Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1470109
24 I M PS E . O R G The Exterminator [1980]. The rest is history. I wound up doing three or four movies with him, and then went on to work with Harvey Weinstein on a movie called The Burning [1981] which was a horror movie, but it was a lot of fun. I worked with Rick Wakeman, who did the music score. And what I came to find out with most of these people is they don't know what we do as sound people. They don't really understand the kind of work that we do. I mean, they see picture, they see dailies, they hear the dialogue, but all the intricacies that we put into the film is not really understood by them. They don't get it... SS: ...and still they still don't get it! CC: No, I know that! It's even worse. They think because everything is on computer, you just push a button. And there it is. Which of course, we know is not true. I got a job to work on my very first big-time film, what was considered studio quality and was a film that was directed by Alan Pakula. He did a film called Rollover [1981]. After I finished doing Rollover with Jane Fonda and Kris Kristofferson, I then moved on to work with him on Sophie's Choice [1982]. That was the next big film that I was able to work on as a supervisor, and that really got me started in the continuation of supervisor. SS: It sounds like you seriously went straight into supervising? CC: Pretty much, yes. SS: You were sound editing as a picture assistant and then when you got in the union, you went into supervising. What was your first sound supervising job in the film industry? CC: My first sound job as a supervisor was The Exterminator, that was in 1980. That was with James Glickenhaus. SS: Was that in New York? CC: That was in New York, everything from 1980 up until 2006, was all New York. And then at the end of 2005, I came out to Los Angeles to work on The Da Vinci Code. And at that point, I stayed for eight years. SS: So The Da Vinci Code is what brought you out to Los Angeles? CC: Yes, correct. We had just finished doing Cinderella Man in 2004 into 2005. And when that was happening, Ron Howard was already planning on doing The Da Vinci Code and was involved in pre-production. So I went to him after our job was finished. And I said, "Ron, I'd love to work with you on Da Vinci." And he said, "Great, just come on out." So that's what I did. And I brought with me, Danny Pagan and Lynn Sable. And later on when the job was going into full swing, I brought out Deborah Wallach, who had already worked with Ron and me back in New York. We had done like a dozen movies with Ron and with different folks like Dan [Hanley] and Mike [Hill], the two picture editors. I might as well tell you about how I met Ron Howard. SS: How is it that you and Ron Howard met? CC: Okay. He was doing a film called Gung Ho [1986] that was being shot in Pittsburgh. I was part of the New York editors. There were a number of supervisors that were vying for the job. I thought how great it would be to get an opportunity to work with him. I put in my two cents, and I got a call from the assistant editor. His name was Guy Barrissi. And he said, "We're interviewing, if you'd like, you can come on in and meet Ron, Dan, and Mike." "Great, I'd love to do that." As it turned out, they were very nice. They sent me to a living room, it was a very comfortable setting, and we all sat around while they were asking me questions. While I was talking to them, I guess in my nervousness, I didn't realize it, but I started to rub my chest. They weren't responding to any of that, but I got to my point, of course, they were satisfied, and then I went off to meet the assistants. I was quite happy because there were a lot of big supervisors that were vying for the job. But a week or so later, I got a call from Dan Hanley, and Dan says, "If you want the job, it's yours." SS: Now, what did you think? Why you? CC: Well, that's it! That's exactly what I said, "Dan, I am excited, I'm thrilled! What was the deciding factor? You know, why me over some of the others that applied?" He said, "We like a guy who's in touch with himself…" SS: You're kidding. He actually said that? CC: Yeah. "We like a guy who's in touch with himself." And I thought, "Oh, my sainted aunt!" It was funny! And sure enough, that was the beginning of a long-lasting relationship. He had just done that one about the seniors, Cocoon [1985]. Now, after he did Gung Ho [1986], Ron went out to do Willow [1988]. SS: Have you ever done television? CC: In 1998, I got asked to work on a pilot for HBO called Sex and the City. In the beginning, I was a little taken aback by it, because it really poked fun at guys. And this was the first season. I felt, "Oh, man, I'm involved with somebody that is men-bashing." But that wasn't the case. As the seasons progressed, they really got into a lot of different storylines that were funny and serious. And what I loved about it was that there was no laugh track. So the jokes were funny, you laughed, you didn't have to have a laugh track set you off. That really was a good thing. I really enjoyed that. Whenever a Ron Howard movie came, and it usually came at a point where I was still on Sex and the City, they let me go, but then they brought me back, and then they let me go. How many times do we get on movies and shows and once we leave, it's goodbye, good luck, and God bless? They brought me back every season for, you know, the six seasons that they had. SS: What was it like for you when you came out to LA? CC: That was good, coming out to LA. When I came out in 2005, they rolled out the carpets for me, I felt so welcome. Tommy McCarthy (head of Sony Post Production Sound) was a sweetheart. He gave me everything that I needed, and also was very supportive of doing multiple jobs. He said, "You get the jobs, we'll find the crews based on