Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1535806
surrounding this particular movie. "We've had a lot of fun. And this John Williams' movie was super special," says Noah. For this project, Noah opted for a streamlined setup, using a Sound Devices MixPre-10 with a Sennheiser 8050 shotgun and Lectrosonics with Sanken COS-11 capsules rather than his Sound Devices 664 and full range of tools. With a small crew of three or four people, a minimal setup was essential to maintain the personal and intimate atmosphere of the interviews. In locations like the Hollywood Bowl and offices, flexibility and mobility were crucial to avoid interference. He had to be "small and quick, and able to help out with the rest of the crew." "For situations like the Hollywood Bowl, we were able to put a wireless mic on John Williams for the day. He and [composer/conductor Gustavo] Dudamel came up with the idea of Dudamel walking out with a lightsaber and John having his baton, and then John pulls out a bigger lightsaber and they start conducting the orchestra and doing this whole Star Wars thing. I'm outside a door with my neck crinked trying to hold the boom up and over [them] and there are mirrors in the room, so those are the challenges. But at the same time, you're getting goose bumps as you're experiencing this amazing once-in-a-lifetime moment. There's three of us in the room watching these two amazing people and then they went out and performed it for 15,000 people that had their lightsabers up in the air." Roy Waldspurger is a re-recording mixer whose interest in music began during his childhood. He remembers his defining moment while listening to Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii and being captivated by David Gilmour's guitar sound. This fascination led him to study electrical engineering focused on music and work at Stanford's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA). There, he met experimental electronic music composers who greatly influenced him and took him under their wing. After graduating, Roy started working for the audio software company Sonic Solutions where he tested, coded, and managed products, gaining insights into how professionals used sound for picture, and that job got him closer to films. He started at American Zoetrope as a second engineer, allowing him to have his hands on everything from telecine to editing systems, and this experience launched his career in film. Roy worked on both picture and sound editorial teams for many years, eventually focusing on sound and mixing. This transition was facilitated by sound supervisor Michael Kirchberger, who put him in front of the board after he had done some pre-dubbing work. Roy has since been at Skywalker for more than 16 years, mentored early on as well by Richard Beggs. Christopher Barnett CAS is a re-recording mixer and supervising sound editor from the UK who was raised in a family with a strong connection to music. He started playing in a local band that gained a small amount of radio play and recognition, and that was his stepping stone up the path. "You just take the next opportunity." He studied at Paddington College in London, where he attended their sound program. Some of his lecturers worked in theater at the West End in London, leading him to do internships at the Royal Shakespeare Company and Britannia Row Studios [built by Pink Floyd], where he spent six months "and that was quite eye-opening." Christopher Barnett CAS Noah Alexander Roy Waldspurger