Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1512183
82 M PS E . O R G gravitated toward sound post. I was excited about how sound could subliminally affect an audience's experience. By the second year of the course, I had secured a job as an assistant sound editor. I have a terrible memory and the advantage of having a terrible memory is that your brain does the editing for you, only recalling from the café, looking at the ocean, when I got a call from Andrew Plain. I had never worked with Andrew but knew of him as one of the most respected sound supervisors in Australia, so when he asked if I was available to work on a film at Huzzah Sound, it was an offer I couldn't refuse. I imagine there was a long list of people he could have called for that job, but he called me. That call changed my life. I left my coffee-making job to return to Sydney and join Andrew's sound crew, working with him from that point onward. Up until then, my experience in the role of assistant sound editor involved a lot of sitting around and watching editors work, making sure they were hydrated and had everything they needed. Editing systems were very expensive so you didn't get much time to use the tools, and time was filled with administration, spreadsheets, printing charts, and backing things up. However, working with Andrew was different. He would throw his assistants in the deep end early, getting them to record ADR one day and fixing hardware the next, out on location recording cars or getting their hands on the tools, contributing to a film's sound by editing. He wanted them to learn as much as possible and to grow. He made sure assistants were included in the final mix process and the significant moments in your life. I was 25 and living in a coastal town south of Sydney known for its beaches, national parks, and alternative lifestyle. I had worked as an assistant sound editor on some great projects, but life events had pulled me away. I was working at a beach café pouring coffees. I was taking a sunny break away Andrew and Leah Katz, 2009. Left to right: Sam Hayward, Cameron Grant, Leah Katz, Andrew, and Bruce Emery, ASSG Awards, 2011