IAR instructor Phil Painson was the mixer engineer for the song “Do You Feel Me,” part of the American Gangster movie soundtrack released by Def Jam records shortly after the movie went onto big screens worldwide. Written by Dianne Warren and produced by Hank Shocklee, the song is on the R&B/Soul soundtrack that includes artists such as Anthony Hamilton, Public Enemy, and Bobby Womack.

An active and accomplished engineer, Phil has been teaching at IAR for about two years, mainly focusing on digital-audio workshops such as advanced mixing (‘Mix2’) and MIDI. He frequently gives demos for IAR (Producing Your Song, Blueprint for a Hit Song), and he runs mixing sessions at IAR Open Houses. Phil has worked on numerous soundtracks, including those for the independent film High Life and the comedy High School High, as well as on television shows for HBO and the Discovery Channel.

Phil’s mixing gig for American Gangster took two-and-a-half days. When working on a song for a movie soundtrack, the engineer has a different challenge then when he or she is collaborating on an album for a single artist. Each song in the movie can have its own group of writers, performers, and producers, and there is a unique focus on both the song itself as well as its ‘fit’ within the bigger picture of the movie’s character and message. In Phil’s words: “There is a special kind of skill involved when doing a song that’s part of a movie soundtrack, because you need to have a great deal of patience as the project changes to fit the movie, and as timelines vary suddenly and unexpectedly.”

The movie and its actors have racked up a number of awards and Academy and Golden Globe nominations and have also inspired Jay-Z’s latest concept album, suitably titled American Gangster.