Profile: Professor Korey Pereira

By Sofia Alvarado, journalism freshman

Professor Korey Pereira and I started our interview in an unusual way — bumping into each other on the way to our meeting spot. After crossing paths on Guadalupe, he led me to the classroom we planned to meet in, as I had no idea where it was. Here, I got to see Pereira’s eyes light up as he showed me the equipment in the production room. The massive speakers, the mixing board and the cinematic lighting used for screenings — his passion for his craft immediately beamed through.

As we sat by the mixing board to officially begin our conversation, I could tell this was someone fully in their element surrounded by these seemingly complicated and technical tools. However, working on his passion – audio engineering – was not what Pereira thought he would be doing when he first arrived to the Forty Acres.

“I started my time at UT as a viola major in the School of Music,” Pereira said. “I came to UT with this idea that I was going to start a record label.”

But Pereira said he felt a shift in his interests when he went on a tour of the University of Texas recording studio in his freshman interest group.

“I loved the idea and everything they talked about resonated with me because all through high school, I liked making films and was interested in capturing things,” Pereira said. “I saw this recording studio and heard they had recording classes. So, the next year I took recording classes and fell in love with the process of being a recording engineer.”

As he began recording for musicians around the school, Pereira searched for more opportunities to get involved in the world of film, and he eventually landed an internship with Burnt Orange Productions to work on a feature film.

“I got brought in to do dialogue editing, they kind of taught us how to do that,” Pereira said. “Tom Hammond is the supervisor for all of Richard Linklater’s films. He was the supervisor for the class. So I got to learn from him how to edit dialogue, and because of my recording background, I talked my way into also doing the foley recording (post-production sound effects) for the whole film.”

It was this connection with Hammond that led Pereira to one of his biggest projects, which he called a step into “the big leagues.” When asked about the comparison between working on larger projects such as “Boyhood” as opposed to smaller ones, Pereira described it as “an opportunity as an editor to delve in deeper and get to another level where you can listen to your work and know that’s absolutely the best that can be done.”

Pereira went on to discuss other connections that have helped him ascend to this level. He said each bridge built allowed for another opportunity.

“I was lucky enough to get connected with Tim Rakoczy, who supervises Robert Rodriguez’s films, and then I got into that circle,” Pereira said. “I started out as an assistant on “We Can Be Heroes.” By working with that crew, that plugged me into the L.A. scene, so my supervisor on one of Robert’s films put me up for “Stranger Things,” and from there worked on that.”

“Stranger Things” was more than just another job opportunity. He received a 2022 Primetime Emmy for outstanding sound editing for his work on the series and has another nomination pending. Pereira called the experience “surreal” and a “nice affirmation.”

“Getting a nomination was a huge honor, and then the awards were in this huge space, and everybody’s all dressed up,” Pereira said. “When you’re sitting here, you’re like, ‘Oh, this is so exciting,’ and then you have this self doubt. You think, ‘We’re not gonna win, it’s fine,’ but then, all of a sudden, you see your camera crew come over here. And you’re like, ‘Oh, no, we’re totally gonna win.’ It’s a whirlwind of ideas.”

Still, after winning one of television’s highest honors, Pereira said his main takeaway is the importance of building relationships.

“You find people you want to work with doing cool things, and then you just keep doing it,” Pereira said.

Relationships like these and the connections you can make prove to be another reason why Pereira thinks UT is such a great place for students to get involved.

“Going to UT and being in this environment affords you the opportunity to explore other options at a high level,” Pereira said. “For example, I did the Business Foundations program, and that was immensely helpful in my career. It gives you this fundamental understanding of how business works, and it’s taught by amazing professors who give you a jumpstart on your career.”

He said the program also helped him to craft a professional reputation that served him well.

“You’re creating a brand. If you’re a recording artist, you create an image that people are drawn towards, and I think the same thing happens in the film world,” Pereira said. “Even as a sound editor, you have an image.”

His passions don’t just stop at sound design. Pereira finds that teaching fulfills him as well.

“I got so much out of my experience at UT that I want to make sure I’m passing that on. So, for me, teaching was the way to do that,” Pereira said.

Pereira said students across any major interested in recording and production skills, not just radio-television-film, can benefit from his classes. One of his courses, Sound Design and Mixing, focuses more on understanding the technology behind mixing. Pereira said he likes to create opportunities for students to listen to other working professionals talk about their experiences.

“If you’re a journalism major or you’re a director, it’s equally important to understand the process. As a journalist, you’re going to be in situations where you need to record audio, whether you’re on-air talent or behind the scenes. Either way, you have to understand the technology,” Pereira said. “Some of the better stories are when you can feel immersed, and that’s all through sound.”

As Pereira looks forward professionally, much of his work remained on hold until recently amidst the now-ended actors’ strike. But in Austin, he said he’s excited about making UT the ultimate destination for learning sound.

“I would like to grow this program and make sure we have the best facilities and opportunities for students to gain the skills they need, but also the opportunities to go into the industry and be successful,” Pereira said.