Les Miserabl�s won Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Motion Picture-Live Action at the 49th annual CAS Awards tonight. Honored was the Les Miserabl�s sound mixing team of production mixer Simon Hayes, re-recording mixers Andy Nelson and Mark Paterson, scoring mixer Jonathan Allen, ADR mixer Robert Edwards and Foley mixer Pete Smith.
Meanwhile taking the top honors in the newly added category of Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Motion Picture-Animated was Brave and the sound mixing Team of original dialogue mixer Bobby Johanson, re-recording mixer Tom Johnson and Gary Rydstrom, CAS, scoring mixer Andrew Dudman and Foley mixer Frank Rinella.
Held in the Millennium Biltmore Hotel’s Crystal Ballroom, the program also celebrated the professional contributions of production sound mixer Chris Newman, CAS, with the CAS Career Achievement Award. A three-time Academy Award winner� for The English Patient, Amadeus and The Exorcist, Newman has previously won a CAS Award for The English Patient. “Tonight,” said Newman, “I consider myself the luckiest man who has ever lived.” Previous CAS and Academy Award� winner Tom Fleischman, CAS, and CAS Filmmaker honoree Jonathan Demme were on hand to present Newman’s award. Newman, Demme and Fleischman have collaborated on many films including: The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, The Manchurian Candidate, Married to the Mob and Neil Young: Heart of Gold.
Among other highlights, Academy Award� winning director Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs), was presented with the CAS Filmmaker Award. “This is a very special honor for me on many fronts,” said Demme. “Chris Newman is one of the true geniuses that I have been blessed to collaborate with over the years. And for me to receive an award from the sound community, after a career of sound-obsessive film making, is just fantastic, a huge honor. I am so grateful and humbled by this.” Presenting his award was Les Miserabl�s Oscar nominee Anne Hathaway, who starred in Demme’s Rachel Getting Married. “If you know Jonathan’s outstanding work as a director then you know that he is a genius at making movies,” said Hathaway. “And if you know Jonathan then you know he is a genius at living beautifully.” Presenting with Hathaway was two-time Oscar� winner Willie D. Burton, CAS (Dreamgirls, Bird) who served as production sound mixer on Demme’s Beloved.
During the evening, there was a poignant tribute to Stefan Kudelski, inventor of the first professional portable recorder, the renowned “Nagra”. Oscar recipient Tomlinson Holman, CAS (THX loudspeaker system) recounted his relationship with the late inventor and presented rare video footage of an interview with Kudelski by CAS member Omar Milano. The complete video interview is part of the personal collection of Milano.
Other winners this evening included:
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Television Movie or Mini-Series:
Hatfields & McCoys and the sound mixing team of production mixer Dragos Stanomir, re-recording mixers Christian Cooke and Brad Zoern, scoring mixer Jeffrey A. Vaughn, CAS, ADR mixer Eric Apps and Foley mixer Peter Persaud.
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Series – One Hour:
Homeland: “Beirut is Back” and the sound mixing team of production mixer Larry Long, re-recording mixers Nello Torri, CAS and Alan M. Decker, CAS, ADR mixer Paul Drenning and Foley mixer Shawn Kennelly.
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Series – Half Hour:
Modern Family: “Disneyland” and the sound mixing team of production mixer Stephen A. Tibbo, CAS and re-recording mixers Dean Okrand and Brian R. Harman, CAS.
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Non Fiction, Variety or Music – Series or Specials:
The 2012 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and the sound mixing team of re-recording mixers Brian Riordan, CAS and Jamie Ledner.
Winners of the CAS Technical Achievement Awards:
PRODUCTION: Sound Devices-664 Field Production Mixer with Recorder
POSTPRODUCTION: Dolby� – Atmos