Meet Andrés E. Marthe | Supervising Sound Editor & Sound Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrés E. Marthe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrés E., why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
My earliest memories of a creative journey started since a young age, being drawn to movies. I lived close to a movie theater and my grandfather had a collection of the Disney’s classics, which he played for me every Sunday after I sneaked into his house and begged him to put one on the VHS player. I also used to play around with an old 90’s camera that my family owned, making my own little videos with my cousins and friends.

I grew up around creative people: my father is a musician and a music professor. Music is embedded in my roots as well. Colombia, my country, is surrounded by music and dance traditions. Growing up, I would always go with my dad and his musician friends to rehearsals.

As a teenager, school subjects did not interest me particularly, but music always did. My family supported me in chasing those creative pursuits and I went on to study music in college. My instrument was drums. However, I quickly realized that playing drums wasn’t the ultimate goal of my creative journey: it was a means, but my joy always came from the sounds around me. I just didn’t know how to express this fascination with sound… until I learned that films come together in this way, which was the start of finding my voice in this creative pursuit.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Having the opportunity to work in the Sound Postproduction industry and doing what I do is a triumph in on itself for me. Going to the office everyday and working alongside an amazing team of creatives in interesting and groundbreaking projects is literally like a dream come true. Something that I find meaningful and that gives a sense of purpose to what I do is the social justice aspect of the projects I work on. I feel like I am contributing through sound to culturally relevant stories that get sometimes overlooked. There are so many talented people in this industry that I look up to, and I think everyone has their own special touch in their way of working. But something that I’m really proud of is the fact that I’ve worked in many, diverse projects of international and national recognition. The projects that I’ve worked on have reached important platforms like Netflix, HBO, Apple TV, Hulu, Paramount Amazon Prime, among others.
I am thankful by all the opportunities that have come along my way, but of course it hasn’t been easy. As an immigrant, it is challenging to start your career in a country other than yours. I believe that discipline, persistence, working hard every day, showing up prepared, and staying hungry for knowledge, are key ingredients to success. More importantly, I wouldn’t be where I am now if it weren’t for people who have deposited their faith in me and my work, like Tom Paul and Brian DeVine, just to name a few.
The most important lesson that I’ve learned is that my career is an ongoing process; it is ever evolving because the field is expanding its technology, developing new tools, and moving forward alongside the culture. This is why I enjoy teamwork and believe it is so important: I am always sharing one thing and learning another from my colleagues.
Something that I’d like the world to know about my story is: it sounds cheesy, but dreams do come true. It is not magic, it is hard work and perseverance, but with the right support system and mindset it is possible to thrive in this industry.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For starters, I would take them on a tour at Gigantic Studios so that they can witness where the magic happens. One of my favorite things is to be around quiet nature spots in the city: Getting lost in Central Park and finding its hidden gems, such as Shakespeare Park or Conservatory Garden. Visiting the Brooklyn Botanical Garden when the cherry blossoms are on bloom. We all know how noisy New York City is and, although sometimes I like to indulge in this sensory overload, finding calm nooks is refreshing.
Me and my wife are big foodies. We are always looking for yummy restaurants to try. I love the cultural diversity that New York City has to offer, which shows in its finest expression through food. I would obviously take them to ANY pizza place in the city, since they are so good. I love Amy Ruth’s fried chicken, Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster in Harlem (they have the best corn bread!), Tacos no. 1 for authentic, Mexico City tacos, ATLA and Casa Enrique for Mexican cuisine, Arepera Guacuco for Venezuelan arepas, Patiala for delicious Indian food, Tonchin for the best ramen in the city, Excellent Dumpling House for Chinese, and the list goes on…
Besides food, other art forms inspire me as well, so you’d often find me inside a museum on the weekend. I recently discovered the Museum of the City of New York.
Finally, I would also take my friends to the classic spots, such as the Chelsea Highline.

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?
Gigantic Studios opened the door to me when I moved to New York City. They’ve always believed in my work and supported me. Tom Paul, my mentor, is someone who I admire deeply and who has given me many opportunities to showcase my craft.

My work is always team effort. I work alongside my colleagues at Gigantic Studios who are all amazing and talented people.

The university of SCAD has very good professors in their sound department. Two of the professors who influenced me and always believed in my work are Mitch Gettleman and David E. Stone, who not only are highly recognized in the industry, but incredible people as well.

For my beautiful wife and her love for me. She has supported me throughout ups and downs and late nights, always reminding me to have fun.

Also, my parents have always encouraged me to look forward and aim high.

Website: www.andresmarthegonzalez.com

Instagram: @andresmarthe

Linkedin: Andres E. Marthe MPSE

Other: IMBD: (Andrés E. Marthe González) https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9407168/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_q_andres%2520marthe%2520g