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.
Name: Douglas Thomas
What’s your job/classification? My classification is Apprentice Editor at Skywalker Sound. As an apprentice I work closely with the first assistant, but not only that, I get the chance to try different skill sets, and have had many opportunities to learn from my coworkers’ experiences, which can cover decades.
List the credits you’re most proud of. I don’t have any sound credits yet, but I do have these from my days at Lucasfilm/ILM: “Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014),” “Skyscraper,” “Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)”
What are you working on right now? I’m working on a project directed by Boots Riley.
Who and what are your influences and/or mentors? There have been so many people who have helped mentor me in one way or another, but Andre Fenley has been mentoring me since I started working at Skysound. My lifelong mentor is my Father.
What books are you reading, shows are you watching and/or movies you’re excited about? Books: “Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, The Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm.” Shows: “Black Godfather of Harlem,” and “The Last of Us.” Movies I’m excited to see: “Indiana Jones.”
What would be your superhero name? Dug Infinite
What are your black history month memories? What cultural or historical events have impacted your life? I remember all the hard work and fun I had, putting together presentations with audio, and video, for Black History Months assemblies at Martin Luther King pool in Bayview/Hunters Point, SF and at Alice Fung Yu Chinese immersion school in the inner Sunset, SF for over a decade.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? Grandfather used to say, “If you celebrate the small victories you’ll have more parties!”
If you could time travel, when would you go and why? I would be curious to go to the future to see the progress, and if we got it right or wrong socially and environmentally.
What’s a little known fact about you? What are your hidden (or not so hidden) talents? I produced songs for Common, did an album with NO I.D. and mentored a young Kanye (YE) West in beat making.
What’s your favorite (Black) television/movie moment? “She’s Your Queen to Be,” from “Coming to America.” Never fails to make me participate and makes me laugh.
Was there a television show/movie that inspired you to pursue your career? I have always been a fan of sound in film since I was a kid watching the Shaw Brothers classic Kung Fu movies at the local cinema, however, “Star Wars was the first movie that I saw over, and over and confirmed that I love sound.
What’s your personal/professional mantra? Always bring good energy and be humble.
What’s the last show/movie that left you speechless? “Last Black Man of San Francisco:” That boat rowing away under the Golden Gate Bridge.
What would be your dream project to work on? That’s tough. There are so many dream projects.
