Departments

Lean in & Lean On Holiday Party & Toy Drive: 2025 Recap

Our 2025 Lean In & Lean On Holiday Party & Toy Drive on December 13 was an overwhelming success, thanks to the generosity of our members, volunteers, and sister Locals. Nearly 400 families—over 1,500 attendees—joined us for a day filled with smiles, community, and holiday cheer. With the help of 90 volunteers, we distributed 300 food boxes, hundreds of gift cards, and an incredible assortment of toys, ensuring meaningful support for our member families.

The event also raised more than $42,000 to cover gifts, toys, and event costs, featured a new member-maker marketplace with vendors from multiple Locals, and included raffles, food, and festive treats enjoyed by all. From Santa’s Workshop to churros, hot cocoa, and popcorn, the joy was undeniable. Thank you to everyone who helped make this growing tradition such a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish together.

---

Operation Warm: Another Successful Drive

Hollywood-based locals partnered with Operation Warm to distribute coats to the children who attended Flory Academy of Sciences and Technology in Moorpark on December 17, 2025. Midwest and East Coast locals have been working with Operation Warm for years, and in turn, inspired the Hollywood locals to volunteer to help keep kids warm during winter.

Operation Warm has been distributing coats and shoes to children for over 26 years. Their motto is to “Give the gift of warmth, confidence, and hope.”

---

New Members

Local 695 welcomes its new members

Chad Algarin Projectionist
Joshua Beg Y-9
Jess Daily Projectionist
Michael Napoli Y-7a
James Nelson Y-16a
Cole Ryden Y-7a
Bryce Stiell Y-4

---

Free AVIXA Training through the IATSE Training Trust Fund

Part association, part society, AVIXA provides training and certifications for the constantly evolving world of audiovisual (AV) technologies. Through the IATSE Training Trust Fund (TTF)/AVIXA partnership, their Elite Membership tier is free to access for all IATSE members, and includes online AV training. For additional classes, as well as the CTS exam, generous discounts are also on offer. To learn more about these resources and to register for your free AVIXA account, please
visit: https://www.iatsetrainingtrust.org/avixa

---

IN LOVING MEMORY OF
JEFF WEXLER Y-1
April 18, 1947 – December 9, 2025

by Vanessa Withers, Jeff’s daughter

Yesterday, (Tuesday, December 9), our dad, Jeff Wexler, passed away at his home in Santa Monica after years of struggling with chronic kidney disease. He was 78. Losing him is overwhelming, even though we knew his body had been fighting for a long time.

Our dad was kind in a way that felt effortless, generous in a way that asked for nothing back, and endlessly curious about the world. What meant the most to him was his family. He was a source of unwavering support, encouragement, and love, always present for us regardless of his professional commitments.

He also had a life in cinema that shaped who he was. He grew up around film sets as the son of Haskell Wexler, but he carved out his own path. He once thought he would become a sociology teacher, until a summer job on Harold and Maude showed him exactly where he belonged: right there on set, actively listening, creatively contributing, paying attention in the way only he could.

Over the next five decades, he became one of the great Production Sound Mixers, working on more than seventy films. His credits include Coming Home, Fight Club, Almost Famous, The Last Samurai, Jerry Maguire, As Good as It Gets, and so many others. He cared deeply about his craft and was always pushing it forward. He helped usher in new recording technologies long before they became standard. He mentored younger sound people. He loved problem-solving. He loved being part of something bigger than himself.

But the main thing we want people to know is that he was a great dad. Someone who showed up for us. A man of quiet integrity, whose deep and comprehensive exploration of the human condition was evident in all he did. He loved film for its ability to connect people.

Our stepmom, Carol, passed away earlier this year, and even though losing them both so close together feels surreal, we are grateful they are at peace. We know our dad will be missed far beyond our family. The film community loved him, learned from him, and was inspired by him. We were fortunate to have him as a father, and despite his physical absence, he remains with us always.

With love, Vanessa and David

Steve Nelson

Along with all the richly deserved accolades and loving memories, what is also significant in his legacy is that Jeff was a community builder. JWSoundgroup.net is a place not only for buying, selling, and trading equipment, but where knowledge and expertise is freely shared and passed along. Newbies can ask without fear and be answered by those who know. Jeff was key in making a formerly atomized group of folks all doing the same work, all over the world, and creating a community. Always a generous and lovely soul, he will be missed.

Peter J. Devlin

As so many have said, Jeff created community, and what a legacy he has left. His work speaks to a different era in cinema, and he always embraced technological change. It was in 1999 when I spoke to him in a long telephone call about my concerns in moving to hard disk recording, he told me of his own battles with post production and their adapting to how he wanted to record on set. He soothed my fears and I knew he was always available to talk. His appearance at so many events, Zooms, and sound gatherings spoke to how he was so invested in this art form and he gave so much to us. He will be sorely missed and I know that any time in the future when I watch his films, I will feel fortunate to have met him and know that his work influenced so many of us.

Simon Hayes

Rather than write about his gargantuan contribution to the film industry & sound mixing which really goes beyond words, I’m going to write what he meant to me.
Jeff was someone who has inspired me since I started my journey as a Mixer. I would read interviews with him and scour journals and articles for his thoughts and workflows as a 20-year-old. I followed his career in awe.
When I finally found myself in a unique and unexpected situation: being thrust into a spotlight with Les Miserables being recognized internationally, it was Jeff who first reached out and wanted to know all about it. It was like Pelé contacting a young footballer: one of the globe’s most revered and storied Sound Mixers wanted to talk to me about my work. I was completely taken aback.
Jeff told me I’d be coming to LA: He called it, and told me the moment I arrived he wanted to meet up. We had lunch in his favorite restaurant in Santa Monica and spent the afternoon telling film stories and laughing.
It was the start of a beautiful friendship & mentorship. We were constantly in touch and each time I went to LA, we’d meet and laugh. It was like we’d known each other forever. Jeff was so generous, so inviting. So eager to share his thoughts and always seemed very interested in my opinions. He was an extremely important person in my journey.
Thank you, Jeff, for everything. I will miss you greatly. Our industry and craft lost one of the greats. Rest in peace, Jeff. Until we meet again.

Whit Norris

Jeff was a good friend and colleague. Over the years, we spent many Saturday and Sunday mornings with fellow mixers on Jan McLaughlin’s Zoom group. I greatly benefited from all of his advice, techniques, wisdom, and stories. It was always an honor to sit with him for many years at the CAS Awards, as well as meeting his father, Haskell Wexler.

---

TRIBUTE TO
Frank Zaragoza Y-8
June 23, 1969 – October 30, 2025

Frank Zaragoza’s legacy is a beautiful blend of kindness, creativity, and a wickedly funny sense of humor. He instilled in us the vital lesson of being present for others, no matter how chaotic life may become. His deep passion for filmmaking drove him to generously offer his time and expertise to support friends in pursuit of their dream projects. At Frank’s Celebration of Life, his family and work family felt exactly the same way about him. We both grieve his loss deeply and find comfort in our happy memories. Our friendship flourished through our shared interests and created countless cherished memories. Go Raiders! May the Force be with you, always. 
–Susan Moore-Chong & Dirk Stout

---

In Memoriam

Thomas Causey – Y-1
12/5/1949 – 1/11/2026

Donald C. Rogers – Y-1
5/4/1931 – 1/4/2026

Jeffrey S. Wexler – Y-1
4/18/1947 – 12/9/2025

by Ric Teller

Try having ’em sing into a 58

Show of hands. How many of you played in a band when you were young? No, not the school concert band or the marching band, although I am a big supporter of school music. In my younger days, I enjoyed time in the Hastings Junior High Band, under the direction of the terrific Jack Minshall, followed by the Hastings High School Marching Tigers Band. And in the fall of 1970, I passed the audition for the University of Nebraska Cornhusker Marching Band, 188 marching men under the direction of the great Jack Snider. That’s right, from its roots as an offshoot of ROTC, no girls participated in the band. That changed in 1972 with the passage of Title IX. My sister, Beth, joined the band a couple of years later, one of the pioneers. Okay, thanks for indulging my marching band reminiscence; now, back to the original question. Did you play in a band? One that had microphones and a PA. I believe many of us were introduced to sound gear while playing in someone’s garage or basement. Often those stories, including mine, begin with, “When I saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show…” A few years later, The Fabulous Flippers, a terrific band from Lawrence, Kansas, featuring an excellent horn section, played at The Hastings City Auditorium. There was the lead vocalist, Denny Loewen, singing into what was probably a Shure mic. Maybe a 565, but more likely an SM58. Who can remember that far back?

The first band I joined had high-impedance microphones. Our Sound Mixer, Don Robertson, sat right in front of the seven-piece band in order to keep the length of mic cables under twenty feet. In the high-impedance world, longer cables have higher capacitance, creating a low-pass filter, cutting the high frequencies, resulting in lower output and a duller sound. Each night, Don would jump up from his mixing position, hop onto the stage, and sing “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” It was the best thing about having him set up so close to the band. A couple of years later, I was asked to play in the Chancellors. Not the Minneapolis Chancellors who covered Bill Medley’s “Little Latin Lupe Lu.” Personal note: The best version was recorded by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels. I played in the Chancellors from Lincoln, Nebraska.
We were a popular regional band that had a PA from Stanal Sound, and a bunch of Shure SM58’s. Our PA Tech/Mixer was Monte Krabiel, who worked for Stan Miller at Stanal for a long time.

This year, the Shure SM58 turned sixty years old. Every band I played in had them or wanted to get them. The Shure corporation recently celebrated a century in business. They have had a remarkable series of products with longevity not often seen in the professional audio world. Among other things, they are known for making the most visually recognizable microphone, the Shure 55. In 1939, when it was released, the 55 offered performance superior to its competitors and an iconic design. Through various versions in its eighy-seven years, the 55 is still in use and can be found in many logos and photos, including the famous picture of Harry Truman holding the front page of the Chicago Tribune with the banner headline, DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN. Spoiler alert. He didn’t.

When the SM58 was released in 1966, it wasn’t a big hit. Same story is true for the SM57 that entered the market a year earlier. The SM, which stands for studio microphone, had a lot of competition. In recording studios, the Neumann U87 was released about the same year. RCA had the very popular 77DX on the market about a decade earlier, and the reliable and rugged 635A from Electro Voice became popular for TV, radio, and carpentry applications. According to Michael Petterson, Director of Corporate History at Shure: “Sales were sluggish, and plans were afoot to discontinue the SM58 and the SM57. As a last-ditch effort, the Shure national sales manager suggested introducing the mics to live sound engineers in Las Vegas. The mics were a hit in Vegas, and entertainers began to embrace these models for live performance.” Soon the SM58 became the standard for live vocal mics, whether you were Roger Daltrey on tour with The Who or in a combo playing songs at a Holiday Inn Lounge.

Today on Amazon, you can purchase a Neumann U87 Ai for $3,750, an RCA 77DX is available on Reverb for $2,850, the Electro Voice 635A, discontinued in 2024, after a sixty-year run, can be found used for around $200, and you can purchase a new Shure SM58 for $99 wherever quality microphones are sold.

In the 1960s, about the time of the birth of the SM57 and SM58, the abbreviation for microphone changed from mike to mic, making the present participle of the verb “to mic” the somewhat confusing ‘micing,” which looks like it has something to do with a small rodent. Some use “miking,” others “mic’ing.” The etymology of micification can be mystifying. Around that time, Dad had a Wollensak tape recorder for business use. It was my first personal experience with a microphone and with reel-to-reel tape. My good friend, Jim Standley, and I recorded radio commercials for high school events on that rugged machine. The same year, I successfully auditioned for the Nebraska All-State Orchestra. I had never played trombone in an orchestra (I was a percussionist in the Hastings High School ensemble my senior year). Being selected was kind of a big deal. Players from high schools all over the state traveled to Omaha, spent a couple of days rehearsing with a guest conductor, and performed a concert, including the “1812 Overture” by Tchaikovsky. We each received an LP of the live recording. Wish I could travel back to see what mics and recording equipment were used to make that record. Today, I learned that my maternal grandmother’s life overlapped with Tchaikovsky’s. Her husband, my grandfather, was born before time zones existed. In 1972, after the passage of the 26th Amendment, I was excited about voting for the first time. My grandmother told me that she had that same feeling at age 35 when she first got to vote in the 1920 election. The first election after the passage of the 19th Amendment. The first time women voted. I like time-span factoids and will share another favorite later in this ramble if space allows.
Those of us who have reached a certain age probably remember pulling cable in the plenum of the Shrine Auditorium and the Pantages Theatre, or maybe dragging a long DT12 through the wet grass and mud in Pasadena for the Rose Parade. If you never experienced that rite of passage, be grateful. When the Calrec Alpha came on the scene, we began to embrace audio signals being transported over fiber optic cables. In the beginning, we ran copper backups for the fiber, but now we are totally reliant on those lightweight, back-pain-saving cables. On a recent show, audio information between the stage and the broadcast truck ran on TAC 12 fiber to and from the Calrec Hydras (stage boxes). FOH and monitor Digico consoles were connected with Optocore fiber. We used a Ferrofish, an AD/DA device to send Pro Tools and Autotune outputs to the splits, a Yamaha Rio on fiber to the truck for emergency backups, audience mics, and lighting board timecode at FOH, and a CPT Systems Dio 0808MA-XLR for emergency backups between split world and the truck.

We still run some copper mults, mostly W-2 and W-4, but not nearly as much as we once did. I wonder what is next. Whatever it is, chances are good that an SM58 will still be involved. Oh, yeah, and it has been years since I’ve been in a plenum.

The voice of Vin Scully, whether coming through a Shure SM58 or any other microphone, is iconic. In 1950, when Vin started announcing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Connie Mack was still the manager of the Philadelphia Athletics. Connie Mack was born when Lincoln was President.

Ebiut Cervantes
I’ve been a Local 695 union member since 2016, specializing in playback work on award shows. I have had the privilege of working on shows like The Oscars, American Music Awards, BET Awards, Kids’ Choice Awards, and ACMA’s, to name a few.

---

Simon Hayes CAS AMPS
Simon Hayes is an Academy Award-winning Production Sound Mixer. His innovative techniques on Les Misérables redefined on-set vocal recording, setting a new standard for authenticity and emotional resonance in musical films.

---

Jeffrey Humphreys
Jeff’s film career began in 1978, working on many epic films like Body Bags, Drillbit Taylor, and Meet the Deedles. Jeff hasn’t won any awards, and isn’t in any sound or film societies. He continued in the business because “Life is for people that can’t handle the film business.”

---

Richard Lightstone CAS AMPS
Richard began his career in Montreal and continues to mix in Los Angeles. He is the Editor of Production Sound & Video, served on the Executive Board of Local 695, and President of
the Cinema Audio Society for two terms.

---

Susan Moore-Chong
Susan has been a member of Local 695 since 1983 and worked primarily as an episodic television Production Sound Mixer. She also served on the Board of Trustees for several terms. She is happily retired and living in Hawaii once again.

---

Ric Teller
I’ve been very fortunate in my more than 40 years working in television, going places, and doing things that a kid from a small town in Nebraska could not have imagined.

Welcome to 2026. Sadly we begin this year mourning the loss of members of our sound community: Frank Zaragoza left us in October, then Jeffrey S. Wexler, this past December, and in January, Donald C. Rogers and Thomas Causey, all sound legends and gentlemen. They will be sorely missed.

It is the unofficial beginning of awards season, and we give you the sound nominations from AMPS, CAS, BAFTA’s, and Oscars. We have an interview with the sound crew of One Battle After Another and Simon Hayes goes deep into Wicked: For Good.

Retired Boom Operator Jeffrey Humphreys reflects on the Production Mixers who enriched his career and Ric Teller continues to regale us in “Ric Rambles.”

Skip Kent, Larry Reed, and Ebiut Cervantes explain the complexities of the monumental work they do to bring us the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

There is “News & Announcements” from Casey Weiss, and loving tributes to Frank Zaragoza and Jeff Wexler.

Wishing all a safe, happy, and successful year.

In Solidarity

Richard Lightstone CAS AMPS
Production Sound & Video Editor

A Look Ahead

The past year has been one of the most challenging periods many of our members have faced in a long time. Extended slowdowns, canceled projects, and long gaps between calls created real uncertainty for working families across our crafts. For some, it meant hard financial choices; for others, it meant stepping away from the industry entirely, even if only temporarily. That reality should not be forgotten as we look ahead.

As we move into the new year, there are signs that the industry is beginning to regain momentum. Production is slowly increasing, more projects are moving forward, and more of our members are getting back to work. The pace of recovery remains uneven, and no one should expect an overnight return to “normal,” but the overall direction is positive. For many members, even incremental improvement makes a meaningful difference.

At the same time, technology continues to evolve rapidly and reshape the way our work is done. Wireless communication systems are more powerful and more complex. Remote workflows, once considered a temporary solution, are now a standard part of production. Virtual and hybrid production models continue to expand, changing how crews collaborate both on set and in post. These tools may be new, but the requirement for skilled professionals is not. In fact, as technology advances, the need for experience, judgment, and problem-solving only increases.

Producers are moving forward with tighter schedules and closer budget scrutiny, placing additional pressure on crews to deliver high-quality work efficiently. Our members do that every day. Sound, video, and communications are critical to production, and they require preparation, training, and professionalism. These are not areas where shortcuts lead to success, and the industry continues to rely on our crafts to meet increasingly high expectations.

This environment makes the role of the union more important than ever. Protecting jurisdiction, defending standards, and ensuring that new technologies are implemented responsibly are essential to preserving good jobs and safe working conditions. Training and education remain key priorities, not only to help members adapt to new tools, but to ensure that those tools are used in ways that respect the work and the workers.

There are still challenges ahead, and the road forward will not be without obstacles. But as production increases and the industry continues to evolve, our focus remains clear: supporting our members, protecting the work, and advocating for the value of skilled professionals. The strength of Local 695 has always come from the people who do the work, and that will continue to guide us in the year ahead.

In Solidarity,

Scott Bernard
Business Representative

Let’s talk about sports. 

The end of the 2025-2026 NFL season marks my eleventh season. During those eleven seasons, I worked the final San Diego Chargers game at Qualcomm Stadium, welcomed and closed out the Rams at the Los Angeles Coliseum, and survived the opening seasons of both teams at SoFi amid a pandemic. However, in the world of sports broadcasting, the pinnacle gig to book is Super Bowl week.

The Super Bowl was held on February 8 in San Francisco, California. The big game is more than two teams duking it out for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Super Bowl machine is a sports-based entertainment program that feeds into one of the largest global economic revenue streams, fueled by union labor from all corners, in and out of the stadium. Let’s break it down…

According to the online publication Sportico, a news outlet dedicated to the business of sports, consumer spending on sports and sports-related entertainment is at an all-time high in 2025. For example, every NFL team receives more than $400 million from the league before a single down is played, and top MLB teams now earn more than $4 million per game in ticket revenue. The revenue from a single event is just a line item in the global sports economy.

Sports revenue spans the broader range of how fans spend their money across three sectors—fan engagement, sports products, and sports participation. To comprehensively analyze the global economic impact of sports, we need to not only include the money fans spend at or adjacent to a sporting event but also the fees they pay for gym memberships, golf and tennis clubs, and access to outdoor recreational areas. In addition, sporting equipment, recreational gear, sports medicine, and footwear and apparel are included. Lastly, fantasy sports, sports betting, sports bars, merchandise, collectibles, and licensing and monthly fees for streaming and transmission media packages must be included in the final tabulation.

The full economic magnitude of the sports industry is estimated at a global revenue stream of $2.65 trillion. The sports market should not be overlooked or undermined.

The Super Bowl has a significant financial impact on the host city. According to the US Chamber of Commerce, the final estimated economic impact of the 2024 Super Bowl in Las Vegas, Nevada, was $1 billion. New Orleans, the host of Super Bowl 2025, reported that the event generated $1.25 billion, creating almost 10,000 local jobs and $395 million in wages for Louisiana workers, according to the Louisiana Economic Development website.

The Super Bowl also represents thousands of hardworking union members from many AFL-CIO affiliates. Union members are not only on the field but also in all corners of the stadium and in the travel and hospitality surrounding the big event. At the 2023 Super Bowl, hosted by Glendale, Arizona, the players, referees, the broadcast and halftime shows, the electricity, stadium construction, food, journalism, local transportation, hotels, travel, and first responders were all represented by union membership.

The official game balls of the NFL are also produced by union labor. The leather is crafted by members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1546 who work at the Horween Leather Company in Chicago, Illinois. The Super Bowl footballs used at the game are handmade by Workers United Local 1385 in Ada, Ohio.

Every punt, pass, and throw executed at the Super Bowl is union-made.

Local 695 has a strong presence during Super Bowl week. Our Local membership provides broadcast engineers, record-and-playback operators, and technical services for audio mixing, recording, and playback at all scales. Our members also operate and engineer all comms systems, projection, and video wall playback for various shows in and around the big game.

We must recognize that events like the Super Bowl and other sporting events are essential to our Local’s economic stability, and we should be proud to help produce events that bring so many people together and support so many union families. That is why it is essential that we protect this jurisdiction. As the entertainment landscape shifts, some companies have tried to maximize profits by cutting labor costs. Union crewers who have been at the table for decades are being replaced by nonunion crewers who are bent on cutting rates. Rather than handcrafting a show around the unique experience of each game, some are looking to produce content factories run by a nonunion skeleton crew.

Sports matter. The work our members do to bring communities together matters. When the last second of the game has come to pass, and ticker tape has fallen, the IATSE, along with other union affiliates, will be there to support one of the most significant sports broadcast entertainment events of the year.

In Solidarity,

President Jillian Arnold