Musical Chairs
The call for entries has gone out for the 2005 Association of Music Producers (AMP) Awards for Excellence in TV Commercial Mixing. This will mark the fourth year of the event and the second as a national competition honoring the skills of the postproduction audio engineer who mixes the final sound on TV spots. (The first two years of the awards honored the work of mixers on the West Coast.)
Entry deadline is Feb. 28. AMP will host an evening awards gala to announce the winners in April. Each entry must consist of three TV commercials by a single mixer; the spots need to be from different campaigns. The work should reflect high audio production value, mixing skills and sensitivity to the relationship of voiceover, dialogue, music and sound design. Judges are looking for versatility, which is why spots from the same campaign aren’t accepted, and why entries are required to have voiceover. Commercials with all music or all sound design will be disqualified. Eligible spots must have made their on-air debut in the U.S. between Jan. 1, 2004 and December 31, 2004. Submissions must be accompanied by an affidavit signed by an official at the post facility or agency attesting that the mixes are the on-air versions of the commercials.
Entry forms can be found at www.ampnow.com; DVDs, affidavits and fees ($125 per entry) must arrive at Trivers/Myers Music, 2816 The Strand, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266, no later than Feb. 28. Last year’s top winner, proclaimed “Mixer of the Year,” was Bob Gremore of Mike Recording, West Los Angeles. The competition also recognizes finalists, honorable mention (for a campaign or spot) and a Judges’ Special Merit Award for a newcomer to the field….
Meanwhile, in other news……
Recording engineer/mixer/sound designer Scott Persson has come aboard McBone, New York, which is McHale Barone’s commercial music/comedy radio production company. Persson had previously been with Creative Bubble, New York…..Composer/sound designer/producer David Logan has joined New York-headquartered Q Department….Ten Music, Los Angeles, has added five record labels to its roster for the ad community; the labels are Badman, Jagjaguwar, Record Collection Secretly Canadian and Stones Throw. This brings the total number of labels represented by Ten Music to 23…..Composer/sound designer Joseph Spallina has joined tonefarmer, New York….Stompbox Music and Sound Design, Santa Monica, has upped Tommy O’Brien to creative director/executive producer, and hired sound mixer Paul Hurtubise. Additionally, the shop has hooked up with several composers for representation: Gary Myrick, Ben Einziger, Sam Farrar, Steven Morrell, Chris Horvath, John Author and Kevin Hayes….. Composer Amy Tung, a recent graduate of Musicians Institute, Los Angeles, and director of marketing Brian Kaplan, formerly of Buzzplay.com, have joined Howling Music, Malibu Lake, Calif…..
