Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538148
18 PRODUCTION SOUND & VIDEO – Fall 2025 During that time in the UK, it was common practice for films to be released up to six months or more after their debut in the United States. This frustrating delay no longer exists, but it created an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation for movies in the 1970s. Jaws, now hailed as the first true blockbuster, was released in the U.S. in June 1975; yet, I had to patiently wait until April 1976 to experience its magic for myself. I vividly recall the day I left school with my cousin, Joe Torney, to catch a weekday screening at the ABC Cinema in Belfast City Center. From the very first haunting notes of John Williams' score— those two ominous cello notes, E and F—through to the final credits, I was utterly transfixed and soon became obsessed with the film. I hurried home, practically buzzing with excitement, to tell my mother that I simply had to see it again. She looked at me with a bemused smile, but after my third viewing within just two weeks, I was gently informed that the funding for this trip to see the same film would have to come to a halt. The true turning point for me came with the purchase of the book The Jaws Log in 1977, written by Carl Gottlieb, who chronicled the tumultuous production of the film and included incredible behind-the-scenes photographs. It captured not just my interest, but my imagination as well. The tales of the challenges faced during filming opened my eyes to the artistry and teamwork required to bring a film to life. Although sound wasn't my primary focus as a teenager, learning about the various crafts involved in filmmaking profoundly changed how I viewed every movie I watched. I didn't stop at merely watching the film, while I was on a school trip to Paris, I eagerly purchased the soundtrack, scooped up multiple film magazines and developed an increasing fascination with its young director, Steven Spielberg. Jaws became the largest-grossing film of 1975 and went on to win three Academy Awards for Composer John Williams, Editor Verna Fields, and the sound team of Production Sound Mixer John R. Carter, Re-recording Mixers Robert Hoyt, Roger Herman, and Earl Madery. When looking at the credits, there is no mention of the complete production sound team or sound editorial. IMDb lists twelve individuals who are uncredited. One of those was Thomas Allen, whom I knew when I worked in Florida. Tom never spoke to me about working on the film until many years later when he told me he was the Cable Person, unfortunately, it was in a casual comment on the phone. I couldn't believe I had missed an opportunity to speak with him at length. Tom has since passed away, but he had a significant career and worked for Universal on many shows, becoming the Mixer of choice for actor Peter Falk on the Columbo series. In 1992, I worked on a TV series, Key West, for Fox, and one of the directors was James Contner, who came up through the Camera Department. He was the focus puller on Jaws, and I remember being in awe of someone who had worked on the film. Not only was he a great director, but he also cared about production sound. I had a Zoom call with Jim recently, and we reminisced about the episode of Key West and his experiences on set in Martha's Vineyard. He continued his connection to great white sharks when he became the Director of Photography on Jaws 3D, in 1982. I was in New York in 2001 for a film called Bad Company for Disney, and got into conversation with our UPM, Jonathan Filley. We talked about our favorite films when he proceeded to tell me about his short-lived acting career. He was in the opening scene of Jaws and was that character "Tom Cassidy," who luckily didn't make it into the water, passing out on the beach as his partner, "Chrissie," continued into the ocean to meet the Great White! The next Jaws connection for me was the director himself. I was working on Michael Bay's film Transformers in 2006, and Steven Spielberg was one of the producers. I handed him a pair of Comteks when he came to set and I couldn't help but think of the journey I had taken into sound, which all started that day thirty years earlier in a cinema in Belfast in 1976. I would have loved to share that story with him, but I was sure he had heard many such stories! A few years later, I learned that my wife Maureen had a colleague at her school whose father won an Academy Award for the sound