Key Takeaways
- Jeremy Bowker’s journey from VFS Sound Design student to industry veteran spans nearly 20 years and over 100 film, TV, and game projects.
- Working on Zootopia 2, the highest-grossing animated film of all time, highlights the collaborative, experimental nature of high-level sound design in modern filmmaking.
- Bowker credits hands-on training, strong mentorship, and adaptability as essential foundations for a long-term career in sound design.
For nearly 20 years, Sound Designer & Editor and Vancouver Film School alum Jeremy Bowker has steadily built an incredible career across film, television, & games. In 2025, Zootopia 2 – where Bowker worked as a Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor – became his 100th sound department credit (at least according to IMDb), a huge milestone reflecting the indelible impact Jeremy’s made within the world of sound for decades.
Since his early days as a Sound Effects Recordist on Enchanted, Jeremy has built up his CV working on some of the industry’s biggest titles – from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Elio – and unforgettable franchises like Despicable Me, Lego Indiana Jones, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Minions. Perhaps most impressive is that he’s spent his entire career with Skywalker Sound – Lucasfilm's world-renowned audio post-production company.
This week, we were thrilled to chat with Sound Design for Visual Media alum Jeremy Bowker on everything from his impressive career, to his beginnings at VFS, and beyond.
ABOUT VFS’S ONE-YEAR SOUND DESIGN PROGRAM
VFS’s Sound Design program creates powerful artists who go on to design unforgettable sound for film, animation, TV, games, and beyond – including Lilo & Stitch, Game Awards-winner Battlefield 6, Hacks, and many more. Over 1 year of hands-on, production-focused training, students are immersed in industry, learning from master instructors and working alongside students from our Game Design, Film Production, and Animation programs, allowing them to experience the full scope of a production pipeline and create a powerful production portfolio.
A typical day in the life of a VFS Sound Design students involves recording, editing, mixing, and designing sound for a variety of film, animation, and game projects – including everything from background sound effects editing to dialogue & ADR, and Foley. Sound Design graduates leave VFS with short films they’ve completed audio for, game audio project files, and their final project – where students re-design sound for a popular video game trailer, giving it their own unique spin; past students have taken popular game trailers (with permission) from studios like Valve, Ubisoft, Blizzard, Bungie, EA, Riot, Bethesda, CD Projekt Red, Square Enix, and 2K Games and created something that sounds completely brand-new.
Sound Designer Jeremy Bowker has worked on major projects throughout his illustrious career, including Elio, Despicable Me 4, and Inside Out.OUR Q&A WITH INDUSTRY SOUND DESIGNER JEREMY BOWKER
Working on Zootopia 2 – one of 2025’s biggest films – must have been an absolute thrill! Can you share any behind-the-scenes details?
I was lucky enough to watch very early cuts of the film and, even in storyboard form, it was obvious that this was going to be a movie of epic proportions, that would keep the audience on the edge of their seats (when they weren't leaning back in their chairs laughing).
Behind the scenes was an incredibly collaborative experience. Jared Bush and Byron Howard were the perfect balance of providing a guiding light of intent with both jokes and storytelling, while also excitedly encouraging experimentation during the sound design and mixing process.
No two days were the same. One day we'd be recording Elephant Seals on the coast, the next we'd be cutting and designing sounds in a dark room and the next day we'd be collaborating with our brilliant mixers, David Fluhr & Gabe Guy.
What would you consider your first “big break”? How has your career grown from then to now?
Every step of the way has felt like a big break full of gratitude. Getting to study under the wonderful teachers at VFS, stepping onto the Ranch grounds for the first time, almost 20 years ago (& working with my heroes), getting to supervise and sound design on my favorite films are all experiences that feel surreal, new, & exciting.
Can you share your experience as a student at Vancouver Film School? Do you feel the Sound Design program adequately prepared you for your career?
My time at VFS was amazing. I have a deep love for Canada and an even deeper love for Vancouver itself. The teachers at VFS were full of helpful knowledge, enthusiasm and humor. They gave me the tools needed to jump in and do the job when an opportunity presented itself. (Luck favors the prepared... and they helped immensely with that preparation.)
Is there a particular project that stands out to you in your career?
The project that stands out is always the one I'm on. Part of the job is falling in love with the current film and giving it everything we've got. Usually what lingers are the friendships that are formed, either with people at Skywalker or from other facets of the industry. The film industry, on every level, is generally full of incredibly thoughtful and kind people who share a similar passion.
Your impressive career spans over 100 projects! How has sound design changed over the past 20 years? Have you found it easy to keep up?
Change is never easy, but it's exciting to see technology enables us to try ideas quickly. Every step of the design process has involved trying lots of ideas and hanging onto a select few. There are lots of advances that include processing power, track count etc., but the growth of tools to salvage recordings (denoising) & to throw sounds into samplers quickly is really exciting to see and hear.
What advice do you have for aspiring sound designers looking to start a career in 2026?
Things are ever changing. Chatting with people who are in the field will give you a great knowledge base and help set realistic expectations. Beyond that, becoming a nerd at whatever you're interested in and falling in love with the craft or art that you want to pursue will improve skills & make it a comfort zone to thrive in.
READY TO START YOUR INDUSTRY SOUND DESIGN TRAINING?
In one year, VFS gets you fully trained for sound design across film, TV, & games. With hands-on, industry-focused training, portfolio building aligned to studio expectations, and access to world-class facilities, VFS offers an unparalleled launchpad. Book an appointment with a VFS Advisor to learn about start dates and scholarships.