Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1122868
Like in your Navy days! Yeah, but I get to relax! GEORGE LARA CAS: Foley Mixer George Lara has been working in the industry for more than 30 years. He is a multiple CAS Award nominee and won an Emmy for his work on the TV series Boardwalk Empire. I see from your bio that you grew up in New York and, after attending Brooklyn College, went to the Institute of Audio Research to study audio engineering with the intent of working in music—which you did. How did you get into the sound or picture side? In 1985, I was working as an assistant engineer at Red Apple Studios for Larry Harlow, who is best known for the Fania All- Stars and working for the Fania record label. After about a year of being there, the studio was closing down, so I started looking elsewhere. I was told that there was a music recording studio, Regent Sound, on the second floor of the Brill Building, at 1619 Broadway. So I went there to ask for employment, but they were not hiring at the moment. The wonderful receptionist told me to go up to the eighth floor, where Sound One was located. The receptionist literally pointed you in the right direction! Yes, she did! Jay Rubin (who would go on to be studio manager, among other jobs) was the person I met at the time. He told me that everybody at Sound One started as a messenger, regardless of professional or school background. He also mentioned that it wasn't a recording studio for music but a studio for sound for movies. That was something I hadn't even thought about and really sparked my interest because I had always been fascinated with movies since I was a kid. Once you were hired, how was the transition from the music side to the picture side? I loved working in music, and still do, but this was like a new ballgame for me with the different areas. The staff at Sound One guided me and gave everyone opportunities to advance. So, I moved up to being a projectionist during the day and, in the evening, I worked as a transfer engineer. After a while, I was introduced to the Foley, ADR, and the mixing stages. What led you to focus on Foley? Foley is my passion. I was lucky to learn from re-recording mixer Michael Barry CAS and work with a couple of amazing Foley artists like Elisha Birnbaum, founder of Sound One, and my partner Marko Costanzo, whom I've been working with for more than two decades at C5, Inc. I'm also very grateful and humbled to continue to collaborate with outstanding directors, sound supervisors, re-recording mixers, and editors on both coasts. Tell me about your work on Maisel. Since it's a period show, the Foley has to be tastefully recorded. We need to be aware of the shoes and surfaces, for instance, because they're very specific. Also, the clothes of that time were made of different materials than we typically find today. We usually record an episode a week across two days. Foley supervisor and editor Steve Visscher does a wonderful job spotting the sessions efficiently so that we can meet our deadlines. We record cloth rustle and footsteps on the first day and then do props on the second day. Steve will then take those recordings and edit and prep them for sound supervisor Ron Bochar to mix and do his magic. Production just started shooting Season 3 and we can't wait to get started working on the episodes. It is a wonderful crew and everyone is a pleasure to work with. Foley mixer George Lara CAS Foley artist Marko Costanzo (left) and George Lara