"I Just Love Recording Things and Sound Effects are One of my Favourite Parts of the Job"

In a new role at Fitzrovia, Cécile Janet is a hugely experienced mixer, sound designer specialising in creative, effects-rich soundtracks. 10 years of experience in audio post sees a long list of credits spanning animation, light entertainment through to factual and film. Cécile manages on a day to day basis our sound team. Often sitting in on records, and mix days to ensure absolute best quality and ‘another ear in the room’.

Here, Cécile chats about her career and move to the Fitzrovia team.

Q> Why did you decide to make the move to your new company?

Cécile> Fitzrovia has been well-established and has had a great reputation within the industry for many years. Their body of work has always been exciting and varied and an absolute dream for any sound person. The revamp the company was going through when I first met the team was quite impressive. The facility was looking fresh, the kit in the studios was great and everyone in the team, from management to bookings to the other sound guys, was incredibly warm and welcoming. I knew they would be my kind of people.

Q>What is it about the team there that clicks for you?

Cécile> The team is young and diverse. We all come from different backgrounds and have developed different skill sets which are complementary. We’ve all got things to learn from each other and fostering talent is at the centre of everyone’s approach.

Q> How did you first get in the industry? What was your very first job in the industry?

Cécile> I went on placement at Films@59 in Bristol for a year as part of my university degree. I worked there as an audio assistant and learned so much from their dubbing team. Everyone was very generous in their provision of training and I was given ample opportunities to use the studios in my down-time to practise mixing. I went back there full-time after graduating to carry on learning the ropes.

Q> Where did you learn your craft (film school? Mentored as a runner? Self taught?)

Cécile> I studied on the Tonmeister course at Surrey University which taught me an awful lot about the science of sound, recording techniques and sound editing and mixing. With some solid foundations, I went on to learn post production sound on the job. I’ve had many mentors over the years. Andrew Wilson, Nick Handley, Graham Wild, Richard Lambert and Chris Domaille to name but a few. All have been incredibly generous with their time and knowledge and I’m forever grateful for their training and support.

Q> Before doing what you do now, did you work in any other field/ have any different career path?

Cécile> I worked in radio when I was younger. I worked for the national public broadcaster in France, travelling around the country to work in their regional stations, editing and mixing shows and commercials and mixing live broadcasts, from the studios and on location. But I guess that’s just a different field within our industry. For me it’s always been sound.

Q> And which creative talents in your field have inspired you in your own career?

Cécile> The mentors I mentioned above remain a huge inspiration to me. And as far as people who I’ve never met but whose work I’m in complete awe of, Stuart Hilliker comes to mind when it comes to epic mixes and Mirko Perri who’s a sound editor based in Rome and works on a lot of Paolo Sorrentino’s projects. The sound of The Young Pope and The New Pope was incredible. And my favourite film, La Grande Bellezza, appeals to me so much because of the elegance of the finished soundtrack.

Q> What was your first creative milestone in the industry – the project you worked on that you were super proud of?

Cécile> The Great Polar Bear Feast for Channel 4 and PBS was my first solo gig when it came to nature sound design. Up to then, I had been a part of many collaborative jobs in this genre and had received great training from the team in Bristol. But I was fully on my own for this one and it was great fun. Nick Handley then did the mix which sounded wonderful as always.

Q> And what recent projects are you proudest of and why?

Cécile> I worked on one of the VE Day 75 programmes for the BBC last May. The turnaround was incredibly tight and everything had to be produced under lockdown conditions. To have contributed a small part to the delivery of this important bunch of programmes at a time when the country needed cheering up (and let’s face it, was sick of watching old repeats!) felt like a great achievement. I also mixed a couple of episodes of the series Drain The Oceans for National Geographic a few months ago. They were big 5.1 jobs with lots of CGI. I had such a great time mixing them and was very pleased with the result.

 
Q> Do you have any personal or side projects on the go? What is it, what inspired it and why is it important to you?

Cécile> I’m building my own library of sound effects. I just love recording things and sound effects are one of my favourite parts of the job. When I first got into sound, I’d go to different locations around town (a park, a shopping centre, a busy street corner, etc…) with a mic, a Tascam recorder and a piece of paper. I’d hit the record button and stand in silence for a while, listening and then making notes of all the elements of the soundscape around me. Like everyone else, I use a lot of library sounds in my work, but there’s something really special about using your own stuff where possible. 

Q> What really drives you creatively?

Cécile> What drives me is the knowledge of how powerful sound can be as a storytelling tool and  the part I can play in this process.

Q>What are the aspects of your work that you really obsess over?

Cécile> I like accuracy and attention to detail. Dialogue and music edits need to be seamless. And when it comes to atmospheres and sound effects, everything needs to be covered and fully filled. Elements can always be taken off for stylistic reasons in the final mix, but I like to have all the detail covered as a starting point. You never know what extra touches you might need until the very end, when all the elements come together.

Q> How would you describe your approach to your work?

Cécile> I think I’m quite methodical and I get engrossed in each project. I love to research the subject ahead of a job and familiarise myself with the story we’re trying to tell. And I love to check in with other departments and keep up-to-date with what they’re doing to ensure we deliver one big collaborative vision. 

Q> When it comes to enjoying the creativity of others, what sort of thing excites and inspires you?

Cécile> I love mixes that don’t follow well-known sound recipes, which is why I like the soundtracks of Paolo Sorrentino’s films so much. It’s nice not to hear what you expect sometimes. 

Q> Outside of work, what are you passionate about?

Cécile> I love nature and I spend a lot of time walking and hiking in the countryside. I’m also a bit of a history buff. I read books and watch documentaries about most historical subjects but ancient Rome in particular. I try to visit the British Museum as often as I can, especially on the late opening slots where I can have the galleries to myself. It takes you back in time. I’m a big fan of museums in general, they help me put things in perspective. I love music obviously. Travelling, like everyone else. And I’m trying to shape my lifestyle to bring down my ecological footprint a little more every day.