سيرة
Andrew Somers developed an early passion for visual and performing arts and sciences, beginning with photography using his first Kodak Brownie camera at age 8 in the early 1970s. Enrolled in an experimental program for gifted children, he attended weekly afternoon classes at Westminster College, honing skills that have supported his lifelong learning. By age 10, he wrote, illustrated, and animated his first short film on Super8.
Before the advent of the IBM PC, Andrew was introduced to computer programming via teletype connection to a local college mainframe, working with line-numbered Fortran IV and BASIC. During this era of experimental electronic music, he learned to play the MiniMoog synthesizer and discovered the creative potential in blending technology and art—a theme that has defined his career.
As a teenager, Andrew played the Miraphone in the local symphony orchestra and worked in the layout and production department of a small newspaper. At Western Washington University, he engaged with the college radio station and earned his first broadcasting license in 1979. There, he mastered multi-track recording and pursued performing arts, including Summer Stock theater, before embarking on a professional broadcast radio career guided by friend Glenn Beck.
Throughout the 1980s, Andrew worked in broadcast radio, valued both for his news gathering, writing, and production skills, and for his broadcast engineering expertise. This led to his role as Chief Engineer for an AM/FM station pair in Southern California and membership in the Society of Broadcast Engineers. Soon after, he joined local television station KADY’s news department and contributed engineering support to a satellite uplink facility.
Seeking more creative challenges, Andrew accepted a sound and music creative role for KADY’s post-production work on the syndicated TV show GLOW around 1988—his breakthrough into television and film. This opportunity led to his first professional Director of Photography credits with the same production company. Since then, he has earned numerous credits and awards, including three Emmy Awards, two for supervising sound design on CBS’s Beakman’s World.
He also served as sound effects supervisor and SFX mixer for FOX’s Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, one of the earliest shows to utilize digital sound editing technology via the Fairlight MFX2—predating ProTools’ capabilities. As a digital film tools advocate, particularly for Fairlight, Andrew contributed to notable feature films such as Flubber (creating the sound of flubber), The Thin Red Line, The Matrix, Deep Impact, and others.
By the late 1990s, as digital picture editing surged in popularity, Andrew embraced emerging digital imaging technologies during the film industry’s transition from chemical to digital processes. Renowned as the expert problem-solver for complex technical challenges, he frequently provides visual effects, title design, and R&D support for special technical solutions on projects including TRON: Legacy, Terminator: Salvation, live-action Beauty and the Beast, and The Fourth Kind.
An actor and voiceover artist, Andrew is a Screen Actors Guild member often cast for his commanding presence. He belongs to the Hollywood Editor’s Guild as a film editor and visual effects supervisor, working on major studio feature films. Additionally, he is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and has served as an industry advisor and director of technology for the nonprofit Filmmaker’s Alliance.
Andrew writes for industry trade publications on filmmaking technology, color, imaging, and typography, and conducts seminars and discussion groups focused on digital filmmaking and post-production. He formerly contributed a column on civil rights, constitutional law, and civil liberties for the New York Times’ About.com sites. His other interests include industrial design, inventing, writing, flying, restoring vintage cars and appliances, and caring for cats.
