Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1542348
23 B O B B I B A N K S F E L L O W S H I P A N D S E R V I C E A W A R D MEL ZELNIKER R E - R E C O R D I N G M I X E R In the dark, distant past, just after the transition from optical recording to magnetic recording, the personal and physical demands of multi-track recording were heavy. Sound was recorded on 35 millimeter sprocketed magnetic striped film. A 1000 foot reel provided 10 minutes of recording. Each individual track, i.e. dialog, music, sound effects had to be loaded onto an 8 foot tall reproducer that we called a dubber. The combined output of these dubbers were fed into a console through a matrix of patch points that resembled an old telephone exchange, where a guy like me, a re-recording engineer, better called a mixer, artfully combined all these elements and sent them to a multitrack magnetic recorder that recorded Dialog, Music and Effects onto separate tracks of a roll of fully coated magnetic film, hence it's name, full coat. And then there was the projector, a hot and vengeful device that if not carefully maintained and handled could turn a spliced up reel of work print into confetti in a matter of seconds. And through some very smart engineering, all these machines started, rolled and stopped in perfect synchronization. All this took place in a big, brightly lit space called the Machine Room. A major motion picture could possibly have 20 to 50 to maybe a hundred tracks per reel. And at 10 minutes per reel, a 90 minute film would require 9 reels of full coat and 9 reels of every constituent striped track. Unlike today's digital world, where you can pack an entire show in a suitcase, moving and storing the sound elements of a movie required a trailer truck and a warehouse. Setting up a mix required lots of heavy lifting, careful mounting of each reel to it's designated machine, aligning the recorder heads and patching everything to the console. All this while the clock is running and the client, who is paying a lot of money per hour, is checking his watch and wondering what's taking so long. And after all these physical and mental jobs are handled, and the mix is rolling along, there's record keeping and inventory to be done. And on one particular day, standing in front of a mountain of reels and reams of paperwork was this very cute, soft spoken lady who introduced herself as Bobbi, a new hire into the mystery and misery of sound recording for film. After months of training it was her first big mix, and lucky me, Bobbi was running my machine room. Now a mixer has a lot on his mind on Day One of a mix. Client relations, degree of difficulty, time management, etc. The last thing you want to worry about is the machine room, which you expect to be efficient, supportive and trouble free. And here I am with a new hire who was about half the height of a dubber. I needn't have worried though. Aside from being cheerful and bright, this woman was smart and strong and ran that room like a 5 star general. Soon she was anticipating my needs and in the weeks that followed, everything ran smooth as silk. Bobbi's composure and competence was the start of what's been a great career. As we made the change to digital from analog recording, she was right there mastering the new equipment, complex procedures and the massive changes to workflow, setup and inventory that sometimes proved challenging to other machine room personnel. She was a quick learner and a natural leader. And I'm sure what she learned in the grind of the machine room contributed a good deal to her later brilliant editorial career It was a loss to us but a gain for the industry when she joined the great migration to the West Coast. Not seeing her great smile every day was a personal loss for me, but I've watched from afar as she climbed to new heights in our industry. I can think of no one more deserving of this prestigious award, and I'm proud to say I knew her then, and I know her now. Congratulations Bobbi, you are the best. RACHAEL RODRIGUEZ WONG D A U G H T E R O F P A U L R O D R I G U E Z , S O U N D E D I T O R Sound and film have always been something close to my heart, not because it is something that I know or even understand, but because my dad loved everything about film and the industry. My father, Paul Rodriguez, loved sharing about his colleagues and the work they were doing. One of these colleagues was Bobbi Banks. Bobbi was one of dad's friends, someone he shared mutual respect, watched make her way in the industry, and grow as an editor, who was an important part of his journey, as well. Bobbi did groundbreaking work, paving the way for female editors, setting an example for those that follow in her footsteps and guiding many along the way. She has been making her mark on the industry, leaving footprints along the way for those that follow. Bobbi set high standards for herself and those she worked with, creating memorable movies and experiences for those involved, making her so very deserving of the Editor Guild's prestigious Fellowship and Service Award. Congratulations Bobbi and so much support for your future endeavors from the spirit of your friend, Paul Rodriguez. So proud to know you, Rachael Rodriguez- Wong and family. Banks Notes