Leo Chaloukian
Sound Engineer/ Sound Executive
About This Interview
In his nearly four hour interview for The Archive of American Television, Leo Chaloukian discusses his childhood and service in the Navy before detailing his long and decorated career in the sound industry. Chaloukian explains various elements of sound design, including Foley, ADR, and mixing, and describes his work on television shows such as Gunsmoke, Lassie, Route 66, Highway Patrol, Maverick, Have Gun Will Travel, Sea Hunt, and the pilot episode of Star Trek. He recounts his rise up the ranks from janitor to owner of Ryder Sound Services and shares tales of Ryder's founder, Loren Ryder -- a pioneer in the field of sound for film and television. Chaloukian also comments on his Oscar win for the feature film Platoon, his involvement with the Motion Picture Academy, and his time as President of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Michael Rosen conducted the interview in Los Angeles, CA on March 28, 2001.
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Video Clip: Platoon
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Highlights
On the difficulties of doing sound for Sea Hunt and the creative way he protected microphones underwater
Clip begins at: 25:19, Duration: 01m 13s
Leo Chaloukian on unknowingly supplying Nixon with the equipment for all of his infamous Watergate recordings
Clip begins at: 18:33, Duration: 03m 16s- On identifying 4 gunshots in an audio recording of President Kennedy's assassination
Clip begins at: 23:50, Duration: 02m 15s 
On sound effects for snakes in Raiders of the Lost Ark
Clip begins at: 05:47, Duration: 00m 23s- On the feeling he gets from perfect sound - on Platoon
Clip begins at: 28:20, Duration: 00m 26s
Interview
- Part 1
- On his childhood and early influences; on moving from Chicago to Los Angeles; on serving as a mine sweeper in the Navy during World War II
Clip begins at: 0:38 - On attending American Television Laboratories; on his earliest memories of television
Clip begins at: 12:05 - On wanting to work in sound/electronics at Ryder Sound Services; on working nights at Ryder and then getting the day shift and transferring soundtracks
Clip begins at: 15:52 - On impressing Loren Ryder, founder of Ryder Services
Clip begins at: 22:20 - Part 2
- On his family; on Loren Ryder his partnership with Nagra Recorders
Clip begins at: 0:20 - On sound production in the 1950s and working with Ziv Television Productions; On Foley sound
Clip begins at: 10:53 - On challenges of sound building for television in the 1950s
Clip begins at: 21:34 - On creating the sound effects on Lassie, and Sea Hunt; on production mixing
Clip begins at: 24:28 - Part 3
- On ambient noise, wild tracks, signal to noise ratios, and other sound terms
Clip begins at: 0:19 - On companies with which Ryder Sound had contracts; on his promotions at Ryder Sound Services and becoming an executive; on buying Loren Ryder out of the company
Clip begins at: 08:05 - On shows his company worked on: Lassie, Death Valley Days, Annette Funicello movies and Maverick
Clip begins at: 23:14 - Part 4
- Leo Chaloukian on doing sound for Highway Patrol, Route 66, Star Trek and Gunsmoke
Clip begins at: 0:19 - On mixing sound for National Geographic specials and working with Jacques Cousteau; on mixing for David Wolper's documentaries; on sound for Hanna-Barbera shows
Clip begins at: 07:44 - On taking full ownership of Ryder Sound Systems in 1976; on client relations
Clip begins at: 20:54 - Part 5
- On films Ryder Sound provided sound for: Two Mules for Sister Sara, Bullitt, The Graduate, Easy Rider, The Godfather, Saturday Night Fever, Smokey and the Bandit, Star Trek
Clip begins at: 0:18 - Leo Chaloukian on Ryder Sound being nominated for 6 Emmys in 1977, and for 14 in 1981; on Ryder Sound winning and Oscar and Emmy in 1986; on the shows for which he personally won Emmys - Stalin, Journey to the Outer Limits
Clip begins at: 08:09 - On generation loss; on sound challenges on the film Phoenix City and being followed by the FBI
Clip begins at: 11:46 - On unknowingly supplying Nixon with the equipment for all of his infamous Watergate recordings; on identifying the number of shots heard on an audio tape that recorded President Kennedy's assassination
Clip begins at: 19:02 - On doing sound for Platoon, for which he won an Oscar
Clip begins at: 26:05 - Part 6
- On working with Oliver Stone on Platoon and Wall Street; on sound for Raiders of the Lost Ark
Clip begins at: 0:18 - On his work for the Federal Aviation Administration and deciphering information from black boxes
Clip begins at: 06:42 - On his involvement with the Moon Landing in 1969; on JFK's assassination
Clip begins at: 09:19 - On going digital and selling Ryder Sound to Sound Deluxe; on electronic editing
Clip begins at: 14:25 - On some of the films Sound Deluxe edits sound for: Gladiator, Perfect Storm, and several television shows including Angel, Sopranos, and C.S.I.
Clip begins at: 26:11 - On his involvement with The Television Academy
Clip begins at: 27:24 - Part 7
- On becoming a Governor of the Sound branch of The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS); on the separation of ATAS and NATAS (National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences); on becoming President of ATAS
Clip begins at: 0:19 - On the state of ATAS when he became President; on acquiring headquarters for ATAS
Clip begins at: 04:56 - On suffering a silent heart attack in 1991; on current projects
Clip begins at: 19:00 - On his love of sound mixing; on advice to young sound professionals
Clip begins at: 22:31 - Part 8
- On genres that are difficult to design sound for - science ficition and action
Clip begins at: 0:24 - On his proudest achievement; on the key to his success
Clip begins at: 02:38 - On demonstrations of sound equipment developed by Ryder Sound
Clip begins at: 08:05
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