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Mixers Nathan Dubin and Jeff Levy of Margarita Mix, a FotoKem company specializing in audio post services for commercials and advertising media, have each won a 2013 Telly Award in the Sound/Sound Design category of the 34th annual competition. Dubin earned a Silver Telly for his work on Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights “Gates” spot for David & Goliath. Levy took the Bronze Telly for G-Net’s “Borderlands 2.”

The Telly Awards honor the very best film and video productions, groundbreaking online video content, and outstanding local, regional, and cable TV commercials and programs. For over 30 years, the Telly Awards have been known for honoring the most worthy projects in film, television, corporate and advertising. This year, the competition drew over 13,000 entries. The judging and oversight committee is comprised of top industry professionals who are all past winners of Silver Telly Awards.

Every year, the Universal Studios(r) theme park is transformed into the award-winning Halloween Horror Nights(r) for a month just prior to Halloween. During that time, spine-chilling street experiences, haunted houses and live shows fill the park. The TV commercial for Halloween Horror Nights builds suspense for the holiday event, and plays on the theme and tagline: Once You’re Inside There is No Way Out. The :30 spot opens on a group of young friends in a dark, ominous alley. They look up to see another friend barreling towards them, sheer panic on his face, as a stampede of zombies pursue him. Even though they turn and run to escape the zombies, their safe haven behind a gate proves ineffective, as more creatures appear on the other side.

Dubin says, “The creative goal was to make the spot as scary as legally possible.” He achieved that by playing with dynamics – the difference between loud and quiet moments, the hallmark of a good horror mix. “In a post-calm world, there are still opportunities to make a great sounding mix if you pick and choose your moments to swing for the fences, balanced with some quiet spots.”

“Borderlands 2” is an extended live-action trailer for the popular video game, and features a never-ending barrage of action besieging a remote location. As an epic battle ensues, mayhem envelops those trying to survive. Players fight across the whole of Pandora to stop Jack – the brilliant, charismatic, and utterly despicable CEO of the Hyperion Corporation – from awakening an ancient alien evil known only as “the Warrior.”

Levy’s task was to create the sounds of an alien world, and a battle between the four heroes and evil forces attacking them. The live action was shot MOS. Utilizing some sounds from the game as inspiration, Levy created this world literally from the ground up, starting with backgrounds and footsteps all the way through the guns, explosions and sounds for each character’s unique fighting abilities, as well as vehicles, flying weapons and alien creatures. “This was really a pleasure to work on because these characters are so visually exciting, and (director) David Moodie and (producer) Lindsey Kohon gave me a lot of freedom to create and add to the sounds from the game.”

Dubin and Levy are part of an award-winning mixing team at Margarita Mix, which includes Paul Hurtubise and Jimmy Hite, to name a few.

FotoKem‘s Senior Vice President Rand Gladden comments, “We are very proud of the award-winning talent and cutting-edge services that Margarita Mix has been providing for over 30 years to the commercial production and advertising industries. Nathan and Jeff are part of dedicated team focused on h

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