Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1504731
M OT I O N P I CTU R E S O U N D E D I TO R S 35 effects'—the big guns, car crashes, explosions, etc. With digital, it started shifting a little bit, but it was still a boys' club. It was a 10-to-1 ratio. There were 10 men for every woman. I have never, ever worked for a female supervisor. Most of the Foley supervisors are usually men. Today it's changed, there are women that I know of who are effects editors, sound supervi- sors, and re-recording mixers. BF: Do you think today your voice is heard without having to fight for it? SSS: I have gone through sever- al situations where I was up for a movie, but the guy got it because he was a single-income dad. Single-in- come dads will always get the movie over a single woman, no matter how talented you are. BF: We are talking about equali- ty—equal pay, equal respect, equal dignity. What needs to change if, at all, we are to achieve that? SSS: The acceptance that wom- en have just every capacity to do big-boy effects and the acceptance, the opportunity, and the chance of being able to show that we can perform. We don't need to prove anything; we just need the opportu- nity to do it. BF: Is there any film or director that changed or reshaped your outlook or approach to sound? SSS: Well, I'd have to say that The Color Purple put me on the A-team. The Color Purple is why I was able to get to the top and stay there. The Color Purple was my game-changer. BF: Is there a type of film or a sub- ject that you wish you had worked on or you're looking forward to working on? SSS: Horror films. Love, love, love, horror films. Any kind of mind-bend- ing psycho thriller horror film. BF: Did you ever think of starting your own company? SSS: Why yes, as a matter of fact, I did! It's called Dog House Post. I started it in 2008 with several short films that turned into features. Christina Horgan became my part- ner in crime. I was the talent, she was the brains. We make the perfect team! My two favorite features that we did are called Cut! (2014) and 108 Stitches (2014). BF: What's left on the bucket list to check off? SSS: Are you talking about my per- sonal life or my career? BF: Professional and personal life overlap and so I am talking about both. SSS: My first bucket list was to see the Northern Lights. I went to Iceland to hook up with one of my dearest friends, Soffía Jónsdóttir, who lives in Reykjavik, Iceland. It was September, right after 9/11. To be in Iceland was a thrill and a privilege, but to see Northern Lights that early in the year is never heard of. And for some reason, there was a solar flare that week and I got to see three nights of Northern Lights. The first time I saw them, I cried like a baby. I just could not believe the phenome- na of Northern Lights. My second bucket list was a cruise to Alaska. It was the first-ever cruise in my entire life. I was very nervous about cruising because I get motion sickness. I got a cabin in the center of the ship with a balcony. I also took Bonine every day. It worked! I cruised from Vancouver through the inside passage to Ketchikan to Juneau to Skagway to Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier, and then Seward, Alaska, where I took a train to Anchorage. I spent a day there and visited the Alaska Wildlife Sanctuary where I saw bears, moose, caribou, reindeer, musk ox, and so many oth- er animals. I was very nervous and excited. Now I'm hooked! My third bucket list is Machu Picchu. In September 2023, I plan to hike five days on the Inca Trail from Cusco to Machu Picchu in Peru. It's going to be fabulous! And then in 2024, I want to drive from Lake Tahoe to Anchorage, Alaska, on the Alcan Highway, pull- ing a trailer, parking it in Girdwood, Alaska, and working at the Alyeska Ski Resort outside of Anchorage. BF: It would be safe to say you hav- en't lost the passion for sound you just reprioritized what you feel are the things that are most important, finding a lovely balance in your life. SSS: Yes. And I'm still teaching film at Lake Tahoe Community College. I love it! BF: Would you like to share any parting words of wisdom with us? SSS: You always hear them say, fol- low your heart, follow your dreams. I shake my head when I hear that. Life presents you with a circumstance. It's up to you to either do it or not do it. Go for all of it. Take a chance, take a risk. It's worth taking a risk instead of sitting at home feeling sorry for yourself. Get out there and do it. Just do it. I've been very lucky in my life. Very lucky. I'm very grateful. Very, very grateful.