Ryan Collins ’07 was once a small kid with big dreams in the vast city of Philadelphia, Pa. Now, you can find Collins in and out of Hollywood’s leading film studios.

The story of his journey to flashing lights and fame all began at LVC.

Having entered LVC with the idea of becoming a recording artist, Collins was thrown for a loop when he took Professor Jeff Snyder’s Electronic Music class and fell in love with post-production.

“The post-production language fascinated me,” reflected Collins. “I realized that when given a silent moving picture, the possibilities of creating an engaging experience with sound were endless.”

From that moment forward, Collins knew post-production and sound design was the perfect field for him.

After graduating with his degree in audio and music production, Collins moved back to Philadelphia where he sought to expand his portfolio. From student films, small company projects, commercials, and low-budget independent films, Collins never let an opportunity pass by.

After a year, Collins knew that his dream of working on Hollywood films grew too big for the city, so he packed up his belongings and took a plane to Los Angeles, Calif.

Upon arriving in LA, Collins was fortunate to land an internship at Danetracks, a studio owned by the famous sound designer Dane Davis who worked on films such as The Matrix, Swordfish, and Boogie Nights.

After completing his internship, Collins found a home at Wildfire Studios, a boutique sound editorial and mixing facility. At Wildfire, Collins gained new clientele and obtained valuable experience in the post-production process.

As a sound designer and re-recording mixer, Collins’ primary roles surround collecting and creating sounds and blending them with a film to create the final soundtrack.

“One film I am immensely proud of is 12 Years A Slave,” said Collins. “I was the supervising sound editor, sound designer, and re-recording mixer. The film earned three Academy Awards, including Best Picture.”

Collins also can proudly boast that he has worked at almost every leading film studio.

Although COVID-19 has made the filmmaking process harder, Collins keeps his dreams big and creativity open. He hopes to instill the same passion for success in current students and was recently the keynote speaker at the College’s student-run 2020 VALE Media Industry Conference.

“Going through the wearying experience of making a name for myself in a competitive field was an essential part of my transition into adulthood,” said Collins. “Where many have failed, I live to talk about it. I like showing students that success is possible if you follow your passion.”

— Parker Gallagher, Marketing & Communications Student Assistant