Major surgery in the early 1990s kept Shotland from working for
nearly two years. He used the time to earn a degree in music and sound
engineering, and in 1992 was able to put his name back on the availabil-
ity roster at the union. That same afternoon, he received a call from Tim
Cooney, offering him work on Die Hard II. He later learned that Cooney
had gotten his name from production sound mixer Darin Knight, son of
Charlie Knight, the man whose
door Shotland had first
knocked on to get into the
business.
He went on to work on
several more features with
Cooney, including Demolition
Man, Lethal Weapon 4, The Last
Days, and Deep Blue Sea. He
turned down Cooney's offer to
work with him on We Were
Soldiers, having recently undergone four months of physical therapy for
his knees. "I didn't think running through the brush would be good . . . "
Instead, he stayed in Los Angeles to work on National Security and the
series Once and Again. He subsequently reunited with Cooney to work on
the feature The Sultan of the Sea.
Job Overview
A production soundman records on set sound.
Advice for Someone Seeking This Job
"Don't get caught up in money," says soundman Detdrick McClure.
Many refuse the opportunity to work, gain experience, and make con-
tacts, because they will not accept low or no paying jobs. When you're
starting out, "It's not about the money; it's about who you are going to be
brushing elbows with. You have to be willing to sacrifice. There were
times when I couldn't afford to go home to see my folks or friends and
family because I chose to be here. You have to stick with it and be willing
to suck it up.
"Take anything. I did things for free because the name of the game is
meeting people. Work hard and let people see your work ethic, busting
JOB TITLE: SOUNDMAN, PRODUCTION
SOUNDMAN, OR SOUND TECHNICIAN
"If you can dream
it up, do it. Go after it.
Nothing is too large or
too small. Write down
your plan and put it
into action. Other people won't make it
happen for you."--Bill Shotland
CAREER TIPS
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