Mixer Profile: Peter Devlin

From Belfast, Northern Ireland, Peter Devlin has climbed purposefully, methodically, and patiently, to earn his place among the most respected and sought after feature film production sound mixers in the US.

The story of his career should interest the most experienced and certainly inspire those beginning their trek.

A career in Film production is unique in its own right. But because location sound mixing is even more removed from the main stream, I’m always curious about what initiated the drive of these few (the proud) in the direction of this craft. Sometimes it’s a fascination with sound, sometimes a talent in electronics, sometimes it’s a knack for the mechanics involved. I asked Peter what it was for him.

A Love of Films

“For me, it began simply as a love of films,” Peter said. “I remember when I was about nine years old being fascinated by American movies; the drama, the image, and the emotion that a film was able to create. So my interests were, at first, with the visual aspects of film production, and my choice of sound mixing came later.

When I was 12 years old some of my mates and I even attempted to start a film society in our school, but there was no theater in the town and the school was not very supportive, preferring more academic interests. We calculated that even if we charged 50 pence for admission would not cover our costs for showing films in the school. So, I just continued to go to the theaters in Belfast every chance I had.”

When it came time to choose a university, Peter found more discouragement. No schools within his reach had major studies in film production. Seeking the advice of his school’s Headmaster, Peter was told that a career in movies was an “unreal pie in the sky,” and that he should focus on a more “traditional” career. The best he could manage was to join an art college and study photography.

Peter recalls, “This was a great experience. For the first time, I was surrounded by people who were interested in creating art, and I felt a common bond.”

While still in art school, one day Peter noticed an ad in the newspaper announcing interviews for a “Trainee Audio Assistant” position sponsored by the BBC. They would accept one candidate from Northern Ireland. Peter applied for an interview and received an invitation. Now all he had to do was learn something about sound.

Peter recalls, “I knew nothing at all about sound recording, but the ad mentioned that the job would involve working around television, radio, and film production, so, of course, I was very interested. The first thing I did was set up the interview, which they scheduled for the next week. Then I studied as many books on sound recording as I could in one week.” (This is a time he fondly remembers for another reason: he met his wife, Maureen, while studying his recording books in a coffee shop.)

“The interview involved a discussion about the mechanics of recording equipment, high frequency bias, tape saturation, etc, which fortunately was covered in one of my books.”

“I think what convinced them to choose me … was my passion for films.”

Learning the Ropes

The next day, Peter packed up and moved to the small town of Evesham and boarded at the BBC Wood Norton campus for the 3-month training course. The training was rugged:

“If you did not progress to their standards, you were terminated without notice. They simply went to your room, pack your belongings, pulled you right from the classroom, and removed you from campus. That was plenty of motivation to do well.” “Once I completed the course, I was placed on the job at the BBC in Belfast. I was gung-ho about working as an Assistant Sound Recordist, but was soon brought back down to earth when my first “assisting” work was days of cleaning cables and connectors.”

After working in Belfast for 2 1/2 years as a Trainee Audio Assistant, Peter returned to the BBC facility in Evesham to be trained as a Certified Audio Assistant. Upon graduation, he went back to the BBC to edit (razor blade and tape), record, and transfer for distribution various BBC radio, film and television dramas.

Still, Peter’s eye was on the movies.

“An opportunity opened with a television drama (a near equivalent of US soap operas) which was, back then, shot on one-inch video tape on the sound stage, but on film when on location. This was my first real experience in motion picture dramas, and where I confirmed motion picture drama was where I wanted to be.”

“After getting my certification, I worked as a 2nd boom operator, using the Fisher mechanical boom for television, and handheld boom poles for Film. It was then that I realized that my career interest was in sound, working with actors in dramatic productions.”

Soon after, around 1986, the BBC made some serious cutbacks in Sound Recordists positions, making it even more difficult for Peter to advance from Assistant to Recordist. He had a conversation with David Putnam (producer, Chariots of Fire), and told Putnam that he really wanted to work in movie production. His advice was to leave the BBC and free-lance.

So, with years of experience with production sound, Peter began his freelancing career like most everyone else: keeping his day job while working without pay on a student film.

“Working on student projects for the National Film and Television School didn’t make any money for me, but it was inspiring to work again with people who were interested only in the art of film making.”

Success in the U.S.

“I wrote Michael Mann (producer, Miami Vice) explaining that I would love a chance to visit a US crew on the set of Miami Vice. He very kindly invited me to visit. So, I took a four-week leave of absence from the BBC and came to the US for a visit. I visited Miami Vice and several studios in Los Angeles, and was intrigued with, and developed a great respect for U.S. film crews who created in the midst of the grind of television production. I returned to the BBC knowing that I wanted a chance to work in the U.S. on American productions.”

“Even though I wanted to work in the U.S., getting a visa and work permit was very difficult. So, I applied for a Sound Recordist position that had opened in London. But because of the BBC cutbacks, a lot of experienced sound mixers wanted the job and I wasn’t even accepted for an interview. The day I received the depressing rejection letter I also received a call from Joe Foglia, the Sound Mixer on Miami Vice. He explained that he was expanding his company, Southeast Audio, and would like to have me work for him.

With Southeast Audio, Peter was the mixer on the TV series Super Boy from 1988-1990, completing 99 episodes. Still, he wanted to work on feature films. His chance finally came when the producer from Super Boy asked him to be the sound mixer on the film Christopher Columbus, and Peter bid farewell to Southeast Audio to go on his own.

“At about the same time a new bill was sponsored to distribute a limited amount of visas from Ireland on a lottery basis. I applied immediately, and was successful when my name was literally drawn from a hat.”

In 1992 Peter was asked to be the mixer on a Fox TV series called Key West.

“This was the first time I had to make the plunge and buy my own equipment,” Peter said. “I worked a deal with the production company to advance $20,000 for the purchase. I bought two Sennheiser 416s, an 816, cart, six Lectrosonics VHF radio mics with TRIM microphones, and cables. I spent all the money I had, so I had to rent a Sonosax mixer and a Nagra IV-STC and slate.”

“I felt like I had finally arrived, and then the work dried up.”

Peter went to LA to try to get on a production, but the IATSE local was tight and he had no contacts. As luck would have it, just being in LA helped him get his next job.”

“As the producers I worked for in the past advanced in their careers, they felt it was necessary to use LA sound mixers. With me based in Orlando, they weren’t interested in hiring me. While I was looking for work in LA I got a lead on a show being shot in Florida called Bad Boys. I called the production company and left my LA number for the Production Manager to call back. I got the job. He later confided in me that the reason I was hired is because they thought I was based in LA.”

Peter says Bad Boys was the start of a run at non-stop feature films. From that point in 1984, his highlights include Holy Man, Instinct, Chill Factor, Any Given Sunday, Gone in 60 Seconds, and The Kid. He is now in production on the largest budgeted feature film production ever begun, Pearl Harbor ($145,000,000).

Perspective from the Top

Peter has seen a very slow but steady change in film sound recording techniques and equipment. He began film production in the UK with the Nagra 4.2.

When he arrived in the US, he was introduced to the Nagra IV-STC and then the DAT. For DAT recorders, he prefers the StellaDAT (courtesy of his Northern Ireland colleague, Sound Recordist David Kilpatrick), but wary of the format, began backing up his work on a Nagra.

On the Oliver Stone film Any Given Sunday, Peter began using the Nagra D four track digital recorder. (“I don’t really think I want to do another show with only two tracks.”) The Nagra D was also his choice on Gone in 60 Seconds.  When The Kid began production, Peter felt the Zaxcom Deva-II had fully evolved and began using it. He continues with the Deva on Pearl Harbor.

The main difference Peter sees in the location mixing profession is simple: More pressure.

“There was a time when stops for adjustments, radio mic dropouts, equipment failures, etc, were accepted as part of the process by the director and actors. Now, however, there are not really any second chances, no excuses. One mistake, maybe, but two, and they’re looking for your replacement. The pressure is intense for the sound department to be problem free.

Peter’s plans for the future are as well scripted as those that got him where he is today. Working mostly in California now, he plans to move from his home in Orlando to LA. Admitting “you can only work at this pace for so long,” Peter says he will continue to working on feature films for at least the next couple of years, then possibly return to his original home of Northern Ireland to build a post production facility and work in other phases of production.

His advice to aspiring sound mixers: “First, you must really have a passion for the art-form. That’s the only thing that is enough to motivate one through the lean beginnings. After that, it’s vital to get along with other crew and other departments and respect their jobs. Everyone on the crew, including technicians, directors, and actors, are trying to do their part on the same production, of which sound is only one part. Compromises in location sound are often needed for the good of the entire film, and you must learn when to let things go, and, of course, when not to.”

“Lastly, never forget that the success of a sound department depends largely on the people you have for the Boom Operator and Utility positions. In my case, Kevin Cerchiai, Donovan Dear, Scott Warren, Mike Schmidt, Scott Clements, and Von Varga have worked with me over the years as Boom and/or Utility, and I owe them a great deal of gratitude for any good fortune that I’ve had in this business.”

— Glen Trew