Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/908245
24 F A L L 2 0 1 7 C A S Q U A R T E R L Y know when you're there in the moment. There are a lot of visual effects that are going to be added and I just don't know. But it was a really interesting movie with a great cast. You've been in this industry for so long, starting in the news-gathering side and successfully transitioning to narrative-style production. So, as far as our equipment and our techniques go, and reflecting on how much it's changed and where you are now, where do you see the future going? Not just equipment, but techniques, too? How do you think we're going to expand further than where we are now? I'm saddened by the fact that it has gotten to where it is. And it started with television and multi-camera, not [necessarily] multi-camera shows, but "single-camera" shows that really have two and three cameras. Wides- and-tights at the same time. And so you're expected to wire everybody on set no matter what. Sound used to have life. It, you know—breathed. You felt that if you see somebody across the room, you didn't hear them speaking like they 're sitting next to you at this table. Perspective is out the window. And we do what we can. We try very hard. I was grateful on The Grinder, a TV show that I was doing, that number one on the call sheet refused to wear a wire. So when we were on stage, we didn't use wires, but rarely. We used them like they 're supposed to be used, instead of how they expect you to use them now. I have done more features in my career than television. But it's bleeding into the feature world, as well. And it's just … it's devastating. I remember at that CAS [Awards] we were talking about Doc Kane, and he had called out The Grinder and about how it sounded. He thought it sounded great and it was amazing. And this is a man whose received a CAS Career Achievement Award! He should know. And that's because we boomed the crap out of that show. I'm a sound mixer and it starts to become where you're just a recordist. I do understand that with the amount of tracks that we're being asked to do and the improv style of many of today 's shows, it becomes impossible to record it any other way, though. Who are some of your crew that you'd want to give a shout-out to now? Well, Tom Hartig did The Grinder with Yvette Marxer. They 're both wonderful. We had a great time on that. Doug Shamburger—Doug is amazing. And I had Doug and Michelle Guasto on my last movie. Fantastic. Those are two amazing, amazing people. I've had the great opportunity to work with some of the most wonderful boom ops and utilities in the business. I'd also love to give a shout-out to Randy Johnson, Bob Jackson, Anthony Ortiz, Peggy Names, as well as Ross Levy, just to name a few. On an upcoming pilot, Rebecca Chan is going to be my utility. We've never worked together but I'm thrilled she's going to come. I understand she's phenomenal. I've been so lucky. I've been able to work with a lot of different people that are just really, really great. I wish I could keep them with me all the time and just go from one thing, to the next thing, to the next thing. We're only as good as our crew. The difference between having that mic on and not is something. I know you feel the same way. Even with your utility. If I have to do their job, forget it. I can't do that. Absolutely right. Well, in conclusion, is there a solution that you think could start to remedy the conundrum of how our craft has changed? I think it's the reality and we just have to get really good at it and help educate. Because a lot of these people that are in positions of making decisions like that, aren't educated [fully on sound]. And to some level, when you work with those people that get it, it's just such a dream come true. They understand how important it is to the entire chain, the entire process. When you have something that sounds real and awesome, and you don't have to fix it later, you don't have to tweak the hell out of it. Because you start fixing too much and then it really starts to degrade what we've done. People have gotten used to that sound, too, which is weird. You go back and you watch old movies—or even not [very] old movies. Just—where it breathes. It's part of the life of the film. It has feeling to it. And now people are just so used to it just being right "here" all the time. It's a buried "voiceover booth" sound with clothing noise. And so it's just kind of a bummer. I mean it happens. We all often have to wire everybody all the time. You just have to. Environments and whatever it is. We all have to grow and adapt and learn. "Old dogs, new tricks." But there is an artistry there that we can't lose. A Euro Cart and a Cantar make process trailer work so much easier!