The Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) will present sound designer and sound recordist John Paul Fasal with its 2018 MPSE Career Achievement Award. A 30-year veteran of the sound industry, Fasal has contributed to more than 150 motion pictures and is best known for his groundbreaking work in field recording. Among his many credits are Top Gun, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Interstellar, The Dark Knight, American Sniper and this year’s box office hit Dunkirk. Fasal will receive his award at the MPSE Golden Reel Awards ceremony, February 18, 2018 in Los Angeles.
“John is a master of his craft, an innovator who has pioneered many new recording techniques, and a restless, creative spirit who will stop at nothing to capture the next great sound,” said MPSE president Tom McCarthy. “He is also an exceptional professional who enjoys the esteem of his colleagues in the sound world and filmmakers worldwide. We take pride in presenting him with this unique honor.”
The MPSE Career Achievement Award recognizes sound artists who have distinguished themselves by meritorious works as both an individual and fellow contributor to the art of sound for feature film, television and gaming and for setting an example of excellence for others to follow. Fasal joins a distinguished list of sound innovators, including 2017 Career Achievement recipient Harry Cohen, Richard King, John Roesch, Skip Lievsay, Randy Thom, Larry Singer, Walter Murch and George Watters II.
“Sound artists typically work behind the scenes, out of the limelight, and so to be recognized in this way by my peers is humbling,” said Fasal. “It is an honor to join the past recipients of this award, many of whom are both colleagues and friends. I am grateful to the MPSE for this wonderful distinction.”
Fasal began his career as a musician and songwriter, but gravitated toward postproduction sound in the 1980s. Among his first big successes was Top Gun for which he recorded and designed many of the memorable jet aircraft sound effects. He has been a member of the sound teams on several films that have won Academy Awards in sound categories, including Inception, The Dark Knight, Letters from Iwo Jima, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Hunt for Red October and Pearl Harbor.
Fasal has worked as a sound designer and recordist throughout his career, but in recent years has increasingly focused on field recording. He enjoys especially high regard for his ability to capture the sounds of planes, ships, automobiles, and military weaponry. “The equipment has changed dramatically over the course of my career, but the philosophy behind the craft remains the same,” he said. “It still involves the layering of sounds to create a sonic picture and help tell the story.”
