport I build with cast and crew also sets me apart from others, as I not only want to understand what each department is focused on and be able to respect their workspace, but I also want them to understand what my department is focused on. My dedication to being respectful and understanding of others on set is just as important to me as the quality of my sound recordings, a healthy work environment leads to a good product in my eyes.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
What I learned from the COVID-19 crisis is how important it is to remain social. In that time, it was very easy to allow the physical isolation to become social isolation. 2020 was a terrible year for me, not including the pandemic, and if it had not been for the friendships that grew during that time, I don’t believe I would be where I am today. To be completely honest, those friendships saved my life.
Pricing:
- Day rate: $300/day
- Kit fee: $150/day
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sound_daddie
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076041846823
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheLuckiestPeach
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13505846/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
Image Credits
Gerardo Valesquez
Dranat Vazquez
Zoie Ellis
