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FESTIVAL : KARLA HENWOOD, SQUEAK E. CLEAN: “YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE LOOKING TOWARD WHAT IS NEXT”
Karla Henwood had been executive producer at Nylon Studios in Australia for more than eleven years when it merged with global creative audio network, Squeak E. Clean. She is one of the most experienced sound executives in Australia, a driving force behind award-winning work at Squeak E. Clean Studios, responsible for nurturing its talent and playing a transformative role in enriching the company’s international service offering across its six studios. She is also the founder of Chicks in Advertising, a social networking group that keeps women in advertising, media, film and TV industries united and strong.
Nylon merged with Squeak E. Clean at the beginning of the pandemic. What have been the major changes to the studio since?
The fusion of Nylon with Squeak E. Clean was a synergistic one from the start, with the combination of Nylon’s streamlined and efficient cross-Pacific pipeline and Squeak’s legacy of music rooted in culture. Since the merger in 2019, we have continued to lean into our music and culture-obsessed team to embrace new ways of connecting with our clients and the industry at large. When the pandemic sent us all into WFH, we knew that human connection through music was more important than ever. We produced live-streamed concerts, shared digital presentations with animated cartoons of our team, created our own digital ‘zine and even took out an ad in The New York Times. In both advertising and music, you have to constantly be reinventing yourself to stay relevant and our team thrives at that task.
How important is it to Squeak E. Clean to have an international network? What advantages do you use?
This is a major component of the Squeak E. Clean culture. It allows us to tap into a broader network of diverse creative talent, which is essential for being able to deliver our clients the kind of culturally relevant music and sound we have come to be known for. Our offices in Australia and the US also allow us to work across teams virtually, around the clock, in order to meet tight timelines.
You have more than two decades of experience in sound production. What do you think have been the most exciting advancements in the industry?
In music and sound you always have to be looking toward what is next. Between staying on top of advancements in technology and being aware of what types of artists and genres are culturally relevant, it’s something that you’re always tuned into. What’s been most exciting for me is the opportunity to help build creative careers and mentor young talent and collaborate with rising artists.
You founded the women’s network, Chicks in Advertising. What is the situation now for women in sound and music – what are women’s challenges in sound and music?
While women are still having to work harder (and smarter) to build their careers in advertising - and music and sound within the space - there is more visibility towards the issues we face and more communities like Chicks in Advertising to offer resources and advice to women starting out in the industry. We still have a lot of work to do, though. I hope that in the future, these types of communities will continue to bring women together but be less vital for their ability to succeed within the industry.
What work are you most proud of and why?
Working with VMLY&R and the Australian Navy was a really unique and exciting project. We were tasked with quite literally hiding a secret image in sound. The Audio Ad You Can See was designed by Squeak E. Head of Sound, Paul Le Conteur, & produced by Ceri Davies. It was designed to connect a highly savvy tech audience to Navy intelligence roles. You can stream that project HERE and find out more about how it was made here:
Another one that was exciting was a recent project we worked on with Budweiser and Wieden+Kennedy. They were looking to create a global campaign that would make a splash with Tomorrow is Yours to Take. The campaign focuses on creators across the globe from fashion, music, sport and beyond - people who aren’t the latest trending “it” kids, but those who move through the world with creative integrity and authenticity.
Toyota Corolla GR: This was a fantastic collaboration from the early stages of Toby Pike’s Directors treatment through to the edit, score and compostion, sound design and final mix. I was excited and interested in this job, particularly on a technical level. There were no visual effects used at all to create the animation. It was all shot in camera. So we wanted to create the ultimate sound scape for audiences to feel the exhilaration of the Corolla GR and give rise to the wonder and exceptional craft in the film. I just love it.
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23 March, 2023
