Meet Lay Hak | Production Sound Mixer & G&E Swing

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lay Hak and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lay, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I am from Pomona, CA filmmaking wasn’t big in my household, but growing up I watched YouTubers like Wong Fu Production and RocketJump, and through them, I learned a lot about storytelling and how creative people can be through filmmaking combined with storytelling. I remember falling into the rabbit hole of short films amazed and captivated by the stories people had to tell.

It wasn’t until high school that I first experienced filmmaking. I had the opportunity to work in all aspects of filmmaking. From pre-production to post-production, whether it was filmmaking or studio television, my high school was a huge stepping stone for where I am today. In my senior year, I submitted and had the opportunity to screen my short film at the All-American High School Film Festival.

Since then, I graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2022 and have been freelancing as a Production Sound Mixer and occasionally as a G&E Swing. However, I didn’t think I’d end up in either of those roles. In high school, I gave acting a try and for a bit of directing, both were interesting but not for me. Going to Cal State Fullerton I thought I found myself becoming a video editor, so I did that for a majority of my time there I worked as a video editor for the university’s studio television department, but I still felt like I was missing something. I learned over time that the aspect of meeting new people and working together with one creative goal in mind was a huge factor & motivator for why I love being on set. Fortunately working as a production sound mixer, I’m able to work with most if not all the departments on set and network with many people. I really enjoy working on set and fortunately its been with so many talented and creative people

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
One of my friends referred me for a position as a Grip and since then I have been able to snowball into more opportunities. However, aside from that, I had to put myself out there, which was a bit difficult because I am introverted, but I knew that if I didn’t put myself out there then no one would. So I scoured many Facebook groups, reached out to past acquaintances, and looked through different listings (i.e. eBay, craigslist, production hub, etc.). I want to say that it worked maybe 10 to 20% of the time, which was a little discouraging and I questioned my ability/background, but I really wanted it to work. So I learned to keep pushing and to take in the opportunities that do come because you never know where and when your next gig is going to come from. The biggest lesson/take I’ve leaned from entertainment industry and life in general is that it wasn’t meant to be easy.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m really enjoy nature so I would definitely plan a hike to Eaton Falls or to the Bridge to Nowhere.

Food’wise I really enjoy the the Korean food in KTown and in Buena Park, Chinese food in SGV, and Vietnamese food in Garden Grove. I really enjoy food festivals too like 626 Night Market and this year especially I feel like there are so many food event now.

Attraction wise besides givens like The Getty, Disneyland, and Griffith Observatory I would take them to the Los Angeles County Arboretum in Arcadia or something peaceful like the Korean Friendship Bell in San Pedro.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to give the biggest shoutout to two different groups of people! My friends from Chapman University and my supervisors from CSUF Titan Communications | Titan TV. Both groups in their own ways have helped me become a better filmmaker and have provided me many opportunities/work to develop my craft. Because of people like them I get to love filmmaking more and more.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laythesoundgrip/

Image Credits
instagram: odom_media
– personal photo
– additional photo #4