Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/987065
C A S Q U A R T E R L Y S P R I N G 2 0 1 8 49 because they were big commercials, and I hadn't been on those 50-person sets before. I enjoy doing boom op work, but after years of working in the studio with 20 to 30 mics out at a given time and sending signal all over the place, it felt more normal to mix. These days, a lot of my work continues to be boom and bag, a nice combo of having fun with the boom but also overseeing the whole audio scheme. I see that you've worked on a number of documentaries. Is that a conscious decision or where things have led relative to clients you've come across? Working in documentary was definitely a conscious decision. I love working on docs. For vérité style work, it's exhilarating knowing that anything could happen, and the adrenaline of having to roll with the punches and try to get the best sound possible amidst the chaos can be really satisfying. The other side of docs is the sit-down interview, which I enjoy because sometimes it feels a bit like recording a musician or singer. Interviews are great because, if someone is being interviewed by a film crew, they likely have something interesting to say! Whether or not I agree with what's being said, I feel like I'm always learning something. How did you get the call to work on the Rolling Stone project? I got the call to work on Rolling Stone: Stories from the Edge because I had worked with one of the film's directors, Blair Foster, on a previous film that she executive produced for Netflix called Get Me Roger Stone. I remember clearly when she asked, "Are you free next week to interview Bruce Springsteen?" You can guess my response! That was the first of many interviews I worked on for the film. I had a blast on Rolling Stone with Blair—she is really a master at getting great answers out of the interview subject. What's your go-to setup for recording interviews? My main mixer is the Sound Devices 633. It really has a huge sound in a small package. My go-to boom for interviews is the Sennheiser MKH50. I love how larger-than-life it can sound. When it's in the ideal focal point, there's just nothing like it. In a wider frame, I'll use a Schoeps CMIT 5U. For wires, I typically use Sanken COS-11d into Lectrosonics wireless. When recording interviews, I'm always trying to create the ideal situation for the boom to live in. I typically bring one to several sound blankets and some grip gear to suspend them out of frame where possible, so I don't have to dip into the DP's grip gear. The goal is usually to kill as many of the first reflections as possible. Recently, I've been using smaller strips of blankets that are black on one side and white on the other, so when camera would otherwise use duvateen or a reflector, I can offer a sound blanket to put there instead (if they want). I find this allows me to get dampening as close as possible to the contributor while help serving the goals of the camera crew. Teamwork! On your website (www.TomTierneySound.com), there are shots of you gathering sound effects and recording live music. Tell us about some of your non-production sound work. I really enjoy recording sound in unconventional situations, for film, music, podcasts—whatever it is. I recently worked on a piece for BBC radio about echoes. There's a bridge near where I grew up in Massachusetts called "Echo Bridge" which has an echo so robust that it regenerates and gets louder after the seventh or so repeat (I've heard up to 20 repeats on loud transients). So I schlepped a rig to beneath this bridge and Tom Fleischman CAS Tom Tierney