Cut to Black: Did You Know? Willie D. Burton, Sound Mixer

For each day in the month of February, the African American Steering Committee will be highlighting Local 700’s African American members, both past and present, and their accomplishments. We look forward to showing the contributions and influences African Americans have had on the industry.

With over 35 years of sound mixing under his belt, Burton has 8 Academy Award nominations in sound. He was first nominated for an Oscar in 1978 for “The Buddy Holly Story” and received nominations for “Altered States,” “War Games,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Green Mile,” “Dreamgirls,” and this year’s Christopher Nolan-directed “Oppenheimer.”  He won for “Bird” and “Dreamgirls.” Burton also won the BAFTA (British Academy Film and Television Award) for “War Games” in 1983. 

In 2005 he received The Cinema Audio Society Career Achievement Award, their highest honor, for his body of work in the industry. 

Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama Burton became fascinated with broadcasting because he lived near a radio station. While still in high school, he entered a work-study program in a store that sold and repaired radios and TVs. He learned how to repair radios, but also began to experiment with improving and learning more about the electronics. This fascination with sound made Burton think of having a career in the field but there were limited opportunities for African-Americans in sound and electronics, especially in the Deep South. 

Burton made the decision to move to Long Beach, California after high school, and attended a trade school, then Compton City College, where he studied electronics technology.

After graduating college, Burton worked on sonar technology for the Department of the Navy, but his ultimate goal was to work in broadcasting. For that, you needed to be a member of the union. Finally, in 1969, Burton became a member of the International Sound Technicians union, their first black member. Entry-level jobs on the TV series “Land of the Giants,” “Medical Center,” and “Gunsmoke,” led to him meeting someone who taught him to how to use sound-mixing equipment. Burton’s big break came in 1975, when he heard that Sidney Poitier was directing the film “Let’s Do It Again,” with Bill Cosby and was hired by Poitier. 

If the sound team for “Oppenheimer” wins an Academy Award on March 10th Burton will add a third Oscar to his collection.