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Meet the Collective: Nick Long
When Edits Etc. launched, Nick Long was the first to reach out outside of my known network. His belief in the Collective showed me this idea could grow. Today his story highlights the spirit of collaboration that keeps this community alive.
James Barker
September 25, 2025
When Edits Etc. was launched, I had no idea what this thing was going to be. I had no money or investors, no clients, no office outside my bedroom. I had a number of friends and collaborators I’d worked with over the years, but even then, I didn’t know where this would go.
A few weeks after the website was published, I got an email from some guy asking to chat more about the Collective, looking to see if we were hiring. I read this while laying in bed in my underwear saying out loud, “this guy has no idea that this isn’t a real company.”
But it was. And this guy, Nick Long, an incredibly talented sound designer and mixer, really gave me the first ray of hope that this could grow outside my own network.
Here was this person I had never met, who came across our website, and liked our mission of the Collective. We scheduled a call, we chatted, and we brought him on board.
Now, one of the tenants of this Collective that I tell everyone who joins is this:
I can never promise you any work, but you can also say no to any job I offer.
It keeps that freedom of the freelance lifestyle alive.
Through the nature of projects, it took awhile for Nick and I to work together.
Then finally a project arose. It wasn’t a huge one, but hey work is work.
We got the footage from the client, put together our first cuts, sent them off, and waited for notes.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Long story short, the company was having a lot of internal changes, and our project was gently put on the sideline. I’ve been here before. Sh*t happens.
So, yes, we’re working together on this project, but as it is still ongoing, hopefully I can say we worked together soon and wrap this thing together.
Enough from me. Here’s Nick in his own words.
Nick Long, Sound Designer and Mixer
Q: What’s a recent project you’ve worked on that felt exciting or creatively fulfilling?
A: I recently mixed the sound for a Makers Mark docu-style 60 second spot. It told a story of a collaborator staying at the distillery and learning the process of whiskey making. Finding the beats of the story and enhancing them, playing the natural elements of the documentary off of the tight arc of the advertisement, keeping them in the same universe and delivering an engaging bold mix was a really fun challenge.
Me + Lee (Sound Designer)
Q: Do you have a go-to creative tool, software, or workflow hack you swear by?
A: When I'm working on a diegetic sound that has a lot of layers to it, I'll probably end up using this tool Envy from Cargo Cult, a plugin that is not mentioned enough. It will learn the volume, frequencies, and pitch of a given noise and apply those elements at your discretion to another sound. This is hugely helpful when designing sound to a very specific movement on screen and you've nailed one element but you need another layer to now match that timing.
Q: What’s a piece of media (film, show, music, book) that’s inspired you lately?
A: Robert Eggers Nosferatu. The first 40 minutes in particular, some of the most exciting sound design I've ever heard.
Touching the Sky VR (Sound Effects Editor)
Q: How did you get into this line of work? What drew you to post-production (or your specialty)?
A: I've wanted to be a film maker since I was 12, I had the little JVC mini-dv camcorder running around with my friends making our version of Reservoir Dogs. I spent all my time editing these little films. This was 25 years ago so finding film resources online like muzzle flashes to chroma key onto a laser tag gun was half the battle. But I loved it. Otherwise I'd always be manipulating sound, honestly the hip-hop samples I'd hear on Wu Tang albums analyzing the quality of a snare slowed down snare, going in and just messing with sound waves was the beginning of that. So I've always been an editor/wanna be filmmaker.
I need to give credit to a sound design class I took at Ramapo College while getting my music degree as well, my professor gave me a lot of wisdom there, and basically told me I had the skill set to actually do this professionally - and that solidified it.
KIFF (Dialog Editor)
Q: When you’re not working, where can we find you?
A: I've been in dad mode for two and a half years now and I love it. You'll find me with my daughter being very silly.
Q: What’s a fun fact about you?
A: I believe deeply that pogs are going to make a comeback, and I've got my slammers ready.
The War of the Rohirrim (ADR Engineer [uncredited])
Q: Is there a link you want us to plug? Portfolio, Instagram, etc.?
Nick Long (he/him) | Sound Designer and Mixer |📍New Jersey
🎬 Edits Etc. is a post-production collective built by artists, for artists. We bring stories to life with a full-service approach to editing, sound, color, and motion—always rooted in collaboration, integrity, and craft.
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