do. When the crew breaks for lunch, ask if you can practice with the
boom, maneuvering it around the set. "In this business you're always
looking for a job," says Sorrenson. "You don't just get a job and you're
set; you get the job for as long as the film lasts and when it's over, you're
out of work, looking for a job."
Professional Profile: Kevin Sorrenson, Boom Operator
Although his father was a sound recordist for film and television,
Kevin Sorrenson did not initially consider following his father into the
business. Not knowing what career he wanted to pursue, he studied psy-
chology and mathematics at a junior college for a year and a half, until
his father suggested he give audio a try.
"He always made it sound interesting. I didn't have any idea what it
was going to entail until I went on a couple of sets and he showed me.
You start as a cable man; you're sort of the helper or gofer. I used to
watch the walkie-talkies, push the cart around, and run microphone
cables."
Sorrensen quit college at
age 19 to pursue the career.
One of his first jobs was on
producer Aaron Spelling's
series The San Pedro Beach
Bums. The show lasted just
long enough for Sorrenson to
work the 30 consecutive days
necessary to meet the eligibil-
ity requirements for joining the
union. With just a year's work
under his belt, he landed his
first movie, The Driver. "It was
a lot of night shooting in
downtown Los Angeles. They
used a lot of walkie-talkies and
I came down and wrangled
them."
He went on to work as a
third man (a.k.a. cable man) on
the television series Lou Grant,
where sound mixer Dean Vernon became a mentor, teaching Sorrenson to
boom. "He was real insistent that I learn to operate a fisher boom and
learn how to do booming and cue."
What do you like
least about your job?
"The hours are probably
the worst part of my job.
On Friday night, we
usually work late; some-
times we'll work for 14 or
15 hours. Sometimes you'll come home
watching the sun come up; you're drowsy
and it's a tough drive. Working conditions
can be tough: working in the heat or the real
cold and at night when you're exhausted."
--Kevin Sorrenson
What do you love most
about your job?
"What I like is that you're right up there
with the actors, the director, and the camera
in the heat of things."--Kevin Sorrenson
VOICES OF
EXPERIENCE
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