By Sam MolineauxFeature films The Aviator and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind earned top honors at the Motion Picture Sound Editors 52nd Golden Reel Awards, February 26 at the Century Plaza Hotel. It meant double wins for sound editors Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton, MPSE, who worked on both the aviation epic and the indie underdog. Other feature films that picked up awards were Ray, The Passion of the Christ and House of Flying Daggers. The latter won for Best Sound Editing in a Foreign Film. The Incredibles won out in the animated feature category, providing Skywalker Sound pair Michael Silvers and Randy Thom with their first of what turned out to be an award-studded weekend.In the television categories, a breadth of shows picked up awards. New ABC survival drama Lost picked up a pair of Golden Reels, for Best Sound Effects Editing and Best Dialogue/ADR Effects Editing in shortform television; CSI:Miami and The Life and Death of Peter Sellers won out in the longform television catetories; and for music editing a tie meant three shows were awarded the Golden Reel: A Christmas Carol and The Mystery of Natalie Wood (longform) and Sex and the City (shortform).A bounty of other awards were given out, and since the MPSE rewards each and every member of the sound editing team, it meant lengthy announcements and long waits for everyone to get up on stage to accept their trophies. But running time, though extended and hunger-inducing (the MPSE presents its awards before dinner), was conserved by fast-paced montages of clips that satisfied without giving short shrift. In fact, the audio-visual part of the proceedings was outstanding.One of the evening’s highlights was sound editor-turned-director Gary Rydstrom’s acceptance speech for his MPSE Career Achievement Award. “Gary is a very funny man,” noted his colleague Richard Hymns, who presented Rydstrom with the award. And with trademark wit, Rydstrom delivered a speech that provided the night’s only real laugh-out-loud moments. He told of getting the call to work for George Lucas while still a student at USC, and grabbing just his toothbrush and Farah Fawcett poster and literally running to San Francisco. He thanked Robert Redford, who contributed a tribute, for once talking to his parents on the phone—“They’d always wondered what I did, but once they’d talked to Bob, they knew I’d made it,”—and his wife for remaining quiet while he recorded endless sounds around their home.Lucas was presented with the second achievement award of the night: MPSE’s inaugural Filmmaker Award. “I really do believe that sound is a very important part of a motion picture,” he said, echoing the overriding opinion in the room. Sound, he added, gets a short shrift in the film world. “Films would be better if the sound editors were allowed to start at the same time as the picture editor.” Lucas immediately made himself a thousand or so new friends.With no host and unremarkable musical entertainment, the event itself was somewhat dry. But that didn’t stop the sound editing community from eating, drinking and merrymaking into the night. And with 17 awards categories and as many as 14 winners in some of them, it felt like almost everyone was a winner.The actual winners:Sound Effects Editing In A Feature FilmThe AviatorSupervising sound editors Eugene Gearty, Philip Stockton, MPSE; supervising Foley editor Frank Kern; sound effects editor Wyatt Sprague; Foley editors Kam Chan, Steve Visscher, Jacob RibicoffSound Editing In A Foreign FilmHouse Of Flying DaggersSupervising sound editors Roger Savage, Tao Jing, MPSE; supervising Foley editor Jo Mion; supervising ADR editor Wang Yu Hong; sound editors Steve Burgess, Vic Kaspar, MPSE, Ron Feruglio, Paul Pirola, Andrew Neil, Glenn Newnham; Foley editors Mario Vaccaro, Blair SlaterDialogue/ADR Editing In A Feature FilmEternal Sunshine Of The Spotless MindSupervising sound editor Philip Stockton, MPSE; sound designer Eugene Gearty; supervising dialogue editor Philip Stockton, MPSE; supervising ADR editor Marissa Littlefield; dialogue editor Fred Rosenberg; ADR editor Hal Levinsohn, MPSEMusic Editing In A Feature FilmThe Passion Of The ChristSupervising music editor Michael T. Ryan, MPSEMusic Editing In A Musical FilmRayMusic Editor Curt SobelSound Editing In An Animated FilmThe IncrediblesSupervising sound editors Michael Silvers, Randy Thom; supervising Foley editor Suzanne Fox; sound effects editors Terry Eckton, MPSE, Kyrsten Mate, E. J. Holowicki; ADR editor Steve Slanec; Foley editor Al Nelson; music editor Stephen M. DavidSound Effects Editing In Longform TelevisionCSI: Miami “Crime Wave”Supervising sound editor Ann Hadsell; sound designer Bradley C. Katona, MPSE; supervising Foley editor Ruth Adelman, MPSE; sound effects editors Bill Smith, Edmond Coblentz; Foley editor Bill SmithDialogue/ADR Editing In Longform TelevisionThe Life And Death Of Peter SellersSupervising sound editor Tim Hands; supervising dialogue editor Victoria Brazier; supervising ADR editor Victoria Brazier; dialogue editors Laura Lovejoy, Zack Davis, MPSE; ADR editors Anna Mackenzie, Zack Davis, MPSEMusic Editing In Longform Television – TieA Christmas Carol, The MusicalSupervising music editor and scoring editor Joanie Diener, MPSEAndThe Mystery Of Natalie WoodMusic editors Allan K. Rosen, MPSE, Nick ViterelliSound Effects Editing In Shortform TelevisionLost “Pilot Part One”Supervising sound editors Thomas De Gorter, MPSE, Trevor Jolly; sound effects editors Paul Menichini, MPSE, Roland Thai, MPSE, Marc GlassmanDialogue/ADR Effects Editing In Shortform TelevisionLost “Pilot Part One”Supervising sound editors Thomas E. De Gorter, MPSE, Trevor Jolly; supervising dialogue editor Christopher Reeves, MPSE; dialogue editors Gabrielle Reeves, Troy Allen; ADR editor Troy AllenMusic Editing In Shortform TelevisionSex And The City “An American Girl In Paris (Part Deux)”Supervising music editor Dan Lieberstein; music editor Missy CohenSound Editing In Animated TelevisionThe Adventures Of Jimmy Neutron Boy GeniusSupervising sound editors Jason Stiff, Gary Falcone; supervising Foley editor Jeff Kettle; supervising dialogue editor Michael Petak; supervising ADR editor Justin Brinsfield; music editor Charlie Brisette; sound effects editor Paul Menichini, MPSE; dialogue editor Tom Maydeck, CAS; ADR editor Michelle Smith; Foley editor Tom Maydeck, CASSound Editing In A Special Venue FilmNascar 3D: The IMAX ExperienceSupervising sound editor Peter Thillaye; sound designer Ed Douglas; supervising Foley editor Andy Malcolm; supervising dialogue editor Joe Mancuso; supervising ADR editor Peter Thillaye; music editors Will Kaplan, Andre Knecht; sound effects editors Chris Miller, Karl MohrSound Editing In Computer EntertainmentGolden Eye: Rogue AgentSupervising sound editors Paul Menichini, MPSE, Gregory Allen; supervising Foley editor Erik Kraber; music editors Gregory Allen, Tony Alvarez; sound editors David Farmer, MPSE, Ann Scibelli, MPSE, Tim Nielsen, Roland Thai, MPSE, Mark Allen, MPSE, Derek Vander Horst, Shane Kneip, Jon Tendrich; dialogue editor Jeremy HallSound Editing In Direct To VideoBionicle II: Legends Of Metru NuiSupervising sound editors Timothy J. Borquez, MPSE, Roy Braverman; supervising dialogue editor Eric Freeman, MPSE; supervising ADR editor Doug Andorka; music editor Timothy J. Borquez, MPSE; sound effects editors Tom Syslo, Jeff Hutchins, Brian Mars, Mark Howlett, Paul Menichini, MPSE, Gordon Hookailo, Michael Geisler, MPSE, Daisuke Sawa, Mark Mailand; Foley editor Jason Freedman, MPSEVerna Fields Award For Sound Editing In A Student FilmLloyd In The CornerSound editor Emma Meaden from the National Film And Television SchoolCareer Achievement AwardGary RydstromInaugural Filmmaker’s AwardGeorge Lucas
Written by Sam Molineaux
