The Sound Mixers Have Spoken
CORRECTION: Kevin O'Connell and Greg P. Russell were nominated for "Con Air" in 1997 without receiving a CAS nomiantion.
The nominees:
"Babel"
"Blood Diamond"
"Dreamgirls"
"Flags of Our Fathers"
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"
I was 4/5 on my predictions. Of course, we all know "Dreamgirls" and "Pirates" were expected to show up here. I will say the inclusion of "Blood Diamond" is no shock, given the popularity of Anna Behlmer amongst her peers. I've been pointing to this film for some time as a tech-likely Oscar film, and though Eduardo Serra missed with the ASC, it looks like the "Bling BANG" of Edward Zwick's largely critically reviled effort spoke to the audio engineers enough.
"Flags of Our Fathers" finally gets some action - where expected, to be honest. I've heard from guild insiders (well - A guild insider) that the sound mixers had a lot of respect for the work on that film, and that despite great dual work, even the engineers of both "Flags" and "Letters from Iwo Jima" put their own eggs in the former basket. But it's nice that Clint Eastwood's efforts are starting to get just a little more traction (following Monday's Golden Globe win for "Letters").
Finally, yet another guild mention for "Babel" is great news for the film indeed, and well-deserved. But one might want to consider that, in the Society's 13 year history, their nominations have only lined-up 100% with the AMPAS twice. Four of the films that have been left off in the cross over were eventual Best Picture nominees, including last year's "Babel" comparison (though I still don't personally GET the comparison beyond sprawling ensemble), "Crash."
This year, if one of the Society's choices falls off, I expect it could be "Babel." Six times the replacement has been a Best Picture nominee, so there's hope for "The Departed" yet. Seven times the replacement has been an actioner with lots of noise, also boading well for "The Departed," but perhaps more so for "Apocalypto," mixed by veteran Oscar almost-champs Kevin O'Connell and Greg P. Russell.
That is all, of course, assuming the Society didn't hit the nail on the head once again, which they may have. And seriously, given the guild approval across the board, "Babel" has slid into an interesting frontrunner position. It currently leads the field in precursor mentions that matter.
No alterations in the Oscar predictions until the final pre-nominations column on Monday, but these mentions and the rest of the week in guilds will certainly be taken into account.
(More commentary, plus the CAS press release, after the jump.)
"Tech Support" columnist Gerard Kennedy had the following to say about the announcement and how things might shake down with the Academy as a result:
It's usually 4/5, though 3/5 and 5/5 ocassionally happen. "Dreamgirls" is locked and "Flags" and "Pirates" are both looking very likely. Given the "Blood Diamond" love all around, it's probably in (I feel the mixing is the closest thing to being something exemplary about it) though Behlmer is more a guild than AMPAS fave ("X-Files," "Catch Me If You Can," "Shrek"). It's no lock.
So I think "Babel" is the more vulnerable one because it's not your stereotypically loud film and because the whole crew is unseasoned Oscar-wise. Yet it's doing so well.
But the alternates are also in trouble. It's worth noting that Millan ("World Trade Center") and O'Connell/Russell have only once been nominated for the Oscar after being snubbed here ("Con Air"). Other contenders - "Casino Royale," animated films, etc. - have obvious strikes against them, too.
I guess what I'm saying is that I ultimately expect a 4/5 lineup...though the 5/5 lineup is the safest bet because of the challenge in predicting if "Blood Diamond" or "Babel" will be snubbed and who would get in. Fleischman was admittedly at this point for "Gangs of New York" and got in over Behlmer/Nelson...so maybe "The Departed" (can get in), but it doesn't feel right to me.
And now, the full release and list of nominees from the Cinema Audio Society:
The Nominees for the Cinema Audio Society Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for 2006 are:
MOTION PICTURES
"Babel"
"Blood Diamond"
"Dreamgirls"
"Flags of our Fathers"
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest"
TELEVISION MOVIES AND MINISERIES
"Desperation"
"Flight 93"
"Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Adventures": Sharks at Risk
"Sleeper Cell": Part 7 - Fitna
"Walkout"
TELEVISION SERIES
"Deadwood": A Two-Headed Beast
"Heroes": Genesis
"Lost": I Do
"The Sopranos": Members Only
"24": Day 5: 7:00 A.M. - 8:00 A.M.
TELEVISION - NON-FICTION, VARIETY OR MUSIC - SERIES OR SPECIALS
"Deadliest Catch": Cashing In
"Great Performances: South Pacific In Concert From Carnegie Hall"
"Into The Firestorm": Going South
"Nova: The Great Robot Race"
"Paul McCartney: The Space Within Us"
DVD ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING
"Air Buddies"
"American Pie 5: The Naked Mile"
"Bring It On: All or Nothing"
"Brother Bear 2"
"Ultimate Avengers: The Movie"
The Winners of the CAS Awards will be announced at the 43rd CAS Awards on February 17, 2007 at the Biltmore Bowl of the Millennium-Biltmore Hotel. Los Angeles. Additionally, Ed Greene, CAS will receive the CAS Career Achievement Award and Gilbert Cates will receive the CAS Filmmaker Award.
The Cinema Audio Society, a philanthropic, non-profit organization, was formed in 1964 for the purpose of sharing information with Sound Professionals in the Motion Picture and Television Industry.
CAS website: http://www.cinemaaudiosociety.org/
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