Sound conditions, people right from birth in your mummy's tummy. What do you hear first? You hear sound.
You don't see pictures, you hear sound.
You're influenced by what the mother is going around doing and what music she is listening to.
I mean, it's just a fundamental that that's where it starts off in life. I'm basically a storyteller using sound.
I work across a wide spectrum in the film industry, Location recording, sound editing, sound mixing and then making those sounds fit the particular idea that the director has, the director wants.
If the you get the correct sound, the audience will respond to it.
People often ask me, well do what's what's your favourite film that you've worked on? And I say, well, I've worked on about 140.
I love them for very different reasons, disparate reasons too, that like the one that I admire immediately is Breaker Morant Bruce Beresford on Breaker Morant Rolf de Heer changed the landscape with Ten Canoes and Charlie's Country.
It shows you that Australia is growing up, we're maturing and for me to add to that, to build on that, to give some relevance and open people's eyes and say this is the sound of the Australian landscape.
It is music. You will love it.
The sounds actually resonate with other cultures and other people around the world.
In Europe they said, oh, there's nothing like Australian sounds. They, they're so unusual.
When I was working in South America, they were fascinated by the sounds of Australia. Oh yeah, the Australia sounds so beautiful.
That's the joy that I get from the Australian landscape.
Let the natural environment come to you and permeate into your soul so that you will suddenly say, oh, I'm listening.
Mountains of Inspiration is available if you only listen.
James Currie’s filmography reads like a list of South Australia’s most successful films over the past 50 years. His work as a sound designer, recordist and mixer includes titles such as Breaker Morant, The Lighthorsemen, Bad Boy Bubby, The Tracker, Wolf Creek, Ten Canoes, Red Dog and, most recently, the AACTA award-winning documentary My Name is Gulpilil.
James has worked with many of South Australia’s leading directors over his career and has won multiple awards for his lifetime of work. He has been instrumental in establishing and growing the state’s film industry, particularly as an authority on sound design. His use of location sound, most notably in remote Indigenous communities, has helped create a uniquely Australian soundscape in film.
James is generous in sharing his expertise and knowledge with other practitioners, especially students, creating an enduring legacy of excellence in sound design now and into the future.
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