Patrick Meza

Patrick Meza’s lucky break came when he was hired as a Sound Design intern at LucasArts. He talks to us about getting his dream job and working on films such as Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Your time at the University

After completing my bachelor’s degree in Sound Arts I knew there was still more for me to learn. I researched graduate programmes in Sound Design and came upon the University of Edinburgh. Once I learned about the programme and University’s rich history I knew it was where I wanted to go.

My favourite memory of Edinburgh is the moment I got out of Waverley station for the first time and I got to see amazing architecture and historic monuments. It was as if I had just entered another world and it was only but a taste of what I was about to experience.

The first day of lecture was intimidating but by the second week I began to feel more confident. I was lucky in that there were a small amount of students in my programme. We came from different parts of the world, had a lot to learn from each other, and at the end we became like a little family. I made life long friends during my time at the University of Edinburgh and a lot of great memories.

Since graduating with my Masters in Sound Design, my degree has stood out a lot and given me an upper hand when applying for positions in the States.

Tell us about your Experiences since leaving the University

Since graduating with my Masters in Sound Design, my degree has stood out a lot and given me an upper hand when applying for positions in the States. My first lucky break came when I was hired as a Sound Design intern at LucasArts in San Francisco, CA. It was an amazing experience to get to work under great sound designers and work on Star Wars: The Old Republic the video game.

In 2012 shortly after completing my internship at LucasArts and doing some contract work, I landed the job of my dreams as the Sound FX Librarian/Field Recordist at Skywalker Sound. This is a division of Lucasfilm andl,m  Walt Disney. As a Sound FX Librarian/Field Recordist, I manage the Sound FX library; go on field recording trips to record animals, ambiences, explosions, mechanical objects and vehicles, and other sounds depending on the show. I also assist Sound Designers during Post-production. I’ve worked on dozens of films like, Oblivion, Captain America 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, Tomorrowland, Jurassic World and many more. I’m currently working on Bridges Spies, The Peanuts Movie, and The Walk. I can honestly say that I love going to work every morning and that is because it is more than a job, it is the career that I have always wanted.

Alumni wisdom

My advice to current students is to never give up. Finishing school is a lot of hard work and it gets intense but the end results are completely worth it. Once it is over you will be glad you stuck threw it. Take advantage of all the resources that the University of Edinburgh has to offer and have FUN!