Barry Butler - CEO
I want people’s ears to prick up.
My entry into the sound world I was fated to pursue began when I was 8, listening and dancing to Bolero on the family’s Stromberg Carlson radiogram. Some years later, I ran a record store in Sydney and on the side made personalised music tapes for local bars. The long and winding journey of life took me from Australia to Asia, where I worked on the legendary films Apocalypse Now and Deer Hunter, followed by an enlightening time as a DJ in Thailand. Somehow after this, I detoured into oil exploration – maybe to keep my ear in with the seismic sounds. I remember, we were way off the grid in Muara Tembesi, Sumatra, jungle atmosphere all around us, and my helicopter pilot friend was playing Eric Clapton’s One More Night album. The guitar solos floating across the inky water had the power to move me to tears. Speakeasy is the natural progression of all that.
Bianca Kimble - Senior Producer
Every sound is a memory.
My first audio memory was when I was about 5 or 6 years old. My dad used to produce the shows at the Crocodile & Reptile Paradise, and I remember helping him while he was Emcee. I’d be in the audio control room where all the magic happens, pressing the buttons for the sound effects, and I loved it. I think that it was inevitable after studying Mass Communications, that I would return back to sound. Working at Speakeasy has made me more sensitive to sound. Every memory I have is tied to a sound, music or song. I love drawing people’s attention to the sound details they are unaware of. Working here has also given me the confidence over the years to do voice-overs too, which I thoroughly enjoy. My favourite part is when clients return – I know I’ve done something right.
Zoë Kay Li Tan - Recording & Post Production Engineer
I'm in the business of audio surgery.
My sensitive ears have always been attuned to the rhythms and sounds in my surroundings. When I was growing up I explored these through piano and dance lessons. I knew I wanted to enter the world of sound design for advertising, and I chose to hone my skills and knowledge in the technical side of the audio world in SP’s Diploma in Music & Audio Technology. These skills are vital but they pale in comparison to the thrill I get whenever my creative and problem-solving input and on-the-fly editing helps voiceover talent exceed clients’ expectations. And if the recording process is fun and enjoyable all round – that’s a bonus. At some point, I did leave this part of the industry for a while to try my hand at being an A&R Executive, as well as try out live sound mixing for performing bands at bars. But I eventually returned to this – my true passion.