Where are you currently employed?
I am currently employed with NBCUniversal.
Current Project?
So far this year, we've worked on TV shows including Grimm,Chicago Fire, Veep, Rush Hour, 12 Monkeys, Girls, Halt and Catch Fire, Mr. Robot and more.
Describe Your Job.
We create the "sounds" of the TV show — live — on a soundstage where they are recorded. Using our diverse assortment of shoes that we bring to the stage (heels, boots, sneakers, cleats, whatever the actors are wearing), we physically do all of the footsteps of the actors (walking, running, stumbling, etc.) on whatever surface they are on (dirt, pavement, spaceships, running through puddles, etc).
Then we create the sounds of the props that the actors touch, throw, smash, etc. From computer keyboard typing, digging in the dirt with a shovel, slapping someone's face, crashing through a ceiling, to rampaging through a lab where the actor throws glass vials and metal shelves, and tosses boxes around; we do it all.
How did you first become interested in this line of work?
I was a dancer/singer and had worked with Bob Fosse. I’ve been a Rockette, and did numerous national tours including Pippin with Ben Vereen, Can-Can with Chita Rivera, and many commercials and industrials. I was looking through the trades for auditions and I saw an ad for a Foley artist. I had learned what that was in a voiceover class and thought I'd check it out, since I was getting ready to retire from dancing. I auditioned for a small sound house in Burbank, was hired, and that's where my training began.
Who gave you your first break?
A few years later, I was working on the Howard Stern movie Private Parts, with Dean Drabin mixing, and he told Foley artist Alyson Moore that he thought I'd work well with her group at Todd-AO. She tried me out and hired me — and I wound up working with her group for many happy years!
What was your first union job?
Unfortunately, at that time Foley artists were not in the union. We organized and struggled and finally got into the union. By then, I was also freelancing at Warner Bros., Sony and Universal, so when we went union I was thrilled!
Which of your credits or projects have made you the most proud and why?
Devil's Advocate with Al Pacino was one of my favorite projects because I was pretty new to features and everyday was like a new adventure. I learned so much and couldn't believe how cool my job was! Breaking Bad was another favorite because it was an awesome show and boy did they love using Foley! It was very satisfying to hear our work being used so much! Grimm is also a favorite because they also love using Foley. The sounds we have to create are always different and sometimes very unusual. It really gets the creative juices flowing and is so much fun!
What was the most fun you’ve had at work?
Something fun and unusual happened this year. Universal revamped its Special Effects Show at the theme park and added a section depicting Foley. They came in and asked for our input and also filmed us working. It was a short clip, but it is a part of the presentation at Universal Studios Hollywood. Pretty cool!
Jobwise, what do you hope to be doing five years from now?
Hopefully, five years from now, I will still be working with my Foley partner, Pam Kahn, and our mixer, Mike Marino. Besides being amazing at their jobs, they are so easy to work with and are loving and supportive friends. Who could ask for more?
What are your outside activities, hobbies, passions?
Outside of work, I try my best to be a good mom. I play softball, I started doing stand-up comedy, and I am finding that I am passionate about political issues, although I don't know where that may lead.
Favorite movie(s)? Favorite TV program(s)? Why?
I don't really have a favorite movie or TV show. I love lots of movies and TV shows.
What advice would you offer to someone interested in pursuing your line of work?
If you wanted to pursue Foley, my advice would be to make sure that you love it. It is physically demanding on your back, knees, hips, etc., and it takes immense amounts of concentration. But if you love it, it is very rewarding!
Is there anything you’d like to say to your fellow Guild members, some words of encouragement?
To my fellow Guild members, I would stress how important it is to work on union shows, to try to get others to join the union, and for the union to try and get employers to become signatories. It is hard for some members to get their hours because of work going to non-union houses. This weakens all of us. The more union work there is, the stronger we are!
Compiled by Edward Landler
Editor’s Note: To recommend a member (including yourself) to be featured on the home page of the Editor’s Guild website contact edlandler@roadrunner.com.