Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1500189
M OT I O N P I CTU R E S O U N D E D I TO R S 49 Solange S. Schwalbe MPSE: What got you into this business in the first place? Where did it all start? John Roesch MPSE: My becoming a Foley artist was completely by accident. I mean, that's really the bottom line. I originally thought I'd be an actor, then I thought it'd be a director. And at that point at the American Film Institute, as a director, I realized that was the Holy Grail! And then it just so happened that a woman who had helped me on my AFI film, said, "Hey, I'm doing sound. JR, I need your help." "Okay, sure. I know nothing about it, but I'll help you." I show up and I'm breaking down sound effects. This is back in the analog days. The students looked around and said, "Look, he's got sneakers on." "Yeah, why?" "Are you a runner?" "Yeah." "Oh, good. Come with us." "Come with you?" So they take me to the stage and there's a microphone and there's something projected on the screen and there's no theater seats. It's just this weird area. So, I was watching this and they said, "…see that guy on screen there, he's running, and we want you to run for him." Okay, so I ran across the stage all the way almost out the exit. They said, "No, no, no, come back here. No, you have to run in front of the microphone." "Oh." Okay, so I ran in front of the microphone, did that, did a couple of things, and went back, broke down some more effects and went home for the day. I got home and I thought boy, that's a stupid job. Oof! [Laughter] I got a call that night from this woman's husband and the woman's name was Dessy Markovski and her husband was Emil. He said, "JR, I want you to come tomorrow to help me do a trailer with Foley." "Okay, sure I'll help." I was leaving my apartment building, and this woman who was managing it, Joan Rowe said, "JR…" In fact, I almost backed up over her. I was in my little convertible. "JR, are you okay?" "Yeah, yeah Joanie, I'm okay." "JR, my, where are you going?" "I'm going to the Foley stage." She's not going to know what that means. "Johnny! They just fired somebody where I'm working, maybe they'll hire you." "What?!" Sure enough. Later that week, I got hired and I never stopped. More than 43 years ago. SSS: Wow! You started with Joanie Rowe! Did you have a clue what you were doing when you started with Joanie? JR: I would say no. I mean, I had a sense of what was needed. But it was a collaborative effort. Robert Deschaine was the mixer and he was very helpful. It was fun. I realized this is kind of fun and it wasn't so stupid after all. It helped pay the rent, which was always a nice thing, and it was at Gomillion Sound, which was really a cauldron for young people getting in the business to get their start there. Mark Mangini started there. Ben Burtt actually worked there for a short period of time. Who else? Stephen Flick. John Post, a famous Foley artist. Many others came out of there: mixers, recordists, some Foley artists, sound editors. There's just a whole plethora of people. It was really great, in a sense. SSS: Yes, we all knew Gomillion. How many years have you been doing Foley, John? JR: Oh, depending on how you look at it, you could say anywhere between 42 and 44. So I guess I'll split the difference to say 43. SSS: So that's a lifetime. JR: Funny, it didn't feel like a lifetime. It was because of the people I worked with. But it was wonderful from the standpoint of, I got a chance to really stretch my wings. It was because of all the people I met along the way. In fact, today, I know, we're going to chat about more than a few films that had some really unusual aspects to them, which we would normally NOT find on a Foley stage, per se. SSS: Exactly. The majority of us know what Foley is, and that all Foley is customized. But there are unusual and unique opportunities, setups, and different elements that have never been done before that you had the opportunity to experience. First, I'm sure the readers would like John Roesch at 17.