11 BLACK Filmmakers Who Work In Sound
Finding the right Black filmmaker specializing in sound design can be a transformative step in elevating the auditory experience of a film. Cities with thriving entertainment industries like New York City, Los Angeles, and Atlanta are home to some of the most talented Black sound designers who bring a unique perspective, expertise, and cultural awareness to their craft. Whether you’re enhancing dialogue, creating immersive soundscapes, or refining the overall sonic identity of a project, this list highlights exceptional Black filmmakers in sound design who can help bring your vision to life.
Curated by Antoinette Wade, Saaniya Murray & Reggie Williams.
Dominique
Luis
Composer
New York, New York
Dominique is a Harlem based film composer, sound designer and music producer. In 2020, he founded DreamWolf Projects a creative initiative dedicated to music and sound design. His work is deeply influenced by themes of faith, courage and discipline.
Amanda Jones
Emmy Award Winning Composer
Los Angeles, California
Amanda Jones is an Emmy Award Winning Composer who is rapidly becoming a standout voice amongst a new generation of film and television composers.
Jones’ recent films include Moving On, directed by Oscar winning director Paul Weitz starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, Netflix’s The Perfect Find directed by Numa Perrier, the upcoming #1 On the Call Sheet starring Halle Berry, Angela Bassett, Tessa Thompson and more for Apple TV +, Parmount’s animated feature Jodie starring Tracee Ellis Ross and Mea Culpa starring Kelly Rowland for Netflix.
Ray Archie
Sound Designer & Head Engineer at Brooklyn Sound Lab
New York City & Los Angeles
Ray Archie is a versatile sound designer, musician, and technologist, serving as the Executive Director of Notes to the Soul and head engineer at Brooklyn Sound Lab. Proficient in cello, bass, and piano, he has performed internationally with renowned figures such as Leonard Bernstein and Michael Tilson-Thomas, and has over 30 years of experience in the music industry.
Ciara Bess
Post Production Audio
New York, New York
Ciara Bess is a senior at New York University, specializing in post-production audio for live-action and animation. She aims to develop my sound editing, mixing, and engineering skills further, and I am constantly building learning experiences in my Film and Television major at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
Ron Pelham
Audio Post, Audio Supervison, Sound Design
Los Angeles
Ron P. is a Los Angeles-based audio professional with over 20 years of experience in corporate audio, having collaborated with major institutions such as Baptist Health South Florida, Native Instruments, and Fender. A Berklee College of Music graduate, he specializes in sound design, re-recording mixing, and audio supervision, ensuring unique sonic branding for each project through custom-recorded sound effects and immersive sound design.
Crystal Judkins
Sound Designer
Bladensburg, Maryland
Crystal Judkins, also known as Xperience J, is an award-winning sound designer, storyteller, and creative visionary from Alexandria, Virginia. She co-founded Black Audio Dramas Exist, promoting audio dramas by Black creatives, and established Shhh! Jus' Listen Media, producing innovative audio experiences. Her notable works include the audio dramas "Past Due" and "Kiss: The Audio Series."
Colin Andrew Grant
Music Editor, Sound Designer, Composer
Burbank, California
Colin is a versatile music editor, sound designer, and composer based in Burbank, California. Currently, he works as a Music Designer for video games, while also engaging in sound design and music composition for various media.
Leslie Gaston-Bird
Supervising Sound Editor & Re-Recording Mixer
United Kingdom
Leslie is a distinguished sound editor and re-recording mixer. She also is a senior lecturer at City University of London, contributing to the BS in Music, Sound, and Technology program. She is the president of the Audio Engineering Society.
Navid
Lancaster
Musician, Composer, Sound Designer
Trinidad and Tobago
Navíd is a musician, composer, and sound designer based in Trinidad and Tobago. As the owner of LANCAST Ltd., he specializes in creating music for award-winning films, video games, mobile applications, and animations.
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Kayo
Williams
Film Composer, Songwriter, Music Producer
Chicago, Illinois
Kayo Williams, is a Film Composer, songwriter, and music producer at Kayquarii Productions. His passion for music can only be described as a never-ending journey of discovery. Williams served and advocated for several creative arts industry organizations, like Chicago Ideas Week, Grammy Producers & Engineers Wing and the Gene Siskel Film Center BHFF Film Festival.