Learning Skills for the Real Set
Hands-on training built around the realities of indie filmmaking from local professionals.
Introduction to Sound Mixing: Building an Audio Landscape
December 12th and 13th
11:00AM to 6:00PM PST
Introduction to Sound Mixing gives new filmmakers a practical, on‑set foundation in how to capture clean, usable audio during production. This workshop focuses on the real‑world skills of sound recording and live mixing — the techniques that determine whether dialogue is crisp, ambience is controlled, and your final edit has the clarity it needs.
Participants work directly with boom mics, lavaliers, field recorders, and on‑set mixing tools, learning how to monitor levels, manage environments, and make fast decisions under production pressure. Through guided activities and small‑crew setups, students practice recording dialogue, adjusting gain, reacting to changing conditions, and solving common audio problems before they reach the edit.
Grounded in Cascadia Media Lab’s resourceful, hands-on approach, this workshop emphasizes learning by doing and building confidence with workflows that fit indie budgets and small crews.
What Participants Will Learn
Core principles of on‑set sound recording and live mixing
How to operate boom mics, lavaliers, and portable recorders
Gain staging, monitoring levels, and preventing distortion
Managing background noise, room tone, and environmental challenges
Live mixing techniques for dialogue and natural sound
Fast troubleshooting for rustle, interference, and bad mic placement
Working with directors and camera teams to support the scene
Delivering clean, organized audio files for post‑production
Who This Workshop Is For
Emerging filmmakers, sound recordists, directors, and anyone preparing to work on small‑crew productions where clean audio is essential.
What You’ll Leave With
Hands‑on experience recording and mixing audio on set
A practical understanding of how to capture dialogue cleanly
Confidence using industry‑level sound gear
Techniques you can apply immediately on your next shoot
Rooted in the Northwest
Empowering storytellers through accessible, community‑driven film education
Cascadia Media Lab uses a sliding‑scale registration model to keep high‑quality film education accessible to emerging creators across the Pacific Northwest. Participants choose the fee that best matches their financial situation, ensuring that cost is never a barrier to learning or participating in our programs.
$250 - Full Price. Supporting us at this level allows us to continue to offer our amazing programs and allows us to provide scholarships to other community members who need it.
$200 - Your support is essential to our success. Supporting us at this level allows us to compensate our instructors at industry levels.
$100 - Your support keeps us going. Your support helps us maintain our office space and provide industry level equipment for all of our programs and participants.
$50 - Your support allows us to maintain our programming. Supporting us in this way allows us to continue to offer amazing programs!
$25 - We are grateful for your participation. We are excited to have you participate in the program!
Cascadia Media Lab offers a limited amount of scholarship seats for all programs. If you are interested in applying for scholarship, please reach out to derek.edamura@gmail.com.
Cascadia Media Labs also offers various payment plans for participants that are in need of financial assistance.
Proudly Supported by 4Culture Grant Programs