Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1545215
40 PRODUCTION SOUND & VIDEO – Summer 2026 A Tribute to Thomas Dewitt Causey, Jr. Maggie Causey: Thomas Causey, Hollywood Production Sound Mixer for more than four decades, died in Palm Springs, California, at the age of 76 on January 11, 2026, from complications of diabetes. Thomas, known by all as Tommy, lived a life rich with creativity, hard work, laughter, and a deep love of family and friends. Born on December 5, 1949, in New Orleans and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, Tommy graduated from C.E. Byrd High School in 1967 and was very proud of becoming an Eagle Scout at age 17. Soon after graduation, he moved back to his birthplace to attend the University of New Orleans (UNO). Tommy fell in love with movies in New Orleans in the film classes at UNO and by frequenting the Gentilly Theatre which specialized in art house and foreign films. Watching every French film that came to town subsequently spurred him to attend a course in Paris focused on the directors from the French New Wave. It was here that he was fortunate to meet Claude Chabrol, Agnes Varda, and Francois Truffaut. Tommy's journey into the world of making films rather than just being a fan began serendipitously when he was hired as a driver for the sound crew on a British film shooting in New Orleans. Fate intervened when he broke his arm and could no longer drive, but rather than send him home, the sound team kept him on and drove him around themselves. His job became telling stories about New Orleans and choosing a great restaurant for dinner. By the end of the shoot, Tommy had fallen head over heels for filmmaking. With a $5,000 startup loan from his father, he purchased a Nagra recorder, along with a couple of Sennheiser microphones and some cables—and thus began an extraordinary career that would span four decades. He started out by working on feature films that came to New Orleans, as well as recording live albums for many of the local jazz musicians. In 1977, Tommy and his wife Maggie, decided to make the big step of moving to Los Angeles. They filled up a U-Haul with their books and sound gear and drove cross country with their dog Blackie, towing their old Chevy behind, with just enough money for a first and last month's rent. They were inspired to make this move due to a recent court ruling that had temporarily opened up membership in IATSE to all nonunion Sound Mixers who had worked for at least ninety days on Los Angeles productions in the past year. Rather than having to work his way up the ladder through the dfferent sound categories, he was lucky to be able to join the union as Thomas Dewitt Causey, Jr.