AJ Shapiro is an Emmy Award-winning Foley Engineer at Technicolor Sound in the Greater Los Angeles Area. He is also a proud graduate of The Omega Studios’ School of Applied Recording Arts & Sciences (https://omegastudios.com/).
After graduating from Omega, AJ was selected for the prestigious National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation Technology Apprenticeship Program, where he worked at WTTG Fox 5 DC (https://www.fox5dc.com/) as a Broadcast Operations Engineer.
Career Highlights and Achievements
• 2019: Began working at Technicolor Sound in LA as a Foley Engineer.
• 2020: Won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special.
We are incredibly proud of AJ and his accomplishments. His career in post-production sound engineering continues to flourish!
Interview with AJ Shapiro
Q: What did you do before Omega / When did you become interested in music?
A: I was a physical therapy technician for three years before deciding that wasn’t the field I wanted to be in. I’ve played guitar since I was a kid and always experimented with a two-track recorder. My love of music inspired me to go back to school for recording engineering.
Q: How did you become introduced to Omega?
A: Through researching recording arts programs in the area, I discovered Omega Studios.
Q: What did you study at Omega?
A: I took every course Omega had to offer — the full Comprehensive Recording Industry Program.
Q: What did you do immediately after graduating from Omega?
A: I was one of the lucky few to be accepted into the NAB apprenticeship, which led to an internship at WTTG Fox 5 DC. After two months, I was hired as an A2. While working there, I served as:
– A robotic camera operator
– A floor director
– A board operator for the morning news and Good Day DC
I worked at Fox for three years before deciding to move to Los Angeles.
Q: What do you do now?
A: I am now an Emmy-winning Foley Editor at Technicolor Sound.
Reflections on Omega Studios
“My experience at Omega was crucial to my success. Not just because of the skills I learned in the classes, but because of the connections I made and the doors that opened because of it.”
It was the Audio for Film and Television course at Omega that shifted AJ’s focus from music production to post-production audio. He discovered a passion for working in film sound, thanks in part to the quality of education and mentorship he received.
“I thought all of my instructors were incredibly knowledgeable.”