Meet Your Makers: Pat Sullivan on Being Proactive

Patrick Sullivan is the head of production at Sonic Union - focusing on creative sound, original music and audio post production. He has had the opportunity to produce audio post on award-winning projects for Adidas, Microsoft and Hennessy. In his free time he enjoys going hiking, mixing up fun cocktails, and going to concerts (as long as the headliner is on by 10pm). 

LBB> What first attracted you to production - and has it been an industry you’ve always worked on or did you come to it from another area?

Patrick> When I was in high school, I was interested in pursuing a career in music or film. I played multiple instruments, grew up in the Long Island DIY music scene, and had a blast making short films with my friends. As I’m sure many creative people have experienced, I came to a crossroads where I had “The Talk” with my parents about going into the arts as a career. I ultimately decided to Major in Marketing and Minor in Music - that way I could graduate with a business degree but have a core understanding of the music industry and make that my ultimate goal. I learned that a career in music didn’t NEED to be about performing, touring or working for a label. Things like music supervision and audio post production felt like a great option for me. 

LBB> What was your first role in the production world and how did this experience influence how you think about production and how you grew your career?

Patrick> I started out as a mix assistant at Sonic Union right after college. I actually met Steve Rosen while I was giving campus tours at the University of Delaware (Go Blue Hens!) and we exchanged info. I didn’t have much tech experience when I started out. Everything that I had learned about Pro Tools and mixing was by trying things out, failing miserably, and trying again. The mixers were always open to having me sit in a session or reeling me in when they had something interesting to teach me. I got my bearings on the basics and soon learned how to anticipate my co-worker’s needs. Being proactive helps guide your decisions when things go awry or get stressful. 

LBB> How did you learn to be a producer?

Patrick> Think about how you learned to ride a bicycle. Did you read a book about it? Did the bike come with a how-to instruction manual? Not really. You likely stepped on the pedals and worked til you were confident enough to remove the training wheels. I learned how to be a producer by immersing myself in the process. As an assistant engineer, I was curious about what producers do and how they do it. How does my work interact with theirs and vice versa? The more I learned from them, the more I thought this was the right path for me. I had a foundation in business admin and this newly found technical experience, which naturally led to becoming a producer. Outside of my own team at Sonic Union, I love that this industry has a wonderfully niche network of talented people that enjoy mentorship and collaboration. There are plenty of events, workshops, and rooftop parties where you can meet new people and learn from them. 

LBB> Looking back to the beginning of your career, can you tell us about a production you were involved in where you really had to dig deep and that really helped you to grow as a producer?

Patrick> Along with my trusty sidekick Justine Cortale, I was an audio post producer on The New York Times “The Truth Is Hard” campaign back in late 2016/early 2017. To this day it is one of the projects I am most proud of. Visually it is a pretty simple edit - just black text on a white background. However, the audio component was a huge undertaking. We recorded the script with I think 19 different VO talent all reading the copy top to bottom. From there, the creative team picked voiceover selects out of a couple hundred takes. We then incorporated sound design to make it feel like a collection of TV news headlines. The voices overlap to create this cacophony (oooh fancy words) of political topics. This project also sparked the now famous piano mnemonic that you hear in all NYT campaigns. Ample planning and prep time made this project a reality. I don’t know if “treat every project like you need to coordinate 19 VO talent and compose a mnemonic” is a good baseline, but it showed me how crucial effective communication and planning is. 

LBB> A good producer should be able to produce for any medium, from film to events to digital experience. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why/why not?

Patrick> I think in this ever-changing industry, there’s a desire to push the envelope on a “traditional” ad. And with that it’s important to become familiar with as many of these mediums as possible. As a producer, you’re going to eventually get a brief that is not in your wheelhouse.  You may have your favorites and ones you feel most successful in, but taking that step out of your comfort zone can only help you grow. This is why mentorship, asking questions, and developing trust in your vendors is so valuable. Continuing to learn is part of the producer’s process. 

LBB> What’s your favourite thing about production and why?

Patrick> If you’ve ever accompanied me to an escape room or watched a true crime documentary with me, you know that I love cracking the case. I get giddy solving riddles; there’s a hit of dopamine I get from figuring it all out. That’s what production is to me: a series of puzzles. There are word problems, unexpected turns,  and the clock is ticking the whole time. Navigating through those obstacles with a team you trust and coming out the other side is a very rewarding experience. 

LBB> How has production changed since you started your career?

Patrick> I came into the industry when physical deliverables were still the standard format and digital deliverables were still in their infancy. (Ooof, am I turning into one of those “When I was your age” people?!) When I first started out, I was laying audio back to tape and physically shipping those tapes out to air. I was working in a huge machine room with tons of servers, tape decks, and closets full of CDs, D5s and Digibetas. The thought of uploading a Pro Res QuickTime file to a trafficking site meant nothing but web portals timing out and crashing. Now you can traffic hi-res files in seconds. This change from physical to digital assets was a huge shift for turnaround expectations. It meant tighter budgets and quicker deliveries. It’s crazy that we’ve recently worked on a few campaigns that were shot, edited, mixed, colored and shipped in under 48 hours. 

LBB> And what has stayed the same?

Patrick> I mentioned this earlier but this industry is so niche and everyone truly knows everyone. It’s great to bounce ideas off one another, even if you’re “competitors.” I like that we’re able to band together and problem solve, get a temperature check on the industry as a whole, and look out for each other. Especially during the pandemic it was great to pop into the virtual AICP meetings and say hi to some familiar faces and even meet some new ones. 

LBB> What do you think is the key to being an effective producer - and is it something that’s innate or something that can be learned?

Patrick> I believe the key to being an effective producer is to never assume anything. When I was starting off in my career I had this constant fear of not having the answer right away. I was so focused on speed that I would make assumptions on details that I probably should have clarified first. As I started taking on more intricate projects, I learned that there is absolutely no harm in taking my time to do things right. Hopping on a quick call to get clarification can change my entire approach to a project. Nowadays, I really enjoy that introductory call - whether it’s with a brand new client or one of the OGs. It’s nice to walk through the project on a more personal level, be candid about what my needs are in order to be successful, and most importantly find ways to meet and exceed the expectations of my clients. 

LBB> Which production project from across your career are you most proud of and why?

Patrick> The productions I’m most proud of are often cause-related. I love using our creative skills to advocate for change. Sound Design and Music can be so crucial in storytelling - they help set the tone of the piece and evoke an emotional response from the viewer/listener. Using those tools allows others to connect with the cause and call for action. I’m thankful to have worked on award winning PSAs such as “Generation Lockdown” and “#DontLookAway,” both which call for gun control legislation.  

LBB> And in terms of recent work, which projects have you found to be particularly exciting or have presented particularly interesting production challenges?

Patrick> As Sonic Union has grown, we’ve had the opportunity to collaborate in entirely new production realms for our company - whether it’s podcasts, original composition or spatial audio. I’m proud that we’re able to lend our knowledge (and yes, our ears) to so many different facets of audio, sometimes on the same project. Most recently we were able to collaborate with JOAN Creative on a hilarious campaign for Sheetz where we not only did the record, mix and sound design, but also created an original music composition. 

LBB> Producers always have the best stories. What’s the hairiest / most insane situation you’ve found yourself in and how did you work your way out of it?

Patrick> How much time do you have? Ha! While I won’t say the specific client, this year I had a project that required us to capture some ADR lines from a talent in Mississippi. The client requested that we have an engineer from our team fly out and be on site to handle the record. We had a recording rig packed, flights booked and we were ready to go. About 4 hours before the flight, we were alerted via contact tracing that our engineer came into contact with someone with Covid. I couldn’t send him on the flight. It was too late to reschedule the record, or even find a replacement to fly down in his stead. Time was not on my side and I had to pivot the plan and find someone locally. Luckily, my coworker had an audio engineer friend who lived 15 mins away from the talent. We shipped our kit to him overnight and it was set to arrive at 9am. Great! Problem solved, right? Nope. The FedEx shipment was lost in transit and the package never arrived. With only two hours before the record, I called the engineer and told him to pack up his laptop and I’d call him back with the next steps. I called a Guitar Center in the area and asked them to set aside some lav mics and a boom mic for me. Our engineer picked the mics up and the record went off without a hitch. Phew! And shoutout to Clyde from the Jackson, Mississippi Guitar Center! 

LBB> What are your personal ambitions or aspirations as a producer?

Patrick> A director friend of mine is obsessed with audio as an artform and his reasoning is “because your ears don’t blink.” I love that. Sound is such a powerful tool and I enjoy finding new avenues for Sonic Union to contribute outside of the advertising world. I want to keep seeking out those creative storytellers and help them realize their vision to its full potential. This year I’ve had the opportunity to work on a few podcasts and even a documentary feature film, both of which are my favorite mediums as a consumer. Like I said, I love my true crime. 

LBB> As a producer your brain must have a never-ending "to do" list. How do you switch off? 

Patrick> Especially during the pandemic and working from home, it was very difficult to leave work at work. The key for me was to set a time everyday when I could be officially “done” for the night. I would put my phone in my bedroom with the ringer on in case of an emergency. I’ve learned that if someone really needs you, they’ll find a way to get in touch. I think producers are inherently reactive in that if someone emails us at night, they clearly need this thing tonight, right? Not always. I’ve learned that I can acknowledge that I saw the email come through and that I’ll get to it first thing tomorrow morning. Setting a boundary can be really difficult, but small changes to your daily routine can help make it less intimidating. 

LBB> What do you do to relax?  

Patrick> Relaxing to me ironically involves physical activity. When I’m at work, I’m tied to my desk all day so I relax by getting outside and getting my blood pumping. I enjoy hiking, going for runs, and clearing my head with a podcast or some music. My wife and I recently purchased a house up in the Catskills and I’ve gotten really into gardening and birding lately? Lol. I’ve even seen a few bald eagles flying above our house! 

LBB> Producers are problem solvers. What personally fuels your curiosity and drive?

Patrick> My day is filled with Tetris-like situations trying to fit all of our jobs in on the schedule, dedicate some time to business development and new clients, find a moment to get invoicing done, and ship out spots on time. My team and I will band together, figure it all out and then take a step back and be like “well we fucking nailed that!” Celebrating the little wins like that energizes us. I’m also just a genuinely curious person. I enjoy learning new things and keeping in touch with mentors. The idea of “Sharpening the Saw” comes to mind - preserving and enhancing yourself is by far your greatest asset. Continue to learn, invest in yourself and most importantly take time to replenish.

LBB> What advice would you give to people who are interested in becoming a producer?

Patrick> Listen, I think that Producers are Superheroes. They rise to the occasion no matter what is thrown at them - budgets, turnaround time, global pandemics, etc, they make it happen. They have a set of special skills and surround themselves with other producers with their own special skills. Basically the Avengers! Now while they are superheroes, they are not superhuman. They have partners, spouses, kids, pets, and other responsibilities at home. They want to go out to dinner, see a concert, get a decent night’s sleep, and most of all just shut their laptop and not have to think for a minute. The work-life balance can be very challenging for a producer. So my advice is - do not fear setting a boundary for yourself. If you need to take time off, make those plans and set your team up for success in your absence. Your PTO is part of your compensation and you should use it.

LBB> From your experience what are the ingredients for a successful production?

Patrick> The most successful productions I’ve ever been a part of have their vendors involved from the earliest stage possible. Audio is often the last stage of the production process but I truly appreciate being brought into the conversation even before a project goes on set. Understanding the creative approach, how something is shot, what elements are most important to the client vision all helps me do my job in post production better. 

LBB> What’s the key to a successful production-client relationship?

Patrick> I think it’s empathy. I did a short stint on the agency side in my career. The firsthand experience of the fast-paced agency dynamics, the account-client relationship, the intense pitch process, all helped me as a post producer. I can empathize with how crazy their day must look. I truly believe that the post production business is just as much of a hospitality business as it is a creative one. This is the hill I die on. When you’re in the studio with me I’m greeting you with a smile and making sure you’re comfortable. Most importantly, I’m here if you need to talk. If you want to chat details about your particular project, you have my full attention. If you want to shoot the shit for a few mins as a distraction, I’ve got you. If you need someone to just sit and listen while you de-stress, I’m all ears. 

LBB> Producers are naturally hands on - they have to be. How do you balance that in the more managerial role of an EP?

Patrick> It’s a challenge! I think in any career, as you progress into more of a managerial role, you need to train your brain to see the bigger picture. “Let go” and set your team up with guidelines for success, but allow for growth, learning and fresh ideas