Sound recording and editing for film and television is one of those peculiar jobs where going unnoticed is often a measure of success, according to Flinders Creative Arts graduate, Belinda Trimboli.
But last week Ms Trimboli’s work got noticed in the best possible way, when she was one of the team to win the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) award for Best Sound in Television at the Sydney presentation ceremony.
Ms Trimboli shared the award with colleagues Tom Heuzenroeder, Des Kenneally and Pete Best for their work on an episode of the critically acclaimed ABC series ANZAC Girls.
Ms Trimboli said that ANZAC Girls, which was filmed entirely around Adelaide, had required a lot of time and effort to achieve an authentic period feel from all of the production’s technical departments, including production design, lighting, costume and sound. She said excluding or masking unwanted modern – or local – sounds had been an important aspect of her work.
“It was a challenge, but fun and rewarding,” Ms Trimboli said.
After completing her BCA degree in Screen at Flinders in 2005, Ms Trimboli went on to study at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School in Melbourne. Since entering the workforce, she has worked on a range of projects including short films, feature films and television.
Ms Trimboli said in common with other parts of the film and television industry, the flow of work in her specialty is unpredictable, swinging between feast and famine. She said that as well as loving what you do, you must also be willing to “knock on doors”, and she has recently moved to Sydney in (successful) pursuit of work.
While continuing to dedicate herself to making sound quality so good that no-one will notice it, Ms Trimboli said it was also a thrill to receive the professional accolade represented by the award.
“You’re pretty much shut away on you own in a room without windows for ten hours a day, so it’s very special to have your work recognised and appreciated by other people.”