Mirko Ilic is a sound designer and music composer from Bolzano, currently living in Berlin. As a sound designer, Mirko largely creates sound for TV movies, TV series, and cinema films. As a composer, his strength lies in digital music production, where he enjoys working with both electronic and acoustic sounds and instruments. His passion lies in creative projects where he can combine music and sound design.
How did you get into your profession as a film composer and sound designer?
I studied electronic music at the Bolzano Conservatory and, during my studies, won the opportunity to compose the trailer music for the 2017 Bolzano Film Festival. That was how I first came into touch with the Filmclub, IDM, and the South Tyrolean film landscape. During my studies, I also took part in a sound design workshop organized by IDM and discovered my interest for this world. When I subsequently learned about the IDM Mentoring Programme for young filmmakers, I applied for sound design and was able to get to know the audio post-production workflow within that framework. Consequently, I moved to Berlin and worked there full-time as a sound designer at a post-production company. In the meantime, however, I have become self-employed to establish myself as a composer alongside my work as a sound designer.
What were the challenges in your professional development?
It should be clear that a lot of time, experience, and hard work are necessary to reach the required professional level. But what is just as important as professional competence are personal contacts. As a beginner, it is not easy to convince potential clients to entrust you with a project. They often already have a solid network, and the incentive to leave the work to someone unknown is low. Everyone has to find out for themselves how to break into the industry based on their own situation. In my case, thanks to the IDM mentoring, I was lucky enough to learn from a highly respected sound designer who then also recommended me to others.
Tell us what the most significant experience was in this field.
It is not easy to choose something specific here. I definitely found it „impressive“ when I attended a mixing session for the first time. Seeing how a re-recording mixer works at the large console and hearing on high-quality speakers what happens with the original sound, sound design, and music, and what creative and technical decisions are made, was very educational and inspiring.
The Local Talents are South Tyrolean filmmakers and professionals selected by the IDM Film & Music Commission who have been active in the local film industry. In short interviews, they talk about what they love about their profession and film.