Catherine Thomas - Women in Production
For our series of Women in Production interviews, we spoke with the wonderful Catherine Thomas about her career as a Foley Artist amongst other roles in the industry. Catherine has recently been nominated for two Emmys (The Crown and Catherine the Great) bringing her total to three, in addition to seven Motion Picture Sound Editor Golden Reel Awards - one of which was a win! Keep reading to find out more about how she got started, the fantastic projects she has worked on, including the amazing (I May Destroy You), and other talented women in the sector she admires.
Tell us a little about yourself and the work you do
Catherine Thomas creating sounds
My name is Catherine Thomas, I am 42 and I’m from north Wales. I am a foley artist, foley mixer and foley editor at Boom Ltd in London. I am primarily a foley artist and often get the chance to edit my own work, which is incredibly satisfying, as you get to see your work sit exactly with the picture; when you see it fit perfectly with all the other sounds, it’s a rush and always brings a smile to my face. I do the occasional foley mixer days as well. Indeed, pretty much my first role in foley was recording, and so I enjoy getting back to where it all started. In fact, over the years and in particular, during the current lockdown, I have been recording myself. This means I’m looking for the next sound effect to do, pressing record, running around to perform the effect, running back, pressing stop and having a quick edit to make sure it all works. I particularly enjoy doing this as it gives me full control of the foley output. I then send it to one of our brilliant foley editors who expertly perfect it all.
What route did you take to begin working in your role?
My route into this job was fairly straight forward, after that is, I quit my Masters in Sports Psychology. During the course I realised that this was not where I wanted to be and that working in sound definitely was. So with the help of my amazing parents, I embarked upon a 18 month part-time diploma in sound engineering in Manchester, upon which I eventually landed a post-production runner job in Soho. I worked at Blue, as it was called, for a year, and heard about a job at the sound dedicated facility, Boom. I jumped at the chance. Whilst I was a runner there, I found that I frequently gravitated to the foley studio, because it looked like the most fun. For a start, there were always at least 3 people in the room, making the atmosphere more vibrant. Also, the organic approach to creating sound effects, with nothing but the props around you, felt exciting. It still is. Before long, after having sat in with the foley folk, I was asked to start recording and editing. Again, I jumped at the opportunity, and my foley carrier had begun.
Why did you want to get into the film/television industry?
I wasn't necessarily drawn to the film/TV industry specifically. I was just drawn to working in sound. I am a frequent gig-goer and have done 20+ festivals - I am a massive heavy metal fan, by the way. I also love accents and, well, interesting sounds, whatever the context. So when I eventually had the courage to follow my dream, it felt completely right. I love being a part of the story being told on-screen, even if the scene only requires me to put glass down onto the table or do a light cloth touch. And then obviously, when you get to do big and expansive sound effects, it’s even better.
What is your proudest moment of your career so far?
My proudest moments definitely include being asked to become the in-house foley artist for Boom Ltd. Boom are a highly distinguished and decorated post-house and so to be asked to perform their foley was incredible. I learned a great deal from the artists that I recorded during my first years at Boom, and those years stood me in such good stead for the subsequent years of being an foley artist. I have also had an Emmy nomination (foley editing), an MPSE award and 7 MPSE nominations (foley artist).
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
I suppose the biggest challenge of my career was the transition from foley mixer to foley artist. I knew I had to maintain Boom’s exacting standards. But like I said, I had absorbed everything from the foley artists I had recorded over the years and with the help of my colleagues I feel that the transition was a smooth one.
Catherine Thomas creating sounds
What new skills would you like to learn in the next few years?
In terms of new skills, I feel I want to keep on progressing with all the effects I’m involved with creating. There are always new ways to do things, even if you’ve been doing them the same way for years. For me, it’s all about fine-tuning or simply discovering a whole new way of working. Whenever I find myself changing the way I do something, whether it's performing, mixing or editing, then I very much enjoy the shift forwards.
What three things do you always have on your bedside table?
First is my phone, which presumably, is almost a universal answer, nonetheless it’s true for me too. Next are my vitamin B-complex tablets, as I am vegan. The third is moisturiser. Foley-ing can be a dirty job, and so I always have a tub of stuff to sooth my often dry hands.
If you could have worked on any film in history, which would it be?
That's a tough question … There are films I love that are not necessarily sound effect heavy, such as any Mike Leigh stuff. Happy-Go-Lucky, Naked or Abigail’s Party, for example. I suppose in terms of big budget movies, where there tend to be more effects to be had, I’d love to have worked on one of the recent Batman films or Gravity. But there’s also the issue of films that speak of great truths or injustices and have the power to change things. For example, Suffragette or Selma.
One of my favourite films ever, and one which I did not expect to love, is Black Swan. It’s female led, which so many films are criminally not, and is so uniquely captivating. Most other films seem to me to be too derivative, and whilst Black Swan may be based on a prior film that I’m unaware of, it is still a genuinely different and thought provoking piece.
Could you tell us some women who work in your role/sector that you admire the work of?
The women in the industry that I admire the work are all friends. They are all pioneers and all have profoundly contributed to the betterment of women in production and post-production. I certainly wouldn't be here were it not for each of them. They have helped me learn and grow, both as a foley professional and as a woman. They have achieved so many things and I can only aspire to do the same. They are Andi Derrick - foley artist, Catherine Hodgson - sound designer and Beewan Athwal - post production coordinator.
What are you working on at the moment?
At the moment, I am working on the 4th series of The Crown. We are lucky enough to have done all series and so I love seeing the transition from storyline to storyline, as well as from actor to actor. We have also been working on I May Destroy You, which is a great 12 part drama on the BBC. We have also worked on Peaky Blinders, Black Mirror and the recent, A Christmas Carol and Catherine The Great adaptations. There are other projects on the go but I must wait until their titles are confirmed.
