Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1351516
C A S Q U A R T E R L Y I S P R I N G 2 0 2 1 23 You've mixed so many different film genres, ranging from thrillers, to dramas, to comedies. How do you choose the projects that you want to work on? [Recalling one occasion.] I was given scripts for Pretty in Pink and Top Gun. I gave them to my boom man and said, "Read these, and in one sentence, tell me what they are, and I'll make a decision." He said, "Girl gets a pink dress—goes to the dance" and "Boy gets to fly as good as dad." I said, "We're taking that fly movie." [smiles] I then went in for a proper Hollywood interview with Tony Scott. He said, "I want you to have an Ampex tape recorder and do the whole film 4-track." I told him it's pretty impractical going up and down vertical ladders on an aircraft and humidity. I thought to myself, "Bill, you're blowing it. He doesn't want to hear why he can't have his 4-track." So, I got on my knees and said, "I want to do this movie so bad! I'm a pilot, did you see?" I had put my pilot's license on the top of my résumé because I fly a two- seater. And he liked that. I said, "I'll bust my a** for you. Please let me record your movie!" And he did. And we became great pals. I miss him dearly. In your interview for Romancing the Stone, Michael Douglas wondered how to test your knowledge and even suggested, albeit humorously, that you prove to him you could fix a broken Nagra. How technical are you with your equipment and what tasks or duties are you comfortable delegating to your crew? I am not a digital techie person at all. I can't pull it off myself. Tommy Giordano, who has been with me for a few decades, covers me with all his vast knowledge at that proficiency level. He suggests new equipment, we review it and then we usually get it. Maybe it's just that I'm terribly fortunate. The crews that I'm working with are extraordinarily good. I'm still impressed with how good they are and how easy it is for them to do something very complicated. How do you know when to speak up and when to keep quiet if there's a sound issue? I think that I have an obligation to do it at the right time. On Tight Rope, we were recording a wide shot and a ship was just behind the dialogue, so the actors could barely hear themselves. I went up to Mr. Eastwood and told him that I couldn't even tell what language they were speaking. He turned to me, put both hands on my shoulders, and said, "I'm contracted to build a wall. I'm not going to fall in love with every f****** brick in it. Have a good weekend!" He's quite brilliant at his craft. There's no bullhorn or walkie-talkies without a headset. There's total respect and quiet on the set, which is really unique. That man knows his art and craft. From top: With a dear friend—the late, great Tony Scott; with Spirit, Bill's precious horse that he loves to ride.