CAS Awards

Master and Commander Docks at CAS Awards
By Sam Molineaux
The big winner at the 40th annual Cinema Audio Society awards, held Feb. 21 at the Biltmore Hotel, was seafaring epic Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. The film’s rerecording mixers Paul Massey and D.M. Hemphill and production mixer Art Rochester took home top honors for outstanding achievement in sound mixing for a motion picture. The trio seemed genuinely surprised to win the award, claiming they only came to have a drink and enjoy the company of friends.
The 400-strong society, whose members include production and postproduction mixers, awarded its annual career achievement award to rerecording mixer and sound designer-turned-director Gary Rydstrom, CAS, who gave an eloquent acceptance speech and raised collective laughter when thanking his wife Cindy for understanding when he recorded the sounds of their dog being fed.
Among the luminaries paying tribute to Rydstrom on tape were Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, sound designer Ben Burtt and Pixar film director John Lasseter. Spielberg gushed “You still have the best ear in the business. I know you’re never going to forget that the eyes see better when the sound is great.” In-person tributes came from Ron Judkins, Chris Boyes and Randy Thom, who teased Rydstrom for not having a sound-effect-like name, like his peers Ben Burtt and Walter Murch.”
CAS president and host Richard Lightstone presented Chris Jenkins, Ned Price, Tom Regal, CAS, and Leon Vitali with the CAS president’s award for their work in the restoration of seven classic Stanley Kubrick movies.
Winners for outstanding achievement in sound mixing for a television movie of the week or miniseries were rerecording mixers Ron Brochar and Lee Dichter, CAS, and production mixer James Sabat for Angels In America— Part 2. Winners for outstanding achievement in sound mixing for a television series were rerecording mixers Michael Olman, CAS and Kenneth Kobett, CAS and production mixer Bill Gocke for 24 “5pm–6pm”. And taking home the award for outstanding achievement in sound mixing for television: nonfiction, variety or music series or special were rerecording mixers Gary Bourgeois, CAS and Tateum Kohut and production mixer Stuart Pearce, CAS for The Blues: The Road to Memphis.