The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Tommy (1975), Midnight Express (1978), Alien (1979), The Shining (1980), The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981), The Killing Fields (1984), Birdy (1984), The Last Emperor (1987), which won an Oscar [for Sound, among its nine Academy Awards]. There were BAFTA Sound nominations for Chariots of Fire (1981), The Mission (1986) and Batman (1989). I continued at Elstree until its demise in 1990 and then freelanced for about two years... On Christmas Eve a few years later, I had the most amazing phone call from Ridley Scott, who offered me the position of rerecording mixer at Shepperton, which he, his brother, Tony, and a bank were purchasing. I was nominated four times for a BAFTA while there, for Little Voice (1998), Hilary and Jackie (1998), Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)… I stayed there until I retired in 2003, having enjoyed every minute of my
R AY M ERRI N
working life. I feel privileged to have been involved with so many incredible films and amazing directors and crews. Do you have a moment you would consider your ‘big break’? I’ve never felt that. I entered the industry through luck – a guy got sick and I moved up a spot and that was that. He came back to work and they expanded [the sound department] a bit, so we both had a job. And it just went from there. Then the Americans marched in, because we were cheap and cheerful and better at the job than they were. The Americans remember your name and once they know who you are, you are their best friend. I was asked to work in America, but I politely declined. Nothing against America, but I’d had too many nice days here so I didn’t go. The first film I ever worked on was called The Brigand of Kandahar (1965). I think I had two gunshots. Say the footage counter was 567,
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