Working as an art handler in the British Museum’s Egyptian Department back in the 1990s, on his walk to work Benedict Caleo Green loved hearing the sound of his own whistling echoing through the sculpture gallery. The acoustics inspired him to make a big change.
“One day I decided to jump ship and dedicate my time and my life to the world of music, audio composition and sound.”
Today, Benedict is co-founder, sound designer and technical wizard at the Los Angeles-based ECCO VR. With a headset and motion tracking, virtual reality lets you see, hear and experience virtual space as if you were actually there. ECCO VR specializes in high-end audio for virtual reality gaming, documentaries and live action productions. Benedict is one of VR’s leading audio innovators and is widely known in the industry as a speaker and educator.
Many of ECCO VR’s projects raise consciousness about important causes around the world, such as the impact of environmental degradation on South American rainforests, clinics for women in Uganda, challenging racism and combatting binge drinking. “It’s important for me and my company co-founder partner Joel. We love any project that’s good for society, which is also technologically interesting and challenging” says Benedict.
He says one of the most important skills he learned at work was how to stay calm on the job. “My Mom is Italian, so my temperament is 50% Italian. I've always believed in freely sharing ideas with people, but it turns out on a film set, this isn't the most helpful thing. You've already got people on a film set with a much higher right to be tense than someone in the sound department!”
One of the newest and most valuable skills Benedict learned is effective sound recording on location. “That was the biggest knowledge bomb that was dropped on me”, he says. “I’m someone who is very familiar with miking up musicians in recording studios, but location recording, especially with wireless microphones, is completely different and a different kind of pressure.”
He learned that much of the new, cutting-edge technology is often not at all what it is supposed to be. Benedict says not “losing my sanity during a technological meltdown” is often a much bigger challenge than the edit process itself.
Covid-19 brought an entirely new set of pressures. In March of 2020, the company lost all its projects, over just five days. “For me it's caused a radical rethink” Benedict says. “I’m considering, do we have the model right? Is it time for a complete reinvention?”
But he does see opportunity, especially for young people wanting to enter the field, if they are willing to make some sacrifices at the beginning. “If you can afford to do work for free, to jump on a project as an intern, take that chance” Benedict says. And he points out there are resources, online. “Facebook in particular has a lot of active VR communities. The access to the people that started those groups is phenomenal. It's a good way to find out what’s out there.”
Benedict’s job is also his passion. “Sound is at least 50% of the VR experience. It completes the illusion. And it's an awesome part of the business to get involved with. The importance of sound and this field is alive and doing great.”
