Meet Josh Wallace | Audio Post Editor, Musician, & Voice Over Artist

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

Hi Josh, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
Something that I feel like most people are unaware of and something that I was definitely unaware of when I entered the industry is how isolating it can be most of the time. As an extrovert, my idea fun doesn’t necessarily entail, locking myself inside of a room for 8+ hours away from people and being self motivated to do everything by myself. Usually I have moments in my creative flow where that’s what I wanna do, but it’s not necessarily my idea of fun. It can get really lonely and it can really, take its toll on you if you’re not careful. As a musician, I am used to working in a group setting either as an in and ensemble or collaborating on writing projects with other people. The life of an editor, music producer, and voice artist can be very isolating at times, and I have to figure out ways to feed that side of myself so that I don’t completely starve myself out.

With that being said, it’s not a horrible unfulfilling career that I’m leading. It’s just an aspect of the job that I’ve come to accept and I’ve actually come to be able to work with in a very healthy manner. I have a lot of different steps that I try and to to make sure that my extroverted self is taken care of like seeing friends, going to therapy, exercising, and making sure I spend some time in the sun to name a few.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started my career in a sort of unconventional way. Throughout my educational pursuits, I studied music, and eventually wanted to end up being a touring musician and music producer full-time. Trying to get into the music industry was a little hard at first, so I started teaching at a private in high school in South Orange County. I was glad to be working in music in some capacity, and teaching the next generation of creatives was such an honor and a privilege, but there was just something missing. During the COVID-19 Pandemic I was locked down teaching from home and I really started to reflect on whether or not I wanted to still pursue my pursuits as a musician and as a music producer. Eventually I felt the urge to enter into the entertainment industry in any capacity at all. I felt like my life would feel more fulfilled if I was contributing creatively to entertainment projects, fully incorporating the talents and skills that I had gained throughout my education, than I would if I had kept teaching.

I received an invitation from somebody in an alumni Facebook group about a potential job opportunity at an audio post production facility in Burbank called Smart Post Sound. I took a tour of the facility and it was there that I was properly introduced into the world of audio post production for TV and film. I was completely in awe right from the get go. I felt like this could be something that I would love to do as a potential career path. The position opening up was a runner position, and that would include getting half of my paycheck from what I was getting teaching, and having to move up to Los Angeles. It took a huge leap of faith in order to make all this happen, but eventually I did. after getting the runner position, I commuted from Huntington Beach up to Burbank every day for about a month or so before I finally found an apartment that was closer to my job. I was a runner at Smart sound for almost 2 years, and was finally promoted up to a full-time sound editor in the fall of 2022.

After moving to Los Angeles permanently, I felt another call to incorporate the other bases of talents that I’ve gained throughout my educational career, that being music production and also voiceover work. I have a strong on my group with the Berklee College of Music that has given me many opportunities to work in a professional setting as musician as a music producer. After doing voiceovers on freelance websites like Fiverr for a long time, I found a great mentor who helped teach me the ways to become more established as a Voice Over artist. Starting my voiceover career in a more professional manner has been both exhilarating and so much more fulfilling than I ever could’ve imagined.

But my bedside there is a poem by the poet Guillaume Apollinaire that translates loosely to

“Come to the edge he said. We cannot, we are scared
Comome to the edge he said. We cannot, we are going to fall.
Come to the edge he said. And so they came and he pushed them, and they flew.”

Having lived this experience of being called to go somewhere and being scared, not knowing what’s gonna be on the other side and then being pushed by mentors to then fly makes this poem mean even more to me. When you feel called to do something, go ahead and do it. You’ll never know where your wings will take you.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a dangerous question because my wife and I are huge foodies. We absolutely love trying new foods and experiencing all of the tastes and the cultures that this beautiful city of Los Angeles has to offer.

One of my favorite places is actually in Glendale called Zhengyalov Hatz. Is this unique Armenian flatbread that is filled with about a dozen different herbs and spices. It’s 100% vegan and it’s honestly just flatbread and greens. Not too much else added, but it taste absolutely amazing, it makes me feel amazing, and it is such a fun food that I’ve incorporated into my monthly weekly regime.

Another place I love to go to, but don’t go to enough is called Bacari. This is sort of a small plates / “tapas” kind of style of restaurant, with a really heavy Mediterranean influence. I don’t go there often, but if I’m celebrating something special, you’ll definitely find me there. The selection ranges from traditional Mediterranean to that special LA fusion that is so iconic to the city. I go to the one in Silverlake, it has an amazing outdoor space for eating, and the waiters are always really nice.

For sightseeing, I always take friends up to Griffith Observatory. I think it is one of the most beautiful places in the city. You have a view of the whole city, and a perfect view of the Hollywood sign, and even on a clear day you can see the ocean. My favorite time to go there is during sunset because I feel like it’s the best way to capture the best vibe and views that Southern California is known for. The observatory itself is iconic and it’s a beautiful architectural edifice dedicated as a shrine to the sciences.

My favorite surf spot has been Will Rogers Beach. The parking is honestly not that expensive, and the brake is a perfect size for anybody to have fun on. Not too big, not too small, it’s just a fun beach with some solid waves.

Not too far away is another free thing that I love to go to called the Getty Villa. After living in Europe for about four years in total, I always get nostalgic for old art and architecture, and even a Mediterranean vibe. This villa has all of that and more, and it’s completely free with a reservation.

Another place that I love to go to downtown that is also free with a reservation is The Broad museum. It’s a modern and contemporary art museum in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, and it features amazing, amazing art pieces from some of the greats. My favorite pieces have to be from Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Living in Atwater villages is great because there’s a lot of really good places just on Glendale Boulevard that I highly recommend to people. One that I feel doesn’t get the respect it deserves is Baracoa Cuban Cafe. Their oxtail is chef’s kiss perfect.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
They say it takes a village to raise a kid and my village consists of so many people across so many years covering at least half of the globe. I try and narrow it down to three areas: Audio Post, Music Production, and Voice Overs.

For audio post I’d have to give a huge shout out to Rob Weber. One of the best sound supervisors that she has ever seen, Rob has been in the industry as a strong asset to decades of audio post work for TV and films throughout his expensive and impressive career. He’s really taking me under his wing and showed me the ropes of what it takes to become not only a good sound editor but also sound supervisor and for him I am completely indebted for the time in the effort that he takes to lift me still to this day.

For Music production, the person that comes to mind the most is Pablo Schuller. At Berklee College of Music’s Valencia Campus, Pablo was my professor in an advanced pro tools and music production course that I was able to take during my masters program. We were able to really deep dive into the ends and outs of advanced ProTools tips, especially for music production, and I still reference the notes that I took in his classes, the most when it comes to, mixing and editing or just basic workflow within the software. He is an amazing engineer and mixer and is doing incredible things both in the music world and in TV and film.

And finally for Voice Over work, the biggest shout out goes to Liz Hales. Liz is one of the industries top voice over talents by far. Her extensive career has landed her placements and her credits include almost every major company and outlet that you can think of. She has taken me under her wing and has really helped show me the ropes of what it takes to be a professional voiceover artist, not only in Los Angeles, but worldwide. I’ll forever be in that to her and the time that she has taken to help me out and show me the ropes.

Website: https://linktr.ee/joshvoilace

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

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5icds7Uxn24SNV0zmO5YbQ

Other: IMDb
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13090028/

Image Credits
Dannah King | Choi Rhianna Styling