The son of sound re-recordist Clem Portman, Portman entered the film industry in 1957, as a trainee at Columbia Pictures. In 1959 he joined the Samuel Goldwyn Studio as a junior engineer, rising to the position of Assistant Supervising Sound Recording Engineer. In 1970 he joined Robert Altman at the Lion's Gate facility, serving as Sound Director. He was instrumental in creating an entirely new approach to re-recording sound and post-production, and was the first in Hollywood to ever mix an entire feature by himself. As a sound re-recording mixer, he has over 140 films to his credit, including Best Picture nominees THE GODFATHER (1972), NASHVILLE (1975), STAR WARS (1977), THE DEER HUNTER (1978), COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER (1980) and ON GOLDEN POND (1981). His latest feature film was VOLARE (2004).  Nominated for Sound 1971: KOTCH (w. Jack Solomon)  Nominated for Sound 1972: THE CANDIDATE (w. Gene S. Cantamessa)  Nominated for Sound 1972: THE GODFATHER (w. Charles "Bud" Grenzbach & Christopher Newman)  Nominated for Sound 1973: THE DAY OF THE DOLPHIN (w. Lawrence O. Jost)  Nominated for Sound 1973: PAPER MOON (w. Les Fresholtz)  Nominated for Sound 1974: YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (w. Gene S. Cantamessa)  Nominated for Sound 1975: FUNNY LADY (w. Don MacDougall, Edward "Curly" Thirlwell & Jack Solomon)  Sound 1978: THE DEER HUNTER (w. William McCaughey, Aaron Rochin & Darin Knight)  Nominated for Sound 1980: COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER (w. Roger Heman Jr. & Jim Alexander)  Nominated for Sound 1981: ON GOLDEN POND (w. David Ronne)  Nominated for Sound 1984: THE RIVER (w. Nick Alphin, Robert M. Thirlwell & David Ronne) 11 nominations, 1 Award