Several of you have been interested in what’s happening with these guys, so Tanya emailed a quick update to communications home base (A.K.A IPR cubicle land) and I wanted to share it with the IPR Newswire.

Here’s what she had to say…

Complicity Studio close up.

The Complicit Story

Complicit is an exploration of modern techno started by local dance floor enthusiasts Tanya and Travis Norman in October 2009.  Built upon a foundation of their shared passion for electronic music and the culture around it, their music is produced and performed by using 2 AKAI APC40’s linked to a single Mac Book Pro.

Travis began as a DJ spinning records and quickly grew a love for the electronic music scene. A regular at late 90’s Minneapolis parties, he performed under his drum & bass moniker, ‘DJ Play’.  In later years he went on to produce instrumental trip hop as ‘Wordclock’ culminating in his first solo album ‘No one from now on’.  On the side he worked at various music stores, obtaining as much knowledge (and gear) as possible.  He graduated Valedictorian in 2008 from IPR with an emphasis in audio post production.  Currently, he runs his own social web development and design business, ReactionNow, which focuses on helping independent musicians make the most of the new music economy.

Tanya started playing piano at the age of 5 and flute at the age of 10, and is currently working on incorporating this aspect into her live performances.  She graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music with a Business emphasis in 1998 and also obtained a diploma in Recording Engineering.  Initially working as a freelance studio engineer and music retail manager, Tanya then obtained a position in Admissions with IPR in the Fall of 2002. After 9 years of service with IPR, she has since resigned to focus on Complicit full time.

This is where the story gets interesting.

Complicit Studio, another angle.

To focus on their music project full time, they both wanted it done the right way- with no distractions.  They own a condo in Minneapolis, but spend their time in a former photography studio, now their recording studio, which is located in a rural part of Wisconsin. Their studio space is fully equipped with a bedroom, kitchen, living room, control room and a machine room.  In addition, they also have a guest house for visiting artists seeking a production get-away.  Having the studio away from the hustle and bustle of the city allows them to be creative and crank the music loud.

To add some more color to this story, Complicit travels old school style in a high-top conversion tour van to all of their performances.  They have a passion for travel and being in control of their adventures.

The duo released their debut EP, romantec, and a full length LP, after hours, independently through their own website, complicitmusic.com.  In December of 2011, JQM Recordings (Just Quality Music) released Edge of the Earth, a 3 track EP available exclusively at Beatport.com. Currently Complicit is working with multiple record labels on remix projects. They are looking forward to some international performances this year in Cozumel, Mexico and Vancouver, Canada.

You can learn more about Complicit by visiting website or their fan page on Facebook or Resident Advisor.  They make interesting use of their Twitter feed by aggregating articles, interviews and production tips related to electronic music and tweeting the most interesting each day.  Follow them at twitter.com/complicitmusic.

Promo Video

Complicit ::Promo 01::Winter 2012.mov

An education in audio production and engineering requires a strong work ethic and high attention to detail, but IPR’s type of training prepares students for careers outside the music business too; as Neil has discovered, doors can often open in the most unexpected places.

Neil’s hard work paid off; he landed a gig with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500. He now runs the board at the speedway during weekday events and assists on weekends. According to Whitlock,” The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the largest and highest capacity sporting facility in the world.” IPR is excited to share his story and be a part of it. We present to you the Graduate Success Story of Neil Whitlock.

IPR Graduate Neil Whitlock

Bio

My interest in audio started when I was in the 5th grade. I really wanted to get a guitar, so my parents bought me a Squire Stratocaster for my birthday. I took some lessons and played in some “bands” for the next couple of years. I had already been playing the trumpet in grade school band, but I wanted to quit. I believe that playing the guitar truly sparked my musical interest and I decided to keep playing the trumpet despite the geek status that came along with it.

Throughout middle school and high school I would jam with my friends in garages and bedrooms. I also played the trumpet in my high school marching band. After high school I wasn’t quite sure exactly what I wanted to pursue as a career. I knew I loved music, so my first idea was music education. I went to a local community college for a year while I was deciding on what I wanted to do. My friend since the fourth grade, Tyler Gottschalk, was attending IPR. I was sitting at a computer at my community college and was chatting with Tyler on Facebook. I asked him how things were going in Minnesota and how he liked IPR. He had nothing but great things to say about it, so I decided to look into it a little more. I was a little hesitant at first. Being from central Illinois, Minneapolis is quite a ways away from home, but I decided to visit the school.

During my first visit I was completely amazed. Spending the last eight years of my life in a small town in the middle of a cornfield, where, instead of music, farming is the predominant way of life, I felt like I was in heaven. I knew immediately that this place was for me. I originally went to IPR with the hopes of working as an audio engineer in a recording studio. Music was everything to me, so my heart was set on it. After one or two quarters at IPR, I started to think otherwise. Once I started learning about post production I felt like it suited me more than music, which was a real surprise to me. My favorite part about post production was the freedom of creativity in sound design. I’ve always loved art and considered myself an artist, but I can hardly draw a stick figure. Sound design was my new medium to express my artistic creativity.

While I was going to school, my girlfriend was working in Minneapolis for a company that makes apparel and merchandise for various sports teams and organizations. Just a few weeks prior to my graduation she was offered a job at their headquarters in Indianapolis. She moved to Indianapolis three weeks before I finished school so that she could start her job. I immediately started looking at employment opportunities in the area for my career field. I felt like jobs would be scarce because Indianapolis isn’t quite the music and media hub that Minneapolis is. One of my main focuses was the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I knew that the Indianapolis 500 is a huge event that is broadcasted internationally, so I figured that they would have some sort of job in my career field.

Soon after moving to Indianapolis in March of 2010, via a coworker of my girlfriend, I was put into contact with Dave Dusick, who works with live audio at the Speedway. Through exchanging emails I told him what I went to school for and expressed an interest in anything he may need help with. It wasn’t until winter that I received a phone call from him for my first job. I worked a couple smaller events, setting up speakers and microphones, before being offered the job at the Indianapolis 500. Around February of this year we started to talk about the Indianapolis 500 and was officially offered the job in April. The Indianapolis 500 is a huge deal in the area to say the least. There are festivities going on at the track nearly every day starting early in May, lasting through race day on Memorial Day. The drivers have about two weeks of practice at the track, all of which is open to the public, so this was the bulk of my work prior to the race. I’m the main board operator on the weekdays and the assistant on the weekends. Most of my time spent at the track I was working alone in the audio booth, forcing me to quickly learn the system and build confidence in myself. Most of the audio I control is the track announcers, music, interview audio, and general audio broadcasted over the whole track. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the largest and highest capacity sporting facility in the world, so there was also a lot of prep work to make sure that the speakers and sound system worked efficiently and sounded good throughout the track. Race day is obviously the busiest day for audio for the month. In the booth we control the audio for all of the pre-race ceremonies, including interviews, driver introduction, the National Anthem, and many other pre-race ceremonies, as well as all of the post-race audio. Teamwork and communication between everyone involved is crucial to ensure everything runs flawlessly.

Neil Whitlock Working the Sound Booth At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

I had no idea that my career would lead me to this point when I started school at IPR in October of 2008. I went to school with a specific career in mind, only to fall in love with another audio career field that I had never even considered before. Upon graduating I was introduced to yet another career field that I have enjoyed every minute of. Though it is very hard work, I have never once considered what I do to be “work” in the sense of what most people consider work to be. I’m looking forward to doing more live audio in the upcoming NASCAR race, the Brickyard 400. IPR has prepared me in more ways than I can even describe to be successful in what I do.

What would IPR students and instructors say they remember about you?

I think that they would say I am very driven and I take everything I do seriously whether it’s scoring music to a commercial or designing sound for spaceship doors for “Wall-E” in my capstone.

Were there any big projects you undertook in your production or engineering capstone that laid the groundwork for some of the things you’re doing now?

In my capstone our final project was a group effort to re-create the audio for a segment of the movie “Wall-E.” Though this isn’t live audio like I’m doing now, many aspects of this project helped me with what I do now. Since the project was a group effort we each had our own main focus. My main job was to create the sound for the doors on the spaceship. While at first this seemed like a pretty simple task, I quickly realized that there are many different parts to one sound in a movie. For one door I may have 6-8 different sounds just for it to open. Once I had all of the sounds I wanted my job was only half way over. I then had to mix the audio at the right level so that the final outcome was believable and pleasant to listen to. I can relate this to what I do in live audio at the Speedway. While I may not have as many tracks of audio during an event as I do in a post-production session, I still have many factors to consider while doing my job. For example, I may be working during an Indianapolis 500 practice session. The track announcers will be commentating on the event and giving live updates on speeds, times, etc. throughout the whole event while the cars are on the track. I can only control the audio level of the announcers, but I still have to take the sound of the cars going by and the number of people at the event into consideration just as if they are a part of my mix so that I may achieve a desirable sound for the announcers. Also, when controlling the audio for interviews, no one speaks at the same level or with the same tone, so I am constantly adjusting my levels based on who is talking into the microphone, while considering track noise.

Out of all your instructors who would you say worked most closely with you and had a special interest in your success?

I worked most closely with Bob Jenkins and Mike Brown. I had both of them in my final capstone, so naturally I spent a lot of time working with them. Besides the time spent, the class size was very small, so I was able to get any one-on-one time that I needed. I was also able to talk to them outside of class about projects.

How do you feel your IPR education prepared you for the industry?

IPR prepared me for the industry in multiple ways. Through my schooling I was exposed to many types of audio work, from studio recording to scoring music to sound design. This put me in the mindset that there is a lot more to audio than the average person may expect. I was prepared to take on any job that was offered to me out of school with the confidence to succeed. Besides the actual school work, I was around faculty who have worked in many areas of the audio world. Going from a class with an instructor who has spent many years producing records to another with an instructor who does audio work at sporting events really provides me with knowledge and advice that I use every time I’m in the audio booth.

What types of things did you have to wait for industry experience to learn?

How to handle a truly live gig. Being in the Post Production capstone, nothing was live and basically everything I did was non-destructive. In post-production, there is a certain amount of room for error as long as you catch it and fix it by the deadline. Coming out of school I had no idea I would be working in a live setting. During events at the Speedway everything is happening really fast and right now. It’s easy to make an honest mistake, but if you do, everyone will hear it; so you have to be very focused on what you are doing, which is multiple things a lot of the time.

What do you think it means to be successful in this industry? What advice would you offer to students who are either just getting ready to graduate or who are wondering how to find their place in this industry?

My biggest piece of advice would be to keep an open mind and never, ever say no. Again, with post-production being my capstone at IPR, I had no idea that I would be working in live audio; especially at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. When I was first offered the job, while I was very excited, I was also nervous. The whole idea was very intimidating. It would have been easy for me to say “Well this isn’t what I went to school for, so I can’t do it.” Despite my nerves I took the job with confidence in myself. I kept an open mind to a new experience and I didn’t say no. I was very honest with my superiors and coworkers, telling them that this is my first experience in live audio, but I showed that I had confidence in what I can do, which I believe made them confident in allowing me to work with them.

What types of engineering work have you done?

I run the live audio at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I am the main board operator during events on the weekdays and the assistant during events on the weekends. My job is to control the audio for track announcers, track interviews, music, Q & A sessions, press conferences, and other various audio related material. I also have to send a feed of specific pieces of audio to the crew that broadcasts over the internet.

Do you have experience with audio and video editing?

All of my audio and video editing experience is from my education as I took classes in both. I haven’t worked in those areas outside of school because my job is in live sound. Live sound isn’t what I thought I would be doing after school, but it just happened to work out that way and I’ve had a great time thus far doing it.

How important do you think attitude is when it comes to success in the audio world?

Attitude is EVERYTHING in the audio world. People who have worked in this field for a long time know how important it is to hire the right person. My boss knows a lot of people who have the skill set to do this job, and have more experience than me, but he told me that they don’t all have the right attitude. He has delt with too many people who believe that they know better than everyone else what should and shouldn’t be done. The important thing is to know your roll. If someone asks you to do something a certain way, then they have a good reason for it. You will get a lot further and make more people happy in this world by doing things the way they are asked to be done. The occasional suggestion to the right person won’t do any harm, but again, know your roll.

What one trait/ability/skill do you feel has helped you more than any other to be successful in this industry so far?

My confidence has helped me to be successful more than anything. It is crucial to be confident in yourself without being cocky. I was a bit intimidated by the whole idea of this job since the events are so large, but I knew that even though I had never worked in live audio, I would be able to successfully do the job. In live audio everything happens so fast that if you don’t have confidence in yourself you will be left behind, and if you are slower than the action happening at the event then crucial pieces of audio will be unheard.

IPR graduate Christopher Lee pre-show with Kellie Pickler @ Treasure Island Casino

Christopher Lee’s audio production journey began at age fifteen. He took learning opportunities in church and school and discovered a natural aptitude for audio engineering. As a teenager Lee met country artist Gary Allen’s front of house engineer and built a friendship that followed him to his current position. Post IPR, Lee was invited to work for Sound Image, Nashville, and Lee’s hard work eventually placed him on tour with Kellie Pickler.

Lee credits IPR Instructor Jay Fleming and time with the Venue Profile System, an Avid, Pro Tools mixing system for live application. Classes with Fleming often included trips to Minneapolis sound event company Allied Audio for additional exposure to the latest in Avid live sound technology.

IPR recently visited Chris at Treasure Island Casino near Redwing, MN on the evening of his third tour date with Kellie Pickler. So far Chris is having a blast and learning a lot from some very talented people. His attitude is one of hard work and humility; he doesn’t allow himself to take too much credit for his success so far. IPR met Chris’ Grandfather during the visit who told us, “I’m really proud of that kid’s work ethic.” We are too: congratulations Chris!

Christopher Lee is a graduate of IPR’s Audio Production and Engineering AAS in Media Arts program, designed to prepare graduates for roles in live sound, audio production, radio, TV, film, gaming and other sound media. Students get extensive hands-on training on industry-standard tools, develop their musical ears and work in realistic business situations.

Check the IPR blog again soon as we’ll be featuring Chris in a graduate success story.

By Director of Career Services, Norbert Kreuzer

Wednesday, February 15 IPR hosted its semi-annual career fair in Robinson Hall. It was a great success and turnout for industry employers as well as students and graduates. Fourteen companies were present:

Fisher Edit, Tinderbox Music, Asian American Press, Bosch Communications, Mall of  America, MN Department of Transportation, NCO – Apple iPhone/iMac/iPad Support, Rawkzilla, Valley Fair Amusement Park, Z-Systems, UPS, Bob FM Radio, ARM Entertainment and Arctic Studios.

Commemorative Engraved iPod

As an incentive to attendees, students could enter a drawing for a brand new iPod Touch by visiting each employer to get a stamp from each on the career fair entry card. Director of Career Services, Norbert Kreuzer, had the iPod engraved to commemorate the occasion. The lucky winner of the drawing was student Bill Urbank.

Lft to Rt: Student Bill Urbank, Director of Career Services Norbert Kreuzer

Employers were very pleased with the career fair turnout. It was awesome to hear some students had lined up job interviews to take place within days of the event. “I was busy talking to students non-stop and couldn’t even break for lunch” said one visiting employer. Others had similar experiences.

Sadly, this was the last career fair at the original IPR location; we’re looking forward to
an even bigger career fair this fall when we move to our new location at 300 First Avenue North.

Yes, we’re a fast paced competitive college that’s part of a fast paced competitive industry, but it doesn’t catch us off guard when a student comes to us with little or no audio production knowledge. From beginner to intermediate, sometimes even seasoned veteran, we train students at all levels of the experience spectrum. And guess what…

It turns out sometimes the best candidates for a career in audio production are those who love music enough to turn a hobby into a career; IPR graduate Tyson Taylor has done just that.

IPR Graduate Tyson Taylor.

Tyson is a great example of an IPR graduate who set his eyes on a goal and made decisions that put him in a great place to succeed. True, every student is different, but those who plan ahead and take advantage of the connections IPR has are the ones that typically turn their dreams into a career.

We didn’t do the work for him, but we offered Tyson the knowledge and the hands-on experience he needed to get where he wanted to go. And, though he’s just beginning his career, we expect him to go places. As it stands he landed a gig with one of the biggest names in video games as an Audio Artist with EA games (Electronic Arts), Salt Lake City.

With great pleasure, IPR presents Tyson Taylor’s graduate success story.

BIO:

Tyson grew up in small town North Dakota. At a young age, he was fascinated with movies and video games, and he spent most of his time watching cartoons and playing Mario Bros. But music was on his radar as well; he was only seven years old when he purchased his first rap CD. His new found affection for Dr. Dre, and hip hop, made a lasting impression on his plans for the future.

In High School, Tyson spent most of his time playing sports. But whenever he wasn’t conditioning, he could be found holed away in his bedroom listening to music. With his attention torn between two competing passions, his junior year he acquired his first audio production gear: Ableton Live software and a MIDI keyboard controller. Even though sports captured most of his attention, it was clear for Tyson that music was becoming much more than just a hobby.

His senior year of high school Tyson was accepted to a traditional four year college; with years of experience behind him, he reasoned that football was his true passion… but it turned out he couldn’t get music out of his blood. In short order, Tyson discovered football didn’t speak to him on the same level as music and he changed direction. “When I was there, I wasn’t happy. I really wanted to pursue a career in audio and I knew I had to transfer.”

lft to rt: person?, and surprised Tyson.

As Tyson looked for the right college, a friend suggested IPR. “I did some research and scheduled a tour. I knew that I had to go there the second I was done with the tour.” He transferred the following year and started at IPR in 2009.

At first IPR was a challenge for Tyson: “I had zero experience when it came to the audio world, I didn’t even know the basics. All I knew was that I had a desire to learn everything I could, and I was going to work hard.”

Within his chosen field, IPR helped open Tyson’s eyes to several career options. By third quarter he was introduced to the field of audio post-production. “I came to IPR wanting to be a music producer but after I took a class in post-production, I was hooked.” The field of audio post-production largely centers on tracking, mixing and editing for video, and this felt like a great fit for Tyson.

He went on to take electives that were geared toward video games and decided to focus his efforts there. Tyson researched video game studios and read a lot of success stories from people who had gotten their foot in the door. From all the research he’d done, Tyson discovered that many people got their start in game testing, or QA (quality assurance), and worked their way up. So his final quarter at IPR he started searching for QA positions.

Eventually he stumbled upon a QA opening at EA (Electronic Arts) Salt Lake City. He applied and was called for an interview in Oct 2010. By November 2^nd, Tyson had landed a QA position at EA Salt Lake City. Tyson’s instructors helped him finish classes in time to start his new position that December.

During his time in QA he took the opportunity to introduce himself to the audio team in hopes of getting his name “out there”. After sharing his background and getting to know them, they had him help edit and record audio in his free time. Within four months there was an opening in the studio for another Audio Artist. Tyson quickly applied, and because of his education, background, and relationships within the company, he got the job.

Lft to Rt: IPR students Drew Stolba, Nick Shvetzoff, Ando Johnson, Sean Evans, Tyson Taylor, and Jesse Caffrey.

After only one year, Tyson has worked on two games as an Audio Artist and is gearing up to start on his third.

What would IPR students and instructors say they remember about you?

I was a pretty quiet guy for the most part, but I think people would remember me just working hard and being in the studio a lot. Also, I think Mike Brown would remember how much he loved having me in his classes.

Were there any bigprojects you undertook in your classes that laid the ground work for some of the things you’re doing now?

I would say the Post-Production classes and the projects associated with them were the most beneficial for me. If I had to choose one project, I think it would be the movie clip that we had to do Foley for the entire thing.

Out of all your instructors who would you say worked most closely with you and had a special interest in your success?

That’s tough because I really feel like most my teachers taught me something valuable and I was able to take something away from each of them. I would have to say I remember Marcia Hines and how she was able to inspire me to start writing again and not be afraid to show people stuff I had created.

How do you feel your IPR education prepared you for the
industry?

What I learned at IPR prepared me more than I could have imagined. I was able to sit down and show the people at EA what I had learned and it ultimately led to me getting a full time job with them.

What types of things did you learn only after you started working in the industry?

I learned that in the game industry there is a whole other side to audio that sometimes gets overlooked. It isn’t all about just sound design. There are a lot of technical aspects like tuning prop files, converting .aif files to .snr, working with the game engine, and many other things that you may not know about until you work at a game studio.

What do you think it means to be successful in this industry? What advice would you offer to students who are either just getting ready to graduate or who are wondering how to find their place in this industry?

I think to say your successful in this industry, you have to be doing something you love and make some sort of money doing it. Whether it be recording musicians at your home studio, doing freelance work, or working full time at a company. My advice would be to get your name out there and throw as many darts at the target and hope one sticks, and when it does stick work your hardest everyday and don’t take it for granted. Also take chances and leave your comfort zone. You never know what could happen unless you at least try.

What types of industry work have you done so far?

I have worked on two triple A titles, Sims EP5: Pets and Sims EP6: Showtime, and I’ve done a lot of different things on both. I have done everything from sound design to integrating sounds into the game. The one thing I haven’t done alot of is recording VO for the games. They have a group of people who are the designated VO team.

Since you’re trained at IPR for many different industry roles, do you have experience with graphic design, web design, blogging, other…? Explain.

I have not been able to work on any of these things since I left school, but they are very important to the industry.

How important do you think attitude is when it comes to
success in the music industry?

It’s extremely important. You have to go in to work with a “yes man” attitude. You have to take every chance that comes your way to prove what you can do and to show people your worth. If you do what you are told and then some, you will force people to notice how big
of an asset you are and will ultimately be kept around.

What one trait/ability/skill do you feel has helped you more than any other to be successful in this industry so far?

I would say being a hard worker and being sociable. If you go into work and get it done every day and are fun to work with, people will genuinely like and trust you. If people like working with you and trust that you will get things done at a high quality, you are good to go.

The Career Fair is a great way for you to begin connecting with potential, future employers. Please visit the Career Fair, resume and business card in hand, and explore the offerings.

One of the offerings this time is the chance to win a free iPod touch.

Are you a first quarter student? It doesn’t matter. It’s those who take initiative to research the job market and find ways of connecting with employers who typically find a good fit by the time they graduate.

The Career Fair is a benefit to those who participate; even if you don’t land your dream job, you will begin to make in-roads through your participation.

If you need more details about what to expect, please contact the IPR Career Services Department.

Lft to Rt: Ashley Battle with Jerome Benton, Terry Lewis, Jimmy Jam, of "The Original 7ven", IPR Director of Career Services Norbert Kreuzer, and IPR Campus Communications, Christian Groves

Today at WCCO, BMA Networks IPR graduate Ashley Battle gave Norbert and I a chance to meet Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, and Jerome Benton of “The Original 7ven”while she filmed the BMA interview. Prior to this, WCCO’s Angela Davis invterviewed Jam, Lewis, and Benton for a live WCCO broadcast.

We’re super excited about what Ashley has been doing since graduation. Special thanks to BMA Director Pete Rhodes, and Operations Manager Kimberly Bedell Rhodes for inviting Norbert Kreuzer and myself to be a part of watching Ashley at work. Check back soon for more on Ashley in a graduate success story.

For me, there was never a question if Zack was a good match for IPR. Finding success in the media industries is something that can take an insane work ethic: one which I credited to Zack before his Minneapolis arrival. It was a long road getting Zack’s admissions paperwork completed because he was always working, and connecting with him by phone was a tough thing. He and a friend were running a painting business in 2009 as Zack was saving and preparing for college. This was just one of the reasons he didn’t start IPR until almost a year after we’d first met. As his Admissions Representative it made me want him here even more. I knew he was going places, and I was happy to take a tiny ounce of credit for his IPR connection.

Even before Zack was a student at IPR, I knew there was something special about him. When I told him to look for every opportunity, and to be thinking about jobs from day one, he listened. He didn’t blow me off with attitude, but seemed grateful that I was “coaching” him. It came as no surprise to me that those who made the biggest impact on him here, his instructors, offered him the same consistent message.

During a short visit this week Zack dropped by a class where he too passed on a message. As he recounted the experience, he had a huge grin on his face and said, “Scooter told me my first day of class, if I was ever offered work I didn’t know how to do, to never say no. And I have never forgotten that”. He went on to explain that he has used that philosophy persistently now that he’s working in the industry. He’s discovered that his credo matches that of those who taught him; to his credit, he’s learned his lessons well.

Zack is now a graduate and an industry professional that I’m honored to write about. It’s been a joy getting to know him and watching him map out his place in the industry. I hope you enjoy his story.

Zack Perl

BIO

Zack Perl, born in New York and raised in New Jersey, always found ways to be involved with the industry. While in high school he co-developed a local entertainment company (Mirror Image Entertainment) handling event coordination and promotion. Throughout his time in New Jersey, Zack has contributed to several startup entertainment companies, as well as his own, while utilizing his creative abilities with local businesses.  Shortly after high school Zack attended the Institute of Production & Recording where he studied music production, graphic design and photography. After returning to New York, he moved to Los Angeles, to help develop 4HM Talent Management, the managing division of 4Horsemen Films. His responsibilities include roles of Artist Representative and Head Graphic Designer at 4 Horsemen Films, the umbrella company to 4HM Talent. Zack currently represents 16 actors, 2 models and 1 musician while overseeing all visual branding and marketing aspects of both the production and management divisions of 4 Horsemen Films.

What would IPR students and instructors say they remember most about you?

Students knew I always was involved and engaged with class but couldn’t help but crack jokes. Once the class clown always the class clown, but I could back it all up with my work. You could ask any student in any of my labs from production to post, I always went all out with every project. As for my instructors, I don’t think there was a teacher that didn’t know my name after my first day in their class.

Hard at work in Studio 4

Were there any big projects you undertook in your production or engineering capstone that laid the groundwork for some of the things you’re doing now?

My production capstone was definitely my best experience here at IPR. Well worth the wait. Not because of any particular project but because of the overall message the class gave us, as well as the content and the way we were given the freedom to complete projects. I learned that there are no boundaries, ceilings, skies or walls. You can take this industry as far as you want to.

Out of all your instructors who would you say worked most closely with you and had a special interest in your success?

That’s a hard one. I definitely learned a lot from Andrew Lucas and Nick Bochek although I would say overall Kevin Bowe was my greatest mentor. The guy was on a whole other level and showed me exactly how to get there. Kevin made it clear from day one what it takes to become successful, how to do it and most of all that it’s possible to love what you do. He is definitely someone who cares about your personal success and was one of the few people who told me to pursue LA. And it paid off.

How do you feel your IPR education prepared you for the industry?

IPR encourages and provides a wide range of classes to take. Photography, Graphic Design etc… Not just music based classes. A lot of students resist these classes thinking it’s a waste because it’s not what they came to do, but when you graduate you’d be surprised at how much it will benefit any position you land in the music industry. I took advantage of that and it made me well rounded. Gave me the ability to be a threat in the industry and above all put me ahead of the game. IPR gave me a bag of tricks that no one else had. I was called to interview for a graphic design position at suburban noise records, one of the top indie labels in LA, and during my interview I sold them on my experience in not only video editing but music production. I ended up passing on it for another job though.

Peace and Turntables.

What types of things did you have to wait for industry experience to learn?

Dealing with people and problem solving. IPR teaches you just about every way to avoid problems in the industry, but, no matter what, you will encounter them. You got to remember people will see you as a strong asset to any company if you cannot only problem solve, but also problem solve creatively in a way that will put you ahead. Think of every problem as an opportunity to get ahead and show off, and I guarantee you can pull off just about anything. Chicks dig problem solvers. For real.

What do you think it means to be successful in this industry? What advice would you offer to students who are either just getting ready to graduate or who are wondering how to find their place in this industry?

I believe if you love what you do and you can pay your bills, it’s definitely a base for success. I stand by that completely. For someone like myself who has this entrepreneurial need in my blood, I’m not throwing the success title on my life until I’ve created a product or service that can change lives as well as develop several innovative business’s ranging from clothing design to creative development. Using the profits I would like the ability to invest in innovative ideas that can change the world for the better. The day I’m on the cover of Forbes with the title reading, the man who changed the word…. I’ll say ok… I’m almost successful.

As for students getting ready to graduate, I promise, if you don’t spend every day of the week networking and looking for a job, you won’t find one. Don’t just email your resume and say “why didn’t they call me for a job?” They won’t call you. You need to market yourself and network every single day. Don’t sleep in and play video games half the day and wonder why you’re not an engineer at your favorite indie label. I woke up 5:30am returning emails and researching companies for months from the day I graduated to the day I landed my dream job. Loose the bad habits fast. Remember this… when you were hanging out or watching television, someone else was out networking and getting a referral that got them that interview the following day. No one is going to just give you a job. If they were, you wouldn’t be in school right now.

Do you have experience with audio and video editing?

I was lucky enough to be given an opportunity by Nick Bochek (previous principles of design teacher) to co-edit the Bare Naked Ladies last music video “You Run Away.” Talk about a resume builder. Kevin Bowe’s capstone alone turned my resume from a piece of paper into a playboy spread featuring the hottest girl in the world to the eye of an audio engineer looking to hire. I learned all of my Audio and Video editing abilities from IPR and have used them to my advantage both personally and professionally outside of class. No one really realizes how many different companies and industries are looking for video editors as well as audio editors especially outside the studio.

Zack in Master Mix

How important do you think attitude is when it comes to success?

Attitude is everything. It’s the reason you were hired, and they were fired. Have attitude but don’t catch an attitude. People want to be working with people who are genuinely interested and committed to what they are doing and can get the job done. Not someone who sees his or her job as a chore looking to get it over with. People see through that bull (ship) in a second.

What one trait/ability/skill do you feel has helped you more than any other to be successful in this industry so far?

The ability to be personable. To not only be comfortable in any given situation, but also to embrace it and take control of it. You’re competing with thousands of others who have the exact same thing on their resume. The only thing you got going for you that’s going to set you ahead of the game is your ability to network, branch out, and make people aware of what you can do.  Donald Trump once said, “If you don’t tell people about your successes… chances are they don’t know about it.” Learn to talk to everyone and love it. Every night you stay home and every day you don’t go out you’re missing opportunities. No one’s getting hired playing Xbox until 4pm on a mother (freaking) Tuesday.