Meet Adam Kallibjian | Senior Music Designer

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

Hi Adam, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
If there is one word I was familiar with before even starting my professional career in video games, its “crunch”. The grueling act of putting in 16-18 hour days for weeks or months at a time to get a game out the door was common and almost socially accepted.

I’ll admit, the idea of staying late in the office and grinding out something I was passionate about sounded exciting and for a while it was. My first few years working in video games included a lot of this mentality. Folks would wear their overtime like a badge of honor, almost in a competition to see who could ruin themselves physically/mentally the most to prove they were most committed to the job.

However, time catches up to us all. The burnout began to set in. I started seeing friends leave LA, change jobs, disappear from social media and fall into depression. I realized that at the end of the day we are just making entertainment and that its not worth losing your health for the sake of a product. The “frat days” of working for a developer were bygone and replaced by a social awareness for mental and physical health. This became more apparent when I moved to remote work.

Being a remote worker has given me the flexibility to stay on top of my job while also staying on top of my health. My work life balance has never been better. I keep my work computer separate from my personal one and when I’m done for the day, I’m done – just like it would be if I left the office. I struggled at first with logging back in because it was so easy to do, but my coworkers have been large supporters of balance as well so there is no expectation to “crunch” ever.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I want to tell the story of persistence. A word that to me defines if someone will succeed or not in any aspect of life. I’ve always considered myself a persistent person. From a young age I rarely took no for an answer without a bit of pushback or questioning. Maybe I was too stubborn of a kid.

When I graduated college I had no real experience in the field I wanted to work in. I had moved to LA with no job and no real plan. I moved to the valley with a friend of mine because it was cheap and close to friends. LA can be described as a very “hustle centric” place for industry people. It always feels like “something is happening” and we are “missing out”. This mentality is actually what pressured me to get out of my comfort zone and become persistent in reaching out to folks for coffee, lunch, whatever excuse I could to make connections and search for potential work.

A few months after I moved out to LA, I managed to get an interview for a short term contract position by keeping in touch with an alumnus from college. The chat went well but ultimately I did not get the position because I did not have sufficient experience or credits to jump into what was a pretty high profile gig. I thanked them for their time and moved on.

Shortly after an internship was posted with this same team. This is the part you can’t control, I just got lucky… however I had put myself into an optimal position by having already talked with the person that was hiring for the internship. I emailed back saying I would apply for the internship because I was very passionate about working with this specific team even though I didn’t have experience. I got an email saying we should “have a call” the following day. During the call I was offered the original gig on a trial run because not many people “follow up”. I don’t think I really did all that much more than what anyone else could do. I didn’t submit an extensive reel, or take a test. I just simply followed up at an opportune time.

Find your way to show passion and motivation without seeming desperate or bothersome. As I’ve gotten further into my career I’ve noticed that folks typically want to work with someone who is “the best to work with” not “best at the work”. These are two very different things and if you can find both that is probably a Unicorn – but let me know if you do find one because its probably worth a lot of money.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I may not be the best tour guide for everyone because I’m very much a “go go go” type of person. We’d definitely be exhausted by the end of the week!

I’d split a week long trip into a few different zones probably. A day in West LA, day in Hollywood, Malibu, Manhattan Beach and probably Disneyland for a day. I’m very much a sampler of all places person and need that variety change.

Go To non disputable places for food would be Bacari on W 3rd (Dinner), Superba Bread in HW (brunch), Dae Sung Ro (KBBQ), Daikokuya (Ramen), Alibi Room (Mexican Fusion). I can’t give them all away but whoever joins this adventure would eat very well.

I’m a pretty active individual so I’d probably force them to join for a Run Club either to Venice Run Club or Sawtelle Run Club. I’d also sign us up for a game of pickleball at PicklePop in Santa Monica, its a unique place and pickleball is a fun social activity. (with or without alcohol)

Would definitely have to spend time at both the Getty Villa and Museum. I’ve been to both more than once already and every time I go is still super fun. Both are spectacle architectural achievements on their own without including the art involved.

For a “lazy day” I’d probably have us go paddle boarding down in Newport Beach through the fancy homes I’ll never be able to afford.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of friends and colleagues in the industry. When I started my first job at PlayStation, one of the senior music editors named Ted became a mentor and friend of mine. He guided me through a lot of what was needed creatively and technically to work in the interactive music industry on our first project together – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2018).

Really I have to thank the entire team I worked with there from Sam who first got me an intro to interview, to Pete for taking a chance and the opportunity to prove myself. That team fostered the foundation for what it takes to excel in the video game industry.

I also have to thank my father – he has championed me from the get go and was the first person who supported my dream of going to music school. I really can’t ask for more than having a supporting father that was willing to trust his gamer son could achieve a career in video games.

Website: https://www.adamkallibjian.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamkallibjian/

Twitter: https://x.com/adamkallibjian

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdamKallibjian

Image Credits
Holy Smokes Photography
Sony Interactive Entertainment