Berkeley Sound Artists

James LeBrecht - President/Lead-Designer

James LeBrecht is an award-winning sound designer for film, games and exhibitions.

He initially migrated from New York to the West Coast in 1974, to attend the University of California, San Diego, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Drama.

In the fall of 1978 LeBrecht began a 10-year stint as the Resident Sound Designer for the renowned Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where he garnered numerous awards. In addition, James designed sound for productions at the American Conservatory Theater, the New York Shakespeare Festival and the Old Globe Theatre, San Diego. He co-authored the book Sound and Music for the Theatre: The Art and Technique of Design with Deena Kaye, which is about to go into its 3rd printing. Sound and Music for the Theatre is considered the definitive text on the aesthetics and process of creating music and sound for live theater.

A deep love of film led James to an audio internship at The Saul Zaentz Film Center in 1989. There, he quickly rose within the ranks to become a sound editor, designer and eventually supervisor. He honed his postproduction skills on projects such as Twin Peaks-Fire Walk With Me, Race the Sun and Dragon - The Bruce Lee Story. He also found employment at Skywalker Sound where he spent time editing on films such as The Game, Iron Giant and Pitch Black.

In 1996, James founded Berkeley Sound Artists, Inc a complete audio postproduction facility, located in the Zaentz Media Center. Since then, LeBrecht and his team have focused their energies on sound for film, games and exhibitions. Berkeley Sound's extensive feature and documentary film portfolio includes Academy Award™ winner The Blood of Yingzhou District, Daughter from Danang, The Rape of Europa, The Devil and Daniel Johnston and The Skulls. Game credits include work for Electronic Arts, Sony Computer Entertainment of America and Midway Studios-Austin. BSA's involvement in live events has taken them to the Webby Awards, numerous E3 Conventions in Los Angeles, the California State Capitol Museum, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas.

LeBrecht is a frequent lecturer on the subject of audio for film.

Patti Tauscher - Sound Supervisor

With an extensive background as a visual artist and independent filmmaker, Patti Tauscher is a sound supervisor and picture, dialogue and Foley editor.

Patti's film credits include The Singing Detective, Ghost World, The Deep End and Daughter from Danang. She was the principal editor for a number of Electronic Art's games, including SimCity™ Rush Hour and Bond 007™ : Everything or Nothing.

Tauscher also served as producer and picture editor for the Maxwell Productions release Bloodlines.

Casey Jones Bastiaans - Business Manager

Casey Jones Bastiaans' 30-year industry career includes over 10 years of employment with Bill Graham Presents, where she served as a Publicist, Artist Liaison, Production Assistant and Senior Accountant. Her initial introduction to the Zaentz Media Center was a 6-year stint as Traffic Manager for Fantasy Recording Studios.

Casey has been with Berkeley Sound Artists since 1997. She continues to work independently as a Production Assistant and as an award-winning Equity actress and vocalist.

Daniel Olmsted - Mixer

Dan Olmsted has worked for many years as a sound mixer for feature films, documentaries, short subjects and experimental works. His credits include films by John Waters, Joan Chen and David Weissman, at the Saul Zaentz Film Center.

Olmsted studied Film Production at San Francisco State. In 1987, he joined the staff of the esteemed Saul Zaentz Film Center; a facility centered on sound editing and mixing for feature films, including such projects as The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Gus Van Santšs Elephant. Olmsted duties included work as a staff mix recordist, projectionist, sound editor and re-recording mixer.

He has collaborated on many projects with James LeBrecht and Berkeley Sound Artists, including Daughter From Danang, The Devil and Daniel Johnston and Rape of Europa.

Dan currently teaches Film Production and Sound for Film at City College of San Francisco. He leads workshops at Film Arts Foundation, BAVC, KPFA radio, and SF State University. Olmsted also serves as a mentor to students enrolled in Stanford Universityšs Documentary Film Program.

The versatile Mr. O. spends his free time performing music with local acts such as Dandeline, Loretta Lynch and Mushroom.

Alex Wilmer - Director of Video Game Audio

Alex Wilmer joined the BSA team in 2006, as the head of our Gaming/Multimedia Division.

Alex formerly served as the Director of Corporate Video for The Studio, Ireland. In addition, he was a Multimedia instructor at the University of Dublin and a corporate web design and implementation consultant.

Wilmer is a devotee of the interactive arts, with an extensive background in sound design and recording. His innate musical sensibilities earned him a scholarship from the Dublin Institute of Technology's College of Music, where he started the band "The Style". He completed his education with a B.Sc. in Computer Science and a M.Sc. in Multimedia at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland.

While working at Berkeley Sound Artists, Wilmer has been credited on many films as sound designer, mixer and sound effects editor. He also began composing music for clients such as Skype and Storia inc.

As the head of the game devision, Wilmer has managed sound design and music composition work from such developers as Midway Austin and Paleo Entertainment.

In late 2007, Wilmer helped reform the San Francisco IGDA by helping an organizing committee. Events began again in early 2008 and are currently taking place on a quarterly basis.