Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1469840
C A S Q U A R T E R L Y I S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 51 Brent Burge: I first got into the industry via the National Film Library in New Zealand, moved to the National Film Unit in the late '80s, had a stint in Australia working on commercials, and moved into film during the '90s, then returned to New Zealand to work on Peter Jacksons' projects. I mixed Peter's first film Bad Taste. He's loyal! Steve Gallagher and I were invited into the cutting room to have a preliminary look at some Beatles footage in 2019. It was lucky we were sitting down! It was amazing! Michael Hedges CAS: I started in television in the '80s as a young "soundie" learning fast the tricks of music and drama productions. I then also moved to the film unit, becoming the main re-recording mixer for a number of New Zealand features. With the arrival of Peter Jackson on the scene, the world changed in an instant! Brain Dead, Heavenly Creatures, King Kong, then, of course, The Lord of the Rings, and the rest is history. I came on board once we started seeing rough cuts and working on different segments to get an idea of what we were dealing with. Brent and Marty [Kwok, the supervising sound editor] had been working on it for a few months before I got to experience the complexities of what we were heading into. Alex Feodoroff: I started as a studio assistant at a film post house in Paris, fresh out of film school in the late 2000's. After spending a few years cutting my teeth in the French film industry, I moved to New Zealand to join the mix crew on The Hobbit trilogy. I have been lucky enough to work on every Peter Jackson project since, and I'm particularly proud of what we achieved with Get Back. I came on board at the rough-cut stage where we were able to experiment with some of the material and get an idea of what was possible. We started working on the rooftop concert early in the process, which gave us a chance to conceptualize from the beginning and get an impression of things to come. Michael Donaldson: I joined the Park Road team about four years ago. Prior to that, I was studying. It's been great to get the chance to work on such a unique project this early in my career. Sam Okell: I spent 19 years working at Abbey Road Studios, so my association with the project came from a long-held relationship with The Beatles catalogue. Giles [Martin] and myself worked in the UK, mainly due to the pandemic, mixing tens of hours of rehearsals and recordings, including the full rooftop concert performance. This being The Beatles plus Peter Jackson, were you intimidated? If so, what's it like dealing with that kind of pressure? Brent: All projects are intimidating. No one ever begins a project (especially a Peter Jackson project) feeling confident—it's ALL nerves at the start. However, on this show, we had the trust of Peter to express how best to present The Beatles within the constraints of the material L-R: Re-recording mixers Alexis Feodoroff and Michael Hedges CAS. Photo: Alex J. Berliner we had to work with. A single mono recording to be precise. So, it became a restoration project for the ages. How could we best present this mono audio track in an Atmos format! Michael H.: It's funny, really. I find the greater the complexities, the more I like it! We are part of such a strong team and we know each other's strengths so well; it all becomes like clockwork to make it to the finish line. I do have to say, Peter is one to push the boundaries every time he hits the stage! I wouldn't have it any other way! One thing that I'm most proud of is that we were able to take The Beatles rooftop concert and present it with stunning realism, both with tremendous sound in the Atmos environment and stunning HDR visuals. You felt like you were there, a part of something life-changing. This is a piece of music history and I'm so proud to have played a part in this Peter Jackson masterpiece. Alex: As Brent said, every project is intimidating, and the fact that we were dealing with The Beatles and one of their most iconic performances didn't make things easier. But, as we started putting the material together from what we were receiving from Sam Okell and Giles Martin, the nerves were quickly replaced by pure excitement and the opportunity to give our best to pay homage to giants of music history. Michael D.: Yes, it was intimidating—especially considering the discerning ears of many Beatles fanatics. I was