We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michelle Pugh. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michelle below.

Michelle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you have a hero? What have you learned from them?

My hero is my late grandfather, who passed away a little over a year ago. He was truly awe-inspiring and a self-starter, fleeing the UK after the war and setting up a better life for him and his family in New Zealand, where my dad was born and raised. My grandpa never let circumstances or age dictate what he did— he spent his later years as an author and a songwriter, composing even as arthritis made it difficult to play the piano, and writing multiple novels, short stories, an autobiography, and a photography collection. He inspires me every day to do what I love and serves as a constant reminder that it’s never too late to learn something new.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hello!
I’m Michelle, and I work primarily as a sound designer and sound editor (although I also work on sets as a production sound mixer and boom operator when needed).
I grew up as a classical musician, playing trumpet and composing my own music. When I thought about what I wanted to do in life, I thought I’d really like to pursue music, but couldn’t think of a way to do so and also earn a substantial living. As a possible career option, I began to look into film scoring. My idea that film scoring could turn a quick buck was certainly misguided but it was my first foray into the world of cinema. From there I took an intense liking to the art form and the rest was history.
I attended USC film school from 2020-2024 with the intention of becoming a writer/director, but quickly found that my talent and passion were elsewhere, that I much preferred using my musical background and sensitive ear to help bring my peers’ stories to life with sound design.
I view sound design as a necessity for a good film. Of course I would like to be revered by audiences, but the goal of sound is to truly immerse a viewer into the world of the story and as such, sometimes the best sound is that which goes unnoticed. So, sound is often overlooked by the general public. However, I love working in sound, especially as it is one of the final steps in the filmmaking process, and my proudest moments have been watching directors fall in love again with their projects as they begin to see the final product take form.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Word of mouth has been the best source of new clients. Yes, I’m on job sites, have a website displaying my work, and regularly am networking and sending cold emails, but the majority of my clientele has come from filmmakers looking for sound designers, asking their peers, who refer them to me. Although my work speaks for itself, what I have found to be the most important for growth has been my amicability and ability to work well with others on a social level. Someone can be the greatest sound designer in the world and not get work because they’re unpleasant to be around!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal or mission changes depending on the project that I’m working on, but ultimately my mission is to make something that not only the director is happy with, but work that I would be proud to show to the world. Sometimes this is difficult given budgetary or temporal restraints, but I strive to do my best work with every new project, to immerse viewers in the world and genre, and more often than not I have been successful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.michellepugh.com
• Instagram: michelle.pewpew
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-pugh-748336178/

Image Credits

Alex Lam
Trevor Hooper