Jeffrey Reed, Sound Designer

Jeffrey Reed is the owner and chief audio engineer of Taproot Audio Design, a studio located in Oxford. He has worked with a variety of projects from short films to documentaries to TV series like True South, as well as feature films like Paradise Highway and Mysterious Circumstance.

What’s your background? Specifically, what led you to working in the audio field and with film, and how did you decide to do it in Mississippi?

I grew up in the small community of Reedtown, a suburb if you will of the larger town of Utica. I attended college briefly at Hinds Community College but couldn’t quite figure out what I wanted to do.

My journey in audio began with playing in a band in high school. I played guitar, but I was far from what I’d now call a musician. I was always far more interested in the technical aspect of what was going on during shows, particularly with the sound. I knew I wanted to make some sort of career out of audio but had no idea where to start. We eventually entered a small studio in Vicksburg to cut a demo and I instantly found myself enamored by what was going on with the guy in the control room. The light bulb turned on. I had no idea what a recording engineer was at the time, but I knew that’s what I wanted to do.

I made phone calls to studios all over and eventually landed a sales position at Malaco Records that helped me get my foot in the door, and that’s where I met Jerry Masters. He gave me great hands-on experience, but I finally asked him if there was a book or something I could study to delve deeper. He kind of laughed, but a few days later, he gave me a hardback book of what I believe was the first printing of The Recording Engineer’s Handbook, the Bible of studio audio to this day. I had told him of my goal to get a college degree, because I had promised my mama I would. He helped me get into a little college and I eventually graduated in 1992 from what is now known as Full Sail University, with a degree in the Recording Arts. I never promised my mama where or what my degree would be.

I ended up in Memphis at Ardent Studios where I spent most of the ‘90s working. After leaving there and having a stint as a travelling freelance engineer/producer, I figured it was time put down roots. It had boiled down to either move back to Memphis and possibly work at Ardent again or move to Oxford and start my own business. Facing the very real prospect of maybe raising a family soon, we chose Oxford and formed Taproot Audio Design.

As for working with film, after 15 years, I found myself feeling the need to diversify. I had always had an interest in audio and sound effects for film, but I never really knew how it worked. I reached out to a friend and classmate from Full Sail, Eric Fischer, and over a few visits to Los Angeles, he showed me the ropes of film mixing. Once he showed me the trailhead, it just blossomed from there and sort of opened a whole new world to me.  

As far as doing what I do in Mississippi, it was pretty natural. I’ve always wanted to stick close to the mid-South region. I’m an avid outdoorsman on top of being an audio nerd, so sticking close to what I know and love was a no-brainer.

What are some recent projects you’ve worked on, and do you have a favorite from your career and why?

I’ve recently finished up several short films from around the country, including a trailer for a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie. I am currently working on a film based around the isolated Sentinelese tribe in the Indian Ocean. It was filmed mostly around St. Kitts and Nevis on a large cargo ship and presents quite a set of unique challenges in sound design. I mean this in a good way. I can’t wait for people to see/hear it. I also recently worked on a music/culture pilot series for Nashville Public Broadcasting.  Also upcoming are a couple of documentaries, and one in particular is a larger scale sports-oriented doc being pitched to ESPN as a series.

As far as having a favorite, that’s an impossible question to answer. They are all my favorites, and I put everything I have into each one. I will say that some of my favorite moments come from when you get to do completely original sound design. Not just foley or sound library things. I guess two of my favorite things were creating the sound of a flying cockroach with a folded beef jerky wrapper and my fingers, to creating the signature sound of a killer mermaid swamp goddess, using the recorded purr of my old tomcat Ollie as the base sound. Pitch shifted and modulated, of course.

What services does Taproot Audio Design provide for filmmakers?

We have a fully calibrated mix room and offer mixing and mastering services in any format from Dolby Atmos to 2.0 (or mono). This includes sound design, foley, ADR, voiceover recording, restoration of damaged recordings and anything in between. We also offer multichannel location recording, particularly for music.

With the advent of audio technologies like Dolby Atmos, sound is perhaps more integral a part of the film experience than perhaps it ever has been. In what ways do you think sound design enhances storytelling?

I stand by the saying that “sound is 51% percent of a film.” Good sound can make a film as much as bad sound can break a film. That said, as much as I like having all the bells and whistles of Dolby Atmos at my disposal, you have to be careful not to distract. Making small things big and sometimes big things small goes a long way. It’s a balancing act. Dialog is king and everything revolves around it. I think one of the best things immersive audio does is enhance the sense of space. 

Did you have a mentor when you got started? What was their advice to you, and what advice would you now give to someone who wants to pursue working in audio?

Yes, Jerry Masters and Wolf Stephenson at Malaco Records and James Griffin at Parallax Records. All in Jackson. I owe them a debt that I’m trying to repay now by educating young people. They all took me under their wing and gave me chances. I can’t pinpoint any particular advice they gave me, outside of leading by example. Basically, just be a good person. Anyone can relate to someone who’s not a jerk. My advice to up-and-coming engineers is not much different than my experience. Meet as many like-minded people as you can and stay in touch with them. You’d be surprised who can and will end up being a valuable contact in the future. 

What’s your best pitch for why Mississippi is a great place to make movies?

My best pitch for making movies in Mississippi is simple: the people. Whether it be actors, crew or local color, you will not find nicer or more welcoming people. First runner up would be locations. It’s a beautiful state.

What are your hopes for the future of the film industry in Mississippi?

First and foremost, I hope it continues flourishing, as it seems to be now. Secondly, and maybe selfishly, I’d like to see more of the post-production of films done here stay in Mississippi. On top of a great group of on-set players and crew, we have a wonderful group of talented post-production professionals right here in the state. Editors, colorists, dialog editors, VFX artists, audio engineers and more, and we all qualify for Mississippi’s rebate incentives.