Cinema Audio Society Awards: Sound Mixers Hear 'Dunkirk'

11:09 PM 2/24/2018

by Carolyn Giardina

The film bested a slate of nominees that also included 'Baby Driver,' 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi,' 'The Shape of Water' and 'Wonder Woman.'

'Dunkirk'
'Dunkirk'
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Christopher Nolan's World War II epic Dunkirk won the top prize for outstanding sound mixing in a live-action feature during the 54th annual Cinema Audio Society Awards for sound mixing Saturday at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel.

The award went to rerecording mixers Gregg Landaker and Gary Rizzo, production mixer Mark Weingarten, scoring mixer Alan Meyerson, ADR mixer Thomas J. O'Connell and foley mixer Scott Curtis.

Dunkirk bested a slate of nominees that also included Baby Driver, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Shape of Water and Wonder Woman. Dunkirk, Baby Driver, Last Jedi and Shape of Water are also nominated for the Oscar in sound mixing, along with Blade Runner 2049.

Still, in only five of the last 10 years has a team collected this CAS honor on its way to winning an Oscar in sound mixing. (Last year was one of the occasions that they didn't match, with La La Land winning the CAS Award and Hacksaw Ridge collecting the Oscar.)

The Academy Awards has two sound categories, one for mixing and one for sound editing, and this year the same five films are nominated in both categories. Last week, the BAFTAs awarded Dunkirk the prize for best sound (this event combines sound editing and mixing into one category).

Also Saturday at the CAS Awards, Coco won the animated feature category and Jane topped the documentary feature competition. TV category winners included Game of Thrones, Black Mirror, Silicon Valley and Rolling Stone: Stories From the Edge.

During the ceremony, 10-time Oscar nominee Anna Behlmer, who is the first woman nominated for an Oscar in sound mixing, received the Career Achievement Award. In presenting the honor, director Niki Caro noted that “being a female in this industry has made Anna tough, but it hasn’t made her hard.”

Producer Paula Wagner also saluted Technicolor’s Behlmer, saying, “Sound is like an orchestra, and Anna is the conductor. … You have broken the glass ceiling, and you have broken through the sound barrier.”

Receiving a standing ovation as Alicia Keys' “Girl on Fire” played, Behlmer noted that the “greatest gift” in her career has been her friends and colleagues. "How lucky I am to do what I love with people I really enjoy,” she said.

Accepting the CAS Filmmaker Award, Darkest Hour director Joe Wright also received a standing ovation as he saluted all of the sound teams that he has worked with on his films. Baby Driver helmer Edgar Wright and Darkest Hour supervising sound editor and rerecording mixer Craig Berkey presented the award.

Edgar Wright got a big laugh when he quipped that Darkest Hour was "just three car chases from being a complete Baby Driver rip-off." Berkey — whom Joe Wright called his "mixing mind reader" — saluted the director and also read a letter from Darkest Hour star and Oscar nominee Gary Oldman, who had the flu and was unable to attend.

And Tomlinson Holman received a standing ovation as he was honored with the inaugural Edward J. Greene Award for advancement in sound.

A compete list of winners follows.

  • Motion Picture — Live Action

    'Dunkirk'
    'Dunkirk'
    Courtesy of Warner Bros.

    Baby Driver
    Production Mixer – Mary H. Ellis, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Julian Slater, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Tim Cavagin
    Scoring Mixer – Gareth Cousins, CAS
    ADR Mixer – Mark Appleby
    Foley Mixer – Glen Gathard

    WINNER Dunkirk
    Production Mixer – Mark Weingarten, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Gregg Landaker
    Re-recording Mixer – Gary Rizzo, CAS
    Scoring Mixer – Alan Meyerson, CAS
    ADR Mixer – Thomas J. O’Connell
    Foley Mixer – Scott Curtis

    Star Wars: The Last Jedi
    Production Mixer – Stuart Wilson, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – David Parker
    Re-recording Mixer – Michael Semanick
    Re-recording Mixer – Ren Klyce
    Scoring Mixer – Shawn Murphy
    ADR Mixer – Doc Kane, CAS
    Foley Mixer – Frank Rinella

    The Shape of Water
    Production Mixer – Glen Gauthier
    Re-recording Mixer – Christian T. Cooke, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Brad Zoern, CAS
    Scoring Mixer – Peter Cobbin
    ADR Mixer – Chris Navarro, CAS
    Foley Mixer – Peter Persaud, CAS

    Wonder Woman
    Production Mixer – Chris Munro, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Chris Burdon
    Re-recording Mixer – Gilbert Lake, CAS
    Scoring Mixer – Alan Meyerson, CAS
    ADR Mixer – Nick Kray
    Foley Mixer – Glen Gathard

  • Motion Picture — Animated

    Courtesy of Disney/Pixar

    Cars 3
    Original Dialogue Mixer – Doc Kane, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Tom Meyers
    Re-recording Mixer – Michael Semanick
    Re-recording Mixer – Nathan Nance
    Scoring Mixer – David Boucher
    Foley Mixer – Blake Collins

    WINNER Coco
    Original Dialogue Mixer – Vince Caro
    Re-recording Mixer – Christopher Boyes
    Re-recording Mixer – Michael Semanick
    Scoring Mixer – Joel Iwataki
    Foley Mixer – Blake Collins

    Despicable Me 3
    Original Dialogue Mixer – Carlos Sotolongo
    Re-recording Mixer – Randy Thom, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Tim Nielson
    Re-recording Mixer – Brandon Proctor
    Scoring Mixer – Greg Hayes
    Foley Mixer – Scott Curtis

    Ferdinand
    Original Dialogue Mixer – Bill Higley, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Randy Thom, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Lora Hirschberg
    Re-recording Mixer – Leff Lefferts
    Scoring Mixer – Shawn Murphy
    Foley Mixer – Scott Curtis

    The Lego Batman Movie
    Original Dialogue Mixer – Jason Oliver
    Re-recording Mixer – Michael Semanick
    Re-recording Mixer – Gregg Landaker
    Re-recording Mixer – Wayne Pashley
    Scoring Mixer – Stephen Lipson
    Foley Mixer – Lisa Simpson

  • Motion Picture — Documentary

    Courtesy of Goodall institute

    An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power
    Production Mixer – Gabriel Monts
    Re-recording Mixer – Kent Sparling
    Re-recording Mixer – Gary Rizzo, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Zach Martin
    Scoring Mixer – Jeff Beal
    Foley Mixer – Jason Butler

    Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars
    Re-recording Mixer – Tim Cavagin
    Re-recording Mixer – William Miller
    ADR Mixer – Adam Mendez, CAS

    Gaga: Five Foot Two
    Re-recording Mixer – Jonathan Wales, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Jason Dotts

    WINNER Jane
    Production Mixer – Lee Smith
    Re-recording Mixer – David E. Fluhr, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Warren Shaw
    Scoring Mixer – Derek Lee
    ADR Mixer – Chris Navarro, CAS
    Foley Mixer – Ryan Maguire

    Long Strange Trip
    Production Mixer – David Silberberg
    Re-recording Mixer – Bob Chefalas
    Re-recording Mixer – Jacob Ribicoff

  • Television Movie or Miniseries

    Courtesy of Netflix

    Big Little Lies: Episode 7 "You Get What You Need"
    Production Mixer – Brendan Beebe,CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – GavinFernandes, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Louis Gignac

    WINNER Black Mirror: "USS Callister"
    Production Mixer – John Rodda, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Tim Cavagin
    Re-recording Mixer – Dafydd Archard
    Re-recording Mixer – Will Miller
    ADR Mixer – Nick Baldock
    Foley Mixer – Sophia Hardman

    Fargo: Year 3 Episode 4 "The Narrow Escape Problem"
    Production Mixer – Michael Playfair, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Kirk Lynds, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Martin Lee
    Scoring Mixer – Michael Perfitt

    Sherlock: "The Lying Detective"
    Production Mixer –John Mooney, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Howard Bargroff
    Scoring Mixer – Nick Wollage
    ADR Mixer – Peter Gleaves, CAS
    Foley Mixer – Jamie Talbutt

    Twin Peaks: Part 8 "Gotta Light?"
    Production Mixer – Douglas Axtell
    Re-recording Mixer –Dean Hurley
    Re-recording Mixer – Ron Eng

  • Television Series — 1 Hour

    Courtesy of HBO

    Better Call Saul: "Lantern"
    Production Mixer – Phillip W. Palmer, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Larry B. Benjamin, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Kevin Valentine
    ADR Mixer – Matt Hovland
    Foley Mixer – David Michael Torres, CAS

    WINNER Game of Thrones: "Beyond the Wall"
    Production Mixer – Ronan Hill, CAS
    Production Mixer – Richard Dyer, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Onnalee Blank, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Mathew Waters, CAS
    Foley Mixer – Brett Voss, CAS

    Stranger Things: Chapter 8 "The Mind Flayer”
    Production Mixer – Michael P. Clark, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Joe Barnett
    Re-recording Mixer – Adam Jenkins
    ADR Mixer – Bill Higley, CAS
    Foley Mixer – Anthony Zeller, CAS

    The Crown: "Misadventure"
    Production Mixer – Chris Ashworth
    Re-recording Mixer – Lee Walpole
    Re-recording Mixer – Stuart Hilliker
    Re-recording Mixer – Martin Jensen
    ADR Mixer – Rory de Carteret
    Foley Mixer – Philip Clements

    The Handmaid’s Tale: Episode #1 "Offred"
    Production Mixer – John J. Thomson, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Lou Solakofski
    Re-recording Mixer – Joe Morrow
    Foley Mixer – Don White

  • Television Series — 1/2 Hour

    'Black-ish'
    'Black-ish'
    Courtesy of John P. Johnson/HBO

    Ballers: "Yay Area"
    Production Mixer – Scott Harber, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Richard Weingart, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Michael Colomby, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Mitch Dorf

    Black-ish: "Juneteenth, The Musical"
    Production Mixer – Tom N. Stasinis, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Peter J. Nusbaum, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Whitney Purple

    Modern Family: "Lake Life"
    Production Mixer – Stephen A. Tibbo, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Dean Okrand, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Brian R. Harman, CAS

    WINNER Silicon Valley: Episode 9 "Hooli-Con"
    Production Mixer – Benjamin A. Patrick, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Elmo Ponsdomenech
    Re-recording Mixer – Todd Beckett

    Veep: "Omaha"
    Production Mixer – William MacPherson, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – John W. Cook II, CAS
    Re-recording Mixer – Bill Freesh, CAS

  • Television Non-Fiction, Variety or Music Series or Specials

    American Experience: "The Great War – Part 3"
    ProductionMixer – John Jenkins
    Re-RecordingMixer – Ken Hahn

    Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown: "Oman"
    Re-RecordingMixer – Benny Mouthon, CAS

    Deadliest Catch: "Last Damn Arctic Storm"
    Re-RecordingMixer – John Warrin

    WINNER Rolling Stone: Stories From the Edge
    ProductionMixer – David Hocs
    ProductionMixer – Tom Tierney
    Re-RecordingMixer – Tom Fleischman, CAS

    Who Killed Tupac?: Episode 101 "Murder in Vegas"
    ProductionMixer – Steve Birchmeier
    Re-RecordingMixer – John Reese

  • Outstanding Product - Production

    DPA: DPA Slim

    Lectrosonics: Duet Digital Wireless Monitor System

    Sonosax: SX-R4+

    WINNER Sound Devices: MixPre-10T Recorder

    Zaxcom: ZMT3-Phantom

  • Outstanding Product - Post

    Dolby Atmos Content Creation Tools

    FabFilter: Pro Q2 Equalizer

    Exponential Audio: R4 Reverb

    WINNER iZotope, Inc.: RX 6 Advanced

    Todd-AO: Absentia DX