In Conversation with Randy Thom

In Conversation with Randy Thom

Apocalypse Now.. Star Wars…The Incredibles…The Revenant…Forest Gump…The Right Stuff…

Movie magic is a lot more complicated than setting up a camera and shooting a group of actors. We think of film as a visual medium – it’s called motion pictures – but the medium has evolved and is still evolving, a blend of artistry and technique that involves critical elements from casting to costumes – look at the long list of after-film credits at your local Cineplex. And there is one essential element that is the subject of the next Sonoma Speaker Series – movie sound.

Randy Thom, is the Director of Sound Design at Skywalker Sound, the audio division of Lucasfilm in nearby Marin – longtime sound recordist and mixer, and two-time Oscar winner – nominated another dozen times – Randy Thom. Randy was working in audio in public radio forty years ago when he approached the father of modern sound design, Walter Murch, who hired him to work on, Apocalypse Now. From there it was on to Lucasfilm and other films: Return of the Jedi, The Right Stuff (Oscar #1), Forrest Gump, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and The Incredibles (Oscar #2), and most recently, The Revenant.