Michael Gilman

Alumni Stories - Michael Gilman

Since graduating from Sheffield in May of 2012, I have taken the skills I learned (Primarily Pro Tools) and applied it to the television industry.  Upon graduation, I sought out several internships across the country and eventually landed at Eclipse Post in Atlanta, GA.  I cannot stress enough the importance of a properly run internship program, and Eclipse had just that.  Great environment, great people and they allowed me every opportunity to learn and develop as an audio engineer.  They brought me along slowly like a minor league pitcher and over the course of a few months I was eventually put into the role of Audio Assist.  I was given increasingly meaningful work.  Within the span of a few months I went from setting up recording sessions, to separating and arranging audio, to recording Voice Over work, to eventually engineering audio for commercials and trailers; all the while working with different producers from different companies and countries.   By the end of the internship, I was being frequently being paid as a free-lance audio engineer and had specific clients that I would work with.

It’s hard to put into words the first time you see your work on television.  For me it was during halftime of the 2012 NBA All-Star game. I was sitting on my laptop in my cousin’s house in Atlanta when I heard a very familiar voice.  I looked up and saw a commercial that I had worked on a few weeks prior.  I ran upstairs like a kid who just saw Santa Clause on his roof and immediately called everyone who would have cared (And even more who didn’t) Since then I’ve had my name attached to two shows on The Travel Channel and Investigation Discovery.  Believe me when I say, posting a Facebook status of your name being attached to a TV show feels much better than posting one about how much you hate your job.  

From the professional gear to the freedom to use it, more than anything, Sheffield gives you the opportunity to learn.  Whether you want to focus on recording music, working with digital recording systems, learning to use studio equipment, or possibly the most important thing, getting comfortable working with other people in the field, Sheffield gives you the opportunity to focus in and hone your craft.