We were lucky to catch up with Ajeng Canyarasmi recently and have shared our conversation below.
Ajeng, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
I once watched a TED Talk about being the best version of yourself. One of the interesting points the speaker brought up was she believes everyone was born complete with one true note to sing. Our job is to find that note and sing the best we can – and to me this also rings true in the creative industries. As a female Indonesian filmmaker & sound artist, it would be a difficult task to change myself into someone I am not to fit in. I am already my own “note” I thought to myself – why be someone else if I can be myself but better every day, month, and year? Hence I choose to hone my technical skills and aesthetic, craft the soundscape that I believe works for the medium my client offers, and listen to feedback – it is a key element in collaboration and leading your vision to the desired product.
As I was consistently moving forward, surprisingly people kept finding my work on the internet or through recommendations and looking to work with me. I suppose it is because they like Ajeng, the female Indonesian filmmaker’s take on sound design! I am deeply appreciative of my clients and the given opportunities, They are assurance that I am on the right path.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am an Indonesian independent sound designer, editor and re-recording mixer based in Los Angeles. My main expertise lies in sound designing live-action & animation shorts, features, and TV. I left my home country a little over 7 years ago to pursue my career in filmmaking at the entertainment center of the world – boy what a journey it has been! Thankfully, my tenacity, skills and aesthetic choices in sound design & editing have brought me to many great like-minded collaborators and projects in the past years.
One of my highlighted works in 2023 was with Lorena Gonzalez who directed and starred in Everyday Shit, an impactful film about violence against women which is currently screening in theaters as well as receiving a handful of awards including Best Drama Short at Stuff Mx Film Festival, Best Indie Short at Venice Shorts Film Festival, and Immaculate Heart Community Prize winner at LA Shorts International Film Festival.
Another film that I sound designed for the same year was a sci-fi film titled Foreign Planetary which touches on the immigrants’ life, a subject that has always been close to my heart. Directed by Tiffany Lin, produced and starring Chelsea Sik, Foreign Planetary was well received in national and international theaters as well as receiving awards such as Best Science Fiction award, Special Mention in Sound Design for myself at The Five Continentals International Film Festival, Best Sci-Fi at Alternative Film Festival in Toronto, Canada, and Best Sci-Fi Short at Show Low Film Festival in Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona.
In 2022, I had the honor of working under the guidance of Juliette Wahl, Writer-Director of She The Creator, a psycho-spiritual drama feature about an agoraphobic painter dancing with the line of reality as she is misled by her young and enamored caretaker. Working with an amazing sound team: Jiaxuan “Cabba” Cai our dialogue editor, Dorothy Lee sound effects editor and Re-recording Mixer Rich Hyland, I had the honor to sound supervise this surreal piece that evoked emotions and rocked the audience’s souls. She The Creator has since received film festival nominations and awards including Best Feature Film at Innuendo Film Festival in Milan, Italy.
I have also recently wrapped on a couple of more cool projects coming out in the 2024 festival circulation, so stay tuned!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Be persistent no matter what and when. The reason being is, similar to life, the road ahead is not easy and is going to get harder. But if filmmaking is the path you truly choose, you will see beauty along the way: movies you are proud of, experience you cherished, and collaborators you are glad you have met, some of whom might turn into life-long friends.
Always have the learning mentality. This is particularly true if you are working in a field with advancing technologies, and sound design and mixing in motion pictures is all about the latest and greatest. Stay sharp and open-minded. I always try to pay attention when seasoned artists are working to study their workflow, choice making and techniques. Lastly, an engineer colleague and friend told me this important piece of advice: whenever in doubt, read the manual.
Be patient. The film industry is known for its fluctuating consistency of work throughout the years. The work is also likely to be impacted by major events such as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strike, hence for someone who is starting out or already climbing the career ladder, not knowing what is in store for the next months can be quite intimidating and anxiety-inducing. With that in mind, I recommend to pace yourself. Know when to hit the gas and when to be patient – but not to wait around. Never waste your time. Keep on learning or working on other things that you can be better at. Take side hustles. Read, listen to, or watch things that inspire you as you “wait”. Rest is also important for artists, hence it is never a waste of time for me. Good things come to those who are patient, because during the time of patience and still, we can see our path clearer and it helps us strategize if there is something we can do next.
Bonus wisdom for my sound artists: listen. Listen everywhere you go broadly, and then listen “selectively”. My personal belief about sound design is ultimately an artist’s aesthetic sound choices with arrays of problem-solving. Having a broad sonic knowledge will hopefully guide you in carving the soundscape into something that you like to hear and realistically can be done within the given material and time.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
If it is me, I will start by working on my strongest suits and my main craft because it should be the most effortless thing to build from my career blocks. Once I have sufficiently mastered my primary craft which should establish my career ground, I will not stop and continue seeking to expand other skill sets and knowledge to bring more value to any team. Beyond being valuable to a team, having multiple skill sets also allows for additional stability within an ever-changing industry.
I once read in a financial article that having multiple incomes is like a tabletop with multiple legs. If one collapses (which happens in the industry due to unforeseen events), the other legs can continue to support. In my experience, this mindset supports independent contractors & artists to reach for more consistent earnings.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @canyarasmix
- Website: canyarasmix.com
- Other: Vimeo: vimeo.com/kajengc
IMDB: www.imdb.com/name/nm8985378
Image Credits
Zhanat Taalaibek Stefie Gan Adriel Meka Arif Khan James Gerde Eric Tra
