Role Overview
We are seeking a highly experienced Freelance Recording Engineer / Dialogue Editor to support AAA video game and linear content production on an as-needed basis. This is an in-person production role embedded within our Santa Monica facility.
The engineer will record, edit, mix, and deliver high-quality audio across multiple active projects, including AAA video games, animated series, advertising campaigns, and marketing content. This role requires technical excellence, calm professionalism with talent and clients in the room, and the ability to manage large volumes of assets across concurrent productions.
This position operates within a fast-paced, high-expectation creative environment where precision, organization, and delivery discipline are critical.
Key Responsibilities
Dialogue Recording & Editorial
- Record voice talent to broadcast and AAA game standards
- Engineer client-attended sessions with producers, directors, and executives present
- Perform detailed dialogue editing, cleanup, conforming, and file prep to technical specifications
- Ensure tonal consistency across large narrative projects
Mixing & Finishing
- Mix linear television, advertising, and marketing content
- Prepare stems and final deliverables to spec for broadcast, streaming, and digital distribution
- Maintain technical QC standards and meet technical delivery standards
Game Production Support
- Edit and prepare dialogue assets for interactive implementation
- Manage large asset counts with strict naming conventions and version control
- Collaborate with sound design, implementation, and production teams
- Deliver clean, organized, implementation-ready files
Motion Capture/Sound Stage Recording
- Record dialogue and production audio on motion capture stages
- Manage multi-channel wireless microphone workflows
- Manage RF signal chains in challenging environments
- Manage gain stages to the highest standards
- Provide live mixes to relevant stakeholders as needed
- Coordinate with stage technicians, capture supervisors, and production teams
- Ensure sync integrity at all times
Operational Discipline
- Manage multiple projects simultaneously with shifting priorities
- Maintain impeccable session organization and documentation
- Hit delivery deadlines without compromising technical quality
- Troubleshoot technical issues independently and efficiently
Required Experience & Qualifications
- Minimum 5 years of professional experience as an audio engineer
- Extensive experience recording with clients and talent in the room
- Proven expertise editing dialogue at a high narrative and technical level
- Strong mixing experience for linear television and advertising
- Deep familiarity with broadcast and streaming delivery specifications
- Experience recording on motion capture stages
- Proficiency with industry-standard wireless microphone systems
- Advanced Pro Tools proficiency and session management discipline
- Demonstrated ability to manage large asset libraries and complex session workflows
- Strong communication skills and calm, client-facing professionalism
Technical Competencies
- Dialogue cleanup, restoration, and precision editing
- Loudness standards compliance (broadcast and streaming)
- Stem printing and versioning workflows
- Multi-mic wireless coordination and RF management
- Sync workflows for performance capture environments
- Asset naming, metadata tagging, and delivery packaging
Personal Attributes
- Meticulous and detail-oriented
- Composed under pressure
- Efficient without sacrificing craft
- Organized across multiple concurrent productions
- Collaborative and production-minded
Work Environment
- On-site only in Santa Monica, CA
- Embedded within a AAA production pipeline
- Client-attended sessions are frequent
- High confidentiality environment
Skills Required
- Minimum 5 years professional experience as an audio engineer
- Extensive experience recording with clients and talent in the room
- Proven expertise editing dialogue at high narrative and technical level
- Strong mixing experience for linear television and advertising
- Deep familiarity with broadcast and streaming delivery specifications and loudness standards
- Experience recording on motion capture stages and managing sync workflows
- Proficiency with industry-standard wireless microphone systems and multi-mic coordination
- Advanced Pro Tools proficiency and disciplined session management
- Demonstrated ability to manage large asset libraries, naming conventions, and version control
- Strong communication skills and calm, client-facing professionalism
- Ability to troubleshoot technical issues independently and maintain QC standards
What We Do
Absurd Ventures is an entertainment company creating new IP across all mediums including video games, live-action and animated TV, film, fiction podcasts, books, comic books and more. Absurd Ventures’ original properties include the sci-fi thriller universe “A Better Paradise”, the crime fiction universe “American Caper,” and the comedy satire universe “Absurdaverse”. The company has already launched a chart-topping audio fiction series set in the “A Better Paradise” universe and will be debuting an American Caper comics series and Absurdaverse animation projects in 2025. Founded by Dan Houser, Absurd Ventures is headquartered in Santa Monica, with additional studio offices in Marin, CA. Storytelling. Philanthropy. Ultraviolence.
