The Motion Picture Sound Editors will be honoring Randy Thom, director of sound design at Skywalker Sound, with its prestigious MPSE Career Achievement Award. Thom is a two-time Academy Award-winner (The Right Stuff, The Incredibles) and a 14-time Oscar nominee. He has contributed to more than 100 films as a sound designer and re-recording mixer. He will receive the award at the 61ST MPSE Golden Reel Awards ceremony held on February 16, 2014, at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites, Los Angeles, California.
“I am pleased and excited that the MPSE will be honoring Randy Thom with our Career Achievement Award,” says MPSE President, Frank Morrone. “His creative skills and dedication to the importance of sound in the filmmaking process is inspiring. Please join us in recognizing and celebrating Randy for excellence in the craft and his impressive achievements.”
"I am humbled, and deeply gratified to be receiving the MPSE Career Achievement Award," said Thom. “It goes without saying that a very large part of the honor is shared with the wonderful sound editors, mixers, designers, assistants, and others with whom I've collaborated. They've often made me look, and sound, better than I was. Part of the honor goes to Skywalker Sound, as well. There is no better place to work in our industry.”
The Career Achievement Award recognizes those that have distinguished themselves by meritorious works as both an individual and fellow contributor with outstanding achievements in ‘the art of sound’ for feature film and television as well as setting an example of excellence for others to follow. Thom’s diverse works and his incredible tenacity in championing the craft merit this recognition. The prestigious company of this honor, most recently include Ben Burtt, Larry Singer, Walter Murch, George Watters II, and John Roesch, 2013’s recipient.
Although director of sound design at Skywalker Sound, Thom still spends most of his time working on movies. He began his astonishing career in 1979 walking-in on the re-mix sessions of American Graffiti when he introduced himself to Walter Murch, Ben Burt and Mark Berger. This event turned into his first film work when he was hired as a sound effects recordist on Apocalypse Now. He moved on to work in a wide variety of creative capacities within the sound department spanning over one hundred films. Thom’s approach to designing and turning motion picture sound into art begins before the film has started shooting by helping the director open doors to sound in the script. He is the foremost advocate for the idea that sound ideas should affect creative decisions in the other crafts, just as they affect sound.
Additional credits include Return of the Jedi, Never Cry Wolf, Wild at Heart, Forrest Gump, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Thin Blue Line, War of the Worlds, Coraline, How To Train Your Dragon, Ghost in the Shell, and Ratatouille.
He has worked with a diverse list of directors, including Francis Coppola, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Bob Zemeckis, David Lynch, John Waters, Errol Morris, Henry Seleck, Peter Jackson, Brad Bird, and Chris Wedge.
The Motion Picture Sound Editors www.mpse.org