With a musical background, a passion for experimentation and a love for detail-rich audio, Luke Isom’s arrival at Creative Outpost marks an exciting addition to the sound team. His journey into the world of sound design began at an early age shaped by both curiosity and family legacy and has since evolved into a dynamic career working across major campaigns, award-winning projects and everything in between.
Luke’s story starts with music. “I must have been four when I started learning instruments,” he recalls. “It began with the recorder like most kids, then I moved on to classical guitar, trumpet, eventually tuba and picked up drums and piano along the way.” That innate love of audio set the tone but it wasn’t until he was a teenager that the idea of sound as a career fully clicked into place.
A conversation with his dad revealed a family connection: “He worked as a Sound Engineer in Soho in the 70s through to the early 90s—on shows like Danger Mouse, The Pink Panther and even Ridley Scott’s Hovis advert. That completely opened my eyes to what was possible in sound beyond music.”
From there Luke immersed himself in recording, audio technology and sound manipulation. He studied Music Production for Media at university but a final-year opportunity led him straight into the world of audio post-production in Soho. “I started as a runner and worked my way up—learning from everyone around me, experimenting in my own time and finding ways to blend my music background with sound design. I haven’t looked back since.”
While many projects have helped shape Luke’s career one defining moment stands out. “I was in the cinema and saw one of my first fully sound-designed pieces up on the big screen—a commercial for the Always Olympics ad campaign. It was the first time I had full creative control from VO tests to final mix and it made me realise I’d hit a real milestone in my career.”
Luke credits growing confidence, curiosity and technology for his evolving approach. “I used to focus purely on realism—making sure things sounded believable. But now I lean into experimentation. What weird mic placement can I try? What new plugin can I turn into something wild? Having creative tools at your fingertips lets you be more adventurous.”
His current obsession? Granular synthesis. “It’s nothing new but I love how you can take tiny fragments of audio and create completely new textures. When used subtly it adds such standout moments to a mix.”
Ask Luke to describe his sound philosophy and he doesn’t hesitate: “I’m often a bit ‘extra’. I’ll throw in layers and layers of detail. Sure I’ll pull it back if that’s what the client wants but honestly the pieces I love most are the ones where I can go all in.”
Tone is everything too. “I always ask myself—what’s the emotional arc? Is it playful? Is it dark? From there I build the sound to emphasise the right beats with maximum effect.”
This attention to emotional storytelling came into play in some of Luke’s most memorable work. The Always campaign for instance used a moment of total silence mid-spot which he likes to call ‘audible negative space’ to disrupt and capture attention. “In the cinema everyone froze at that exact second. That’s when I knew it had worked.”
Another standout for Luke was Swatch’s ‘What If?’ campaign. “Working with director Dan French was a joy. He gave me space to really pack in the sonic details and that project ended up winning awards so it holds a special place for me.”
While his most challenging recent project remains under wraps a rewarding highlight came through his work on ‘Break the Cycle’ a charity film for the Film and TV Charity about mistreatment of junior staff in the industry.
“It was a single-take piece following a runner through a busy set. I asked the director Joseph Morel if I could mix it in 5.1 surround before exporting the stereo version. That gave me the space to accurately reflect all the movement and action. Hearing the team’s reactions in the playback session—gasps and ‘oh wow’s—was a brilliant moment.”
Luke also takes joy in personal passion projects like working on branded content for VANS. “Anyone who knows me knows I love VANS—I’ve been mistaken for a shop assistant because I wear so much of it! So working on in-store skate videos for them after lockdown was a real treat.”
So what brought Luke to Creative Outpost?
“The studios are amazing. I saw pictures but seeing them in person—especially hearing the sound in Studio 1—was incredible. The space feels huge, the sound is tight and the people are awesome. There’s such a buzz around the building and the work coming out of here is genuinely exciting.”
He’s also excited to contribute his own blend of musicality, experimentation and craft. “Fresh faces bring fresh energy. I hope I can share some fun techniques and learn a few new ones too. That’s the best part of working somewhere like this.”
One area he’s especially eager to dive into? Dolby Atmos. “I’ve done a little in the past but now I get to work in a fully equipped Atmos facility. I already LOVE mixing in the surround so having more parameters to put my mixes in is very exciting and I think will really be another step to pushing me creatively.”
For Luke the role of sound is evolving—especially after the disruption of COVID. “During the pandemic a lot of brands cut corners with audio. Now I think we’re seeing a shift back—clients are returning to studios and remembering how powerful proper sound design can be.”
Inspiration comes from all over he says—from hiking outside London to underground electronic artists like Kslr. “Getting out of the city recently has given me a mental reset. And the sonic detail in electronic music—how it’s crafted—is something I’m constantly learning from.”
And as for his dream job?
“Something with Red Bull Sports. I’m not even a huge sports fan but their content is just awesome. I’ve always got it on in the background. Maybe it’s snowboarding. Maybe it’s BMX. I don’t know what the project is yet but I’d love to be part of it.”
