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Technical Directors

Television Academy Nominations: Guild Members Nominated in 19 Categories

by Jeffrey Burman July 13, 2021

written by Jeffrey Burman 19 minutes read

Reprinted from Deadline Hollywood by Patrick Hipes on July 13, 2021.

[An earlier version did not include the names of all Guild members nominated by the Television Academy. Cinemontage apologizes for the error.]

Netflix’s The Crown and Disney+’s The Mandalorian tied with the most nominations with 24 on Tuesday as the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards were unveiled. The noms, which come for a TV season that took place amidst the global pandemic, were announced by the Television Academy in a virtual ceremony hosted by Ron Cephas Jones and Jasmine Cephas Jones. …

With Tuesday’s noms set, final voting by members of the Television Academy will run from August 19-30.

The Primetime Emmys will air live Sunday, September 19, on CBS and stream on Paramount+. The Neighborhood star Cedric the Entertainer was just set to host the ceremony, which after a virtual 2020 ceremony will be held in-person at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, featuring a limited audience of nominees and their guests. …

EDITING

Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series

The Crown • Avalanche
Netflix • Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television for Netflix
Paulo Pandolpho, Editor

The Crown • Fairytale
Netflix • Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television for Netflix
Yan Miles, ACE, Editor

The Handmaid’s Tale • The Crossing
Hulu • Hulu, MGM, Daniel Wilson Productions, The Littlefield Company, White Oak Pictures
Wendy Hallam Martin, ACE, Editor

The Mandalorian • Chapter 11: The Heiress
Disney+ • Lucasfilm Ltd.
Dylan Firshen, Editor
J. Erik Jessen, Additional Editor

The Mandalorian • Chapter 13: The Jedi
Disney+ • Lucasfilm Ltd.
Andrew S. Eisen, ACE, Editor

The Mandalorian • Chapter 15: The Believer
Disney+ • Lucasfilm Ltd.
Jeff Seibenick, Editor

The Mandalorian • Chapter 16: The Rescue
Disney+ • Lucasfilm Ltd.
Adam Gerstel, Editor

Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series

The Flight Attendant • In Case of Emergency
HBO Max • HBO Max in association with Berlanti Productions, Yes, Norman Productions, and Warner Bros. Television
Heather Persons, Editor

Hacks • Primm
HBO Max • Universal Television in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
Susan Vaill, ACE, Editor

Hacks • There Is No Line (Pilot)
HBO Max • Universal Television in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
Jessica Brunetto, Editor

Hacks • Tunnel of Love
HBO Max • Universal Television in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
Ali Greer, Editor

Ted Lasso • The Hope that Kills You
Apple TV+ • Apple / Doozer Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television
A.J. Catoline, Editor

Ted Lasso • Make Rebecca Great Again
Apple TV+ • Apple / Doozer Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television
Melissa McCoy, Editor

Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series

The Conners • Jeopardé, Sobrieté and Infidelité
ABC • Werner Entertainment
Brian Schnuckel, ACE, Editor

Man With A Plan • Driving Miss Katie
CBS • Double Double Bonus Entertainment, 3 Arts Entertainment, CBS TV Studios
Sue Federman, ACE, Editor

Mom • Scooby-Doo Checks And Salisbury Steak
CBS • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television
Joe Bella, Editor

Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Mare of Easttown • Fathers
HBO • HBO in association with wiip Studios, The Low Dweller Productions, Juggle Productions, Mayhem and Zobot Projects
Amy E. Duddleston, ACE, Editor
Naomi Sunrise Filoramo, Editor

Mare of Easttown • Miss Lady Hawk Herself
HBO • HBO in association with wiip Studios, The Low Dweller Productions, Juggle Productions, Mayhem and Zobot Projects
Amy E. Duddleston, ACE, Editor

The Queen’s Gambit • Exchanges
Netflix • Netflix
Michelle Tesoro, ACE, Editor

WandaVision • On a Very Special Episode…
Disney+ • Marvel Studios
Nona Khodai, ACE, Editor

WandaVision • The Series Finale
Disney+ • Marvel Studios
Zene Baker, ACE, Editor
Michael A. Webber, Editor
Tim Roche, Additional Editor
Nona Khodai, ACE, Additional Editor

Picture Editing for Variety Programming

A Black Lady Sketch Show • Sister, May I Call You Oshun?
HBO • HBO in association with JAX Media, 3 Arts Entertainment, Issa Rae Productions and For Better or Words Inc.
Daysha Broadway, Supervising Editor
Stephanie Filo, Editor
Jessica Hernández, Editor

Bo Burnham: Inside
Netflix • Netflix
Bo Burnham, Editor

Hamilton
Disney+ • Lin-Manuel Miranda and Nevis Productions LLC, Old 320 Sycamore, and RadicalMedia
Jonah Moran, Editor

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver • Trump & Election Results / F*ck 2020
HBO • HBO in association with Sixteen String Jack Productions and Avalon Television
Ryan Barger, Editor
Anthony Miale, Editor

Saturday Night Live • Murder Show (segment)
NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Ryan Spears, Editor

Saturday Night Live • Stu (segment)
NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Ryan McIlraith, Editor

Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program

Allen v. Farrow • Episode 1
HBO • HBO Documentary Films presents in association with Impact Partners and Chicago Media Project, a Jane Doe Films Production Mikaela Shwer, Editor
Parker Laramie, Editor
Sara Newens, Editor

The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
HBO • HBO Documentary Films And Polygram Entertainment Present A Kennedy/Marshall Production and a White Horse Pictures Production in association with Diamond Docs
Derek Boonstra, Editor
Robert A. Martinez, Editor

Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry
Apple TV+ • Apple / Interscope Films / The Darkroom / This Machine / Lighthouse Management & Media
Greg Finton, ACE, Editor
Lindsay Utz, ACE, Editor
Azin Samari, Additional Editor

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet
Netflix • A Silverback Films and WWF Production for Netflix Martin Elsbury, Editor
Charles Dyer, Additional Editor

Framing Britney Spears (The New York Times Presents)
FX Networks • The New York Times and Left/Right
Geoff O’Brien, Editor
Pierre Takal, Editor

Q: Into the Storm • The Storm
HBO • HBO Documentary Films in association with Hyrax Films and Hyperobject Industries
Tom Patterson, Lead Editor
David Tillman, Editor
Cullen Hoback, Editor
Ted Woerner, Editor
Evan Wise, Editor

The Social Dilemma
Netflix • An Exposure Labs Production in association with Argent Pictures for Netflix
Davis Coombe, Editor

Picture Editing for a Structured Reality or Competition Program

The Amazing Race • Series Body of Work
CBS • WorldRace Productions, Inc.
Eric Beetner, Editor
Michael Bolanowski, Editor
Kellen Cruden, Editor
Christina Fontana, Editor
Jay Gammill, Editor
Katherine Griffin, Editor
Jason Groothuis, Editor
Darrick Lazo, Editor
Ryan Leamy, Editor
Joshua Lowry, Editor
Gary Pennington, Editor
Jason Pedroza, Editor

Queer Eye • Preaching Out Loud
Netflix • Scout Productions Inc. and ITV Entertainment LLC for Netflix
Kris Byrnes, Lead Editor
Susan Maridueña Barrett, Editor
Nathan Ochiltree, Editor
Tony Zajkowski, Editor
Carlos J. Gamarra, Editor
Brian Ray, Editor

RuPaul’s Drag Race • Condragulations
VH1 • World of Wonder
Jamie Martin, Lead Editor
Paul Cross, Editor
Ryan Mallick, Editor
Michael Roha, Editor

Top Chef • Restaurant Wars
Bravo • Magical Elves, LP
Steve Lichtenstein, Lead Editor
Mike Abitz, Editor
Ericka Concha, Editor
Tim Daniel, Editor
George Dybas, Editor
Eric Lambert, Editor
Matt Reynolds, Editor
Daniel Ruiz, Editor
Dan Williams, Editor

The Voice • Series Body of Work
NBC • MGM Television, Warner Horizon Unscripted & Alternative Television, ITV Studios, The Voice USA, Inc.
John M. Larson, ACE, Supervising Editor
Robert Michael Malachowski Jr., ACE, Supervising Editor
Hudson H. Smith III, Supervising Editor
Matt Antell, Editor
John Baldino, Editor
Sommer Basinger, Editor
Matthew Blair, Editor
Melissa Silva Borden, Editor William Fabian Castro, Editor
Nick Don Vito, Editor
Alyssa Dressman Lehner, Editor
Glen Ebesu, Editor
Noel A. Guerra, Editor
John Homesley, Editor
Omega Hsu, ACE, Editor
Charles A. Kramer, Editor
Terry Maloney, Editor
James J. Munoz, Editor
Andy Perez, Editor
Robby Thompson, Editor
Eric Wise, Editor

Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program

Below Deck • Steamy Vibes
Bravo • 51 Minds Entertainment
Garrett Hohendorf, Supervising Editor
Cameron Teisher, Supervising Editor
Michael Sparks, Lead Editor
Josh Franco, Editor
Allison Anastasio, Editor
Drew Whitaker, Editor
Kimberly Fennik, Editor
Lane Gillis, Editor
Tom McCudden, Editor

Deadliest Catch • Series Body of Work
Discovery Channel • Original Productions, LLC for the Discovery Channel
Rob Butler, ACE, Supervising Editor
Isaiah Camp, ACE, Supervising Editor
Joe Mikan, ACE, Editor
Art O’Leary, Editor
Alexander Rubinow, ACE, Editor
Ben Bulatao, ACE, Additional Editor
Alexandra Moore, ACE, Additional Editor
Nico Natale, Additional Editor
Alberto Perez, Additional Editor
Chris Courtner, Additional Editor

Life Below Zero • The Other Side
National Geographic • BBC Studios for National Geographic
Tony Diaz, Editor
Matt Edwards, Additional Editor
Jennifer Nelson, Additional Editor
Eric Michael Schrader, Additional Editor
Michael Swingler, Additional Editor

Naked and Afraid • Sand Trapped
Discovery Channel • Renegade 83, LLC for Discovery Channel
Eric Goldfarb, Editor
Morgen Stary, Editor
Todd Beabout, Editor
PJ Wolff, Editor
Igor Borovac, Editor
Felise Epstein, Editor
Michael Russell, Editor

RuPaul’s Drag Race Untucked • The Bag Ball
VH1 • World of Wonder
Kellen Cruden, Editor
Yali Sharon, Editor
Shayna Casey, Editor …

Deadline Hollywood 7/13

SOUND EDITING

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier • One World, One People • Disney+ • Marvel Studios
Matthew Wood, Co-Supervising Sound Editor Bonnie Wild, Co-Supervising Sound Editor James Spencer, Dialogue Editor
Richard Quinn, Dialogue Editor
Steve Slanec, ADR Editor
Kimberly Patrick, Sound Designer / Sound Effects Editor Teresa Eckton, Sound Effects Editor
Frank Rinella, Foley Editor
Devon Kelley, Foley Editor
Larry Oatfield, Foley Editor
Anele Onyekwere, Music Editor
Dan Pinder, Music Editor
Ronni Brown, Foley Artist
Andrea Gard, Foley Artist

Lovecraft Country • Sundown • HBO • HBO in association with afemme, Monkeypaw, Bad Robot, and Warner Bros. Television
Tim Kimmel, MPSE, Sound Supervisor John Matter, Dialogue Editor
Paula Fairfield, Sound Designer Bradley Katona, Sound Effects Editor Brett Voss, Foley Editor
Jeff Lingle, Music Editor
Jason Lingle, Music Editor
Jeffrey Wilhoit, Foley Artist
Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit, Foley Artist

The Mandalorian • Chapter 13: The Jedi • Disney+ • Lucasfilm Ltd.
Matthew Wood, Co-Supervising Sound Editor
David Acord, Co-Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer Richard Quinn, Dialogue Editor
James Spencer, ADR Editor
Benjamin A. Burtt, Sound Effects Editor
J. R. Grubbs, Sound Effects Editor
Richard Gould, Foley Editor
Stephanie McNally, Music Editor
Ronni Brown, Foley Artist
Jana Vance, Foley Artist

Star Trek: Discovery • That Hope Is You (Part 1) • Paramount+ • CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment
Matthew E. Taylor, Sound Supervisor
Sean Heissinger, Dialogue Editor
Tim Farrell, Sound Designer
Harry Cohen, Sound Designer
Michael Schapiro, Sound Effects Editor Darrin Mann, Foley Editor
Clay Weber, Foley Editor
Moira Marquis, Music Editor
Alyson Dee Moore, Foley Artist
Chris Moriana, Foley Artist

The Umbrella Academy • The End of Something • Netflix • UCP for Netflix
John Benson, Sound Supervisor
Jason Krane, MPSE, Dialogue/ADR Editor
John Snider, Sound Design/Sound Effects Editor AJ Shapiro, Foley Editor
Dario Biscaldi, Foley Editor
Lodge Worster, Music Editor
Lindsay Pepper, Foley Artist
Zane D. Bruce, Foley Artist

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation

Cobra Kai • December 19 • Netflix • Sony Pictures Television for Netflix
Patrick Hogan, Sound Supervisor Jesse Pomeroy, MPSE, Sound Editor Daniel Salas, Sound Editor
Ryne Gierke, Sound Editor
AJ Shapiro, Foley Editor Andres Locsey, Music Editor Shane Bruce, Foley Artist Mitchell Kohen, Foley Artist

Love, Death + Robots • Snow in the Desert • Netflix • Blur Studio for Netflix
Brad North, Supervising Sound Editor/Dialogue Editor Craig Henighan, Sound Designer
Dawn Lunsford, Foley Editor
Jeff Charbonneau, Music Editor
Alicia Stevens, Foley Artist

Mythic Quest • Everlight • Apple TV+ • Apple / Lionsgate / 3 Arts Entertainment / Ubisoft
Matthew E. Taylor, Sound Supervisor Sean Heissinger, Dialogue Editor Pete Nichols, Sound Effects Editor Matthew Wilson, Sound Effects Editor David Jobe, Foley Editor
Joe Deveau, Music Editor
Jody Holwadel Thomas, Foley Artist Elizabeth Rainey, Foley Artist

Star Trek: Lower Decks • No Small Parts • Paramount+ • CBS Eye Animation Productions, Titmouse, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment
James Lucero, Sound Supervisor
James Singleton, Sound Effects Editor
Jeff Halbert, Sound Effects Editor Michael Britt, Foley Editor
Amber Funk, Music Editor

Ted Lasso • The Hope That Kills You • Apple TV+ • Apple / Doozer Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television
Brent Findley, MPSE, Sound Supervisor
Bernard Weiser, MPSE, Dialogue Editor
Kip Smedley, Sound Effects Editor Richard David Brown, Music Editor Sharyn Gersh, Music Editor
Sanaa Kelley, MPSE, Foley Artist Matt Salib, Foley Artist

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special

Fargo • East/West • FX Networks • MGM Television and FX Productions
Kurt Nicholas Forshager, Co-Supervising Sound Editor Tim Boggs, Co-Supervising Sound Editor
Todd Niesen, Dlalogue Editor
Matt Temple, Sound Effects Editor
Adam Parrish-Kin, Sound Effects Editor Brad Bakelmun, Foley Editor
Ben Schor, Music Editor
Stef Fraticelli, Foley Artist
Jason Charbonneau, Foley Artist

The Haunting of Bly Manor • The Two Faces (Part Two) • Netflix • A Paramount Television Studios Presentation for Netflix
Trevor Gates, Sound Supervisor
Jason Dotts, Dialogue Editor
Kristen Hirlinger, Dialogue Editor
Paul B. Knox, Sound Effects Editor
Piero Mura, Sound Effects Editor
James Miller, Sound Effects Editor
Matthew Thomas Hall, Sound Effects Editor Mark Coffey, Sound Editor
Ryan Meadows, Sound Editor
Amy Barber, Foley Editor
Julia Huberman, Foley Editor
Brett “Snacky” Pierce, MPSE, Music Editor Jonathan Bruce, Foley Artist
Ben Parker, Foley Artist

The Queen’s Gambit • End Game • Netflix • Netflix
Gregg Swiatlowski, Co-Supervising Sound Editor Eric Hirsch, Co-Supervising Sound Editor
Wylie Stateman, Sound Designer
Leo Marcil, Sound Editor
Mary-Ellen Porto, Sound Editor
Patrick Cicero, Sound Editor
James David Redding III, Sound Editor Eric Hoehn, Sound Editor
Tom Kramer, Music Editor
Rachel Chancey, Foley Artist

The Underground Railroad • Chapter 9: Indiana Winter • Prime Video • Plan B, PASTEL, Big Indie with Amazon Studios
Onnalee Blank, Sound Supervisor Chris Kahwaty, Dialogue Editor Katy Wood, Dialogue Editor
Bryan Parker, Dialogue/ADR Editor Jay Jennings, Sound Designer Harry Cohen, Sound Designer Luke Gibleon, Sound Effects Editor Pietu Korhonen, Foley Editor
John Finklea, Music Editor Heikki Kossi, MPSE, Foley Artist

WandaVision • The Series Finale • Disney+ • Marvel Studios
Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Co-Supervising Sound Editor Kim Foscato, Co-Supervising Sound Editor
James Spencer, ADR Editor
Chris Gridley, ADR Editor
Steve Orlando, Sound Designer
Scott Guitteau, Sound Effects Editor Jon Borland, Sound Effects Editor Samson Neslund, Sound Effects Editor Richard Gould, Sound Effects Editor Jordan Myers, Sound Editor
Luke Dunn Gielmuda, Foley Editor Greg Peterson, Foley Editor
Fernand Bos, Music Editor
Anele Onyekwere, Music Editor
Ronni Brown, Foley Artist
Shelley Roden, Foley Artist

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program (Single or Multi-Camera)

Allen v. Farrow • Episode 2 • HBO • HBO Documentary Films presents in association with Impact Partners and Chicago Media Project, a Jane Doe Films Production
Dane A. Davis, Co-Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer
Stephanie Flack, Co-Supervising Sound Editor
Jon Michaels, Dialogue Editor Ezra Dweck, Sound Effects Editor Ellen Segal, Music Editor

The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart • HBO • HBO Documentary Films And Polygram Entertainment Present A Kennedy/Marshall Production and a White Horse Pictures Production in association with Diamond Docs
Jonathan Greber, Sound Supervisor
Pascal Garneau, Sound Effects Editor

Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry • Apple TV+ • Apple / Interscope Films / The Darkroom / This Machine / Lighthouse Management & Media
Richard E. Yawn, MPSE, Sound Supervisor
Rob Getty, MPSE, Dialogue Editor
Steven Avila, MPSE, Sound Effects Editor Shawn Kennelly, Foley Editor
Michael Brake, Music Editor
Melissa Kennelly, Foley Artist
Vince Nicastro, Foley Artist

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet • Netflix • A Silverback Films and WWF Production for Netflix
Tim Owens, Sound Supervisor Kate Hopkins, Sound Editor Tom Mercer, Foley Editor Gareth Cousins, Music Editor Paul Ackerman, Foley Artist

The Social Dilemma • Netflix • An Exposure Labs Production in association with Argent Pictures for Netflix
Richard Gould, Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer James Spencer, Dialogue Editor
Andrea Gard, Foley Artist

Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre • HISTORY • BLACKFIN in association with Firelight Films and WhyNot Media for The HISTORY Channel
John Moros, Sound Editor

MIXING

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)

The Boys • What I Know • Prime Video • Sony Pictures Television, Inc. and Amazon Studios
Alexandra Fehrman, Re-Recording Mixer Rich Weingart, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer Thomas Hayek, Production Mixer

The Crown • Fairytale • Netflix • Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television for Netflix
Lee Walpole, Re-Recording Mixer Stuart Hilliker, Re-Recording Mixer Martin Jensen, Re-Recording Mixer Chris Ashworth, Production Mixer

The Handmaid’s Tale • Chicago • Hulu • Hulu, MGM, Daniel Wilson Productions, The Littlefield Company, White Oak Pictures
Lou Solakofski, Re-Recording Mixer Joe Morrow, Re-Recording Mixer Sylvain Arseneault, Production Mixer

Lovecraft Country • Sundown • HBO • HBO in association with afemme, Monkeypaw, Bad Robot, and Warner Bros. Television
Marc Fishman, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer Mathew Waters, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer Amanda Beggs, Production Mixer

The Mandalorian • Chapter 13: The Jedi • Disney+ • Lucasfilm Ltd.
Bonnie Wild, Re-Recording Mixer Stephen Urata, Re-Recording Mixer Shawn Holden, CAS, Production Mixer Christopher Fogel, Scoring Mixer

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Genius: Aretha • Respect • National Geographic • National Geographic presents an Imagine Television and 20th Television Production
Dan Brennan, Re-Recording Mixer
Ken Hahn, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer
Jay Meagher, Production Mixer

Mare of Easttown • Sore Must Be The Storm • HBO • HBO in association with wiip Studios, The Low Dweller Productions, Juggle Productions, Mayhem and Zobot Projects
Joe DeAngelis, Re-Recording Mixer
Chris Carpenter, Re-Recording Mixer
Richard Bullock, Production Mixer

The Queen’s Gambit • End Game • Netflix • Netflix
Eric Hirsch, Re-Recording Mixer
Eric Hoehn, Re-Recording Mixer Roland Winke, Production Mixer Lawrence Manchester, Scoring Mixer

The Underground Railroad • Chapter 1: Georgia • Prime Video • Plan B, PASTEL, Big Indie with Amazon Studios
Onnalee Blank, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer Mathew Waters, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer Joe White, CAS, Production Mixer
Kari Vähäkuopus, Foley Mixer

WandaVision • The Series Finale • Disney+ • Marvel Studios
Danielle Dupre, Re-Recording Mixer Chris Giles, Production Mixer
Doc Kane, ADR Mixer
Casey Stone, Scoring Mixer

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation

B Positive • High Risk Factor • CBS • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television
Bob LaMasney, Re-Recording Mixer Jeff A. Johnson, CAS, Production Mixer

Cobra Kai • December 19 • Netflix • Sony Pictures Television for Netflix
Joe DeAngelis, Re-Recording Mixer Chris Carpenter, Re-Recording Mixer Mike Filosa, CAS, Production Mixer Phil McGowan, Scoring Mixer

Hacks • Falling • HBO Max • Universal Television in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
John W. Cook II, Re-Recording Mixer
Ben Wilkins, Re-Recording Mixer
Jim Lakin, Production Mixer

The Kominsky Method • Chapter 21. Near, Far, Wherever You Are • Netflix • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television
Yuri Reese, Re-Recording Mixer
Sean Madsen, Re-Recording Mixer
Brian Wittle, Production Mixer

Ted Lasso • The Hope That Kills You • Apple TV+ • Apple / Doozer Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television
Ryan Kennedy, Re-Recording Mixer
Sean Byrne, Re-Recording Mixer
David Lascelles, Production Mixer

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special

Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You • Apple TV+ • Thrill Hill Productions in association with Apple
Kevin O’Connell, Re-Recording Mixer Kyle Arzt, Re-Recording Mixer
Brad Bergbom, Production Mixer Bob Clearmountain, Music Mixer

David Byrne’s American Utopia • HBO • HBO in association with RadicalMedia, 40 Acres And A Mule
Paul Hsu, Re-Recording Mixer Michael Lonsdale, Production Mixer Pete Keppler, Music Mixer

Hamilton • Disney+ • Lin-Manuel Miranda and Nevis Productions LLC, Old 320 Sycamore, and RadicalMedia
Tony Volante, Re-Recording Mixer Roberto Fernandez, Re-Recording Mixer Tim Latham, Re-Recording Mixer
Justin Rathbun, Production Mixer

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver • Trump & Election Results / F*ck 2020 • HBO • HBO in association with Sixteen String Jack Productions and Avalon Television
Siara Spreen, Re-Recording Mixer
Eleanor Osborne, Re-Recording Mixer

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert • Live Show Following Capitol Insurrection; Senator Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Performance By Jamila Woods • CBS • CBS Studios
Pierre de Laforcade, Production Mixer
Harvey Goldberg, Music Mixer
Alan Bonomo, Monitor Mixer

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program (Single or Multi-Camera)

The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart • HBO • HBO Documentary Films And Polygram Entertainment Present A Kennedy/Marshall Production and a White Horse Pictures Production in association with Diamond Docs
Gary A. Rizzo, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer
Jeff King, Re-Recording Mixer
John Rampey, Production Mixer

Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry • Apple TV+ • Apple / Interscope Films / The Darkroom / This Machine / Lighthouse Management & Media
Elmo Ponsdomenech, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer
Jason “Frenchie” Gaya, Re-Recording Mixer
Aron Forbes, Music Mixer Jae Kim, Production Mixer

David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet • Netflix • A Silverback Films and WWF Production for Netflix
Graham Wild, Re-Recording Mixer

Life Below Zero • The Other Side • National Geographic • BBC Studios for National Geographic
Tony Crowe, Re-Recording Mixer

Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy • Naples And The Amalfi Coast • CNN • CNN Original Series, RAW
Tom O’Pray, Re-Recording Mixer Chris Gibbions, Production Mixer

Tina • HBO • HBO Documentary Films presents a Lightbox Production
Lawrence Everson, Re-Recording Mixer Phil McGowan, CAS, Scoring Mixer …

TECHNICAL DIRECTION

Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Series

America’s Got Talent • Episode 1523 • NBC • Fremantle and Syco Entertainment
Allan Wells, Technical Director Iqbal Hans, Technical Director Brian Reason, Camera
Ron Lehman, Camera
David Eastwood, Camera Adam Margolis, Camera Dave Levisohn, Camera John Gardner, Camera
Rob Palmer, Camera
Kary D’Alessandro, Camera Helena Jackson, Camera Hector Ramirez, Camera Dan Webb, Camera
Easter Xua, Camera
Chuck Reilly, Video Control

Jimmy Kimmel Live! • Jimmy Kimmel Live – Sacha Baron Cohen, Wesley Snipes, and Music from Charlotte Lawrence • ABC • ABC Signature in association with Kimmelot
Ervin D. Hurd Jr., Technical Director
Garrett Hurt, Camera
Greg Grouwinkel, Camera Steve Garrett, Camera Bernd Reinhardt, Camera Kris Wilson, Camera
Guy Jones, Senior Video Control

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver • Trump & Election Results / F*ck 2020 • HBO • HBO in association with Sixteen String Jack Productions and Avalon Television
Russell Swanson, Camera
John Schwartz, Camera
Scott Buckler, Camera
Michael Carmine, Camera Matthew Fleischmann, Camera Jon Graham, Camera
Dexter Kennedy, Camera Maxwell Tubman, Camera Michael Isler, Camera
Grgo Sevo, Camera

Saturday Night Live • Host: Dan Levy • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Steven Cimino, Technical Director John Pinto, Camera
Paul Cangialosi, Camera
Joe DeBonis, Camera
Dave Driscoll, Camera
Eric A. Eisenstein, Camera Franco Coello, Camera
Frank Grisanti, Video Control Roberto Lopez, Video Control

The Voice • Live Finale (Part 2) • NBC • MGM Television, Warner Horizon Unscripted & Alternative Television, ITV Studios The Voice USA, Inc.
Allan Wells, Technical Director
Mano Bonilla III, Camera
Martin J. Brown Jr., Camera Robert Burnette, Camera Suzanne Ebner, Camera Guido Frenzel, Camera
Alex Hernandez, Camera Marc Hunter, Camera Scott Hylton, Camera Kathrine Iacofano, Camera Scott Kaye, Camera
Steve Martyniuk, Camera
David Plakos, Camera
Ray Reynolds, Camera
Jofre Rosero, Camera
Steve Simmons, Camera Terrance Ho, Senior Video Control

Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Special

David Byrne’s American Utopia • HBO • HBO in association with RadicalMedia, 40 Acres and a Mule
Ellen Kuras, Camera Gregor Tavenner, Camera Peter Agliata, Camera Charles Libin, Camera Declan Quinn, Camera Sam Levy, Camera
David Waterston, Camera Tim Ives, Camera
Kerwin DeVonish, Camera Yousheng Tang, Camera

The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards • CBS • Fulwell 73 Productions
Rod Wardell, Technical Director Eric Becker, Technical Director Iqbal Hans, Technical Director David Eastwood, Camera
Sean Flannery, Camera Marc Hunter, Camera
Tore Livia, Camera
Allen Merriweather, Camera David Plakos, Camera
Jofre Rosero, Camera Keyan Safyari, Camera Dylan Sanford, Camera Guy Jones, Video Control Terrance Ho, Video Control

Hamilton • Disney+ • Lin-Manuel Miranda and Nevis Productions LLC, Old 320 Sycamore, and RadicalMedia
Pat Capone, Camera
Jack Donnelly, Camera Dave Knox, Camera
Bruce MacCallum, Camera Bill Winters, Camera Maceo Bishop, Camera Abby Levine, Video Control Joe Belack, Video Control

The Oscars • ABC • Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Eric Becker, Technical Director Iqbal Hans, Technical Director
John Pritchett, Technical Director Kenneth Shapiro, Technical Director Devin Atwood, Camera
Danny Bonilla, Camera Mano Bonilla, Camera David Carline, Camera Keith Dicker, Camera David Eastwood, Camera Suzanne Ebner, Camera Freddy Fredericks, Camera Garrett Hurt, Camera
Tore Livia, Camera
Steve Martyniuk, Camera Allen Merriweather, Camera Rob Palmer, Camera
David Plakos, Camera
George Prince, Camera
Dan Webb, Camera
Easter Xua, Camera
Brad Zerbst, Camera
Guy Jones, Video Control Kevin Faust, Video Control Terrence Ho, Video Control John Palacio Jr., Video Control

The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show Starring The Weeknd • CBS • Jesse Collins Entertainment, DPS and Roc Nation
Rod Wardell, Technical Director Eric Becker, Technical Director Robert Del Russo, Camera Kevin French, Camera
Shaun Harkins, Camera
Jay Kulick, Camera
Jeff Latonero, Camera
Tore Livia, Camera
Allen Merriweather, Camera Jofre Rosero, Camera
Mike Harvath, Camera David Geller, Camera
Don Miller, Camera
Keith Rees, Camera Timmy Mueller, Camera Jeff Gentile, Camera
Jon Mantak, Camera Carmen Long, Camera Frank Lombardo, Camera Steve Webster, Camera Stephen Wharton, Camera Ed Martino, Camera
Rian Weigart, Camera
JD Curl, Camera
Christian Pantuosco, Camera Andrew Lawing, Camera
Joe Ward, Camera
John “JM” Hurley, Video Control Ian Fleisher, Video Control Emelie Scaminaci, Video Control …

Variety 7/13

Academy of Television Arts and Sciences site

July 13, 2021 0 comments

Web Exclusives What Our Members Do

What Our Members Do: David Bernstein, Technical Director

by uncredited June 5, 2020

written by uncredited 10 minutes read

Where are you currently employed?

I am, and have always been, a work-for-hire freelancer.

Current projects?

For “America’s Got Talent” and “Dancing With The Stars,” I work as a screens TD; I operate the switcher that controls the LED screens on set. I’ve also been the screens TD on “American Idol,” which was supposed to happen again this season until the coronavirus pandemic changed everything. We almost didn’t finish season 3, but tech manager John Fekas came up with an engineering solution for all the talent to perform and judge and host from home.

Therefore, I was the line cut TD — live cutting the cameras and graphics for the director — for this season’s “American Idol” finale. I also work as line cut TD on “So You Think You Can Dance” and “The Titan Games,” among other shows.

I round out my schedule with stints at NFL Network and filling in for fellow TDs when they need to “book out” of a show in a hurry. I still accept the occasional sports broadcast booking in order to keep those skills up to date. (They’re different from entertainment TD skills).

Describe your job.

I’m the technical director, so I’m technical and I sit next to the director. I’m the interface between her and the technical crew in a live or live-to-tape multicamera television production. This job requires you to be on top of every technical detail of the production. I’m responsible to the director for ensuring that all the technical facilities required for the production have been installed and are working correctly. Of special importance is the set-up of the control room. I work with the facility engineer to lay out the monitor wall so that cameras, playbacks, graphics devices, and all the other sources needed for the show have been placed in monitors where the director, associate director, script supervisor, producers, and other control room staff can easily find them in the chaos of live production.

Once all of that is taken care of, it’s time for me to start my actual job, which is the set-up and operation of the heart of a live production – the video switcher! All the sources needed for the show must be mapped to buttons where I can quickly(!) access them in the heat of production. All of these sources must be “facs’ed out” [pronounced like “fax,” it’s a contraction for “facilities check”] with the Local 600 Utilities to confirm that we are getting the correct video from each source, that cameras get tally lights and return video channels from the switcher, and that the PL comm circuit between cameras and the control room is fully operational.

All of this must be accomplished without leaving my seat! I remain behind the switcher at all times because that’s where everyone (especially the director) expects to find me. I rely on all the communications tools at my disposal so that I can support the tech crew from that chair.

Another important part of the TD’s skill set — the artistic side — is the creation of video effects: split-screens, multi-box effects, picture-in-picture, and various video treatments. These need to be built in advance (or sometimes on the fly, as in “Oh, by the way, I need….”)

The key part of the job that determines whether or not I get called back to the next production is to push the right button at the right time! To paraphrase Rudyard Kipling, if you can keep your head while all those around you are losing theirs – you just might be a good TD!

How did you first become interested in this line of work?

I grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, where rugby is practically a religion. When I was nine, I discovered the TV cameras at our local rugby stadium. Those big TV-81 cables led to a corner of the stadium where I convinced the gate guard to let me see inside the truck. Soon I was standing right behind the guy who, with the push of a button, was changing the picture on millions of TV sets all over South Africa! I could watch the game from eight different angles in one place! This was where the action was.

Who gave you your first break?

In the 1990s, I was working as a freelance audio engineer in Connecticut. My wife’s co-worker was (and still is) married to sportscaster Dan Patrick, who offered me a tour of ESPN after he heard about my TV truck adventures in South Africa. Somehow the tour turned into a job interview, and I was hired at ESPN in Bristol, CT in February 1995.

What was your first union job?

My first IA 700 work was for Fox Sports West after I moved to LA — and my first “real” (entertainment) IA gig was the Prince Super Bowl halftime show in 2007.

What credits or projects are you proudest of, and why?

I worked on so many great shows, but since joining the IA, I have a hard time picking a favorite. There are so few days when work feels like work – it’s just that much fun doing what I do for a living! One standout has been working as screens TD on “American Idol,” which leads to…

What was your biggest challenge in your job (or on a particular project) and how did you overcome/solve it?

I was line cut TD on “American Idol” for most of its final season on Fox. When ABC picked up the show, Fremantle, the company that produces the show, ordered a major redesign of the set that involved wrapping the entire stage in LED walls. Director Phil Heyes got the budget increased to include a screens TD, and I was called. Even at the end of season 2 on ABC, I still couldn’t figure an accurate pixel count on the “Idol” set, other than to say that it takes four 4K (UHD) feeds to fill that beast. The idea is to be able to put live-camera image magnification (IMAG) any place on the walls or floor. The show is produced in 720p, but the graphics are delivered 1080p, so to use the existing switcher at Television City’s Stage 36 where the show is shot became problematic. Just two weeks before the first live shows were scheduled to air, I managed to “procure” a switcher that functions in a revolutionary new way. I was sweating bullets, but we made it work, and it’s been on the show ever since.

What was the most fun you’ve had at work?

Probably that Prince halftime show at the 2007 Super Bowl. The weather looked like it was going to wash the whole thing out, but Prince insisted on performing and he nailed it. But honestly, pretty much every day in a control room is fun!

Jobwise, what do you hope to be doing five years from now?

I want to be on the cutting edge of technology in our business, finding and implementing amazing new tech to enable our more creative collaborators to tell engaging stories in front of a live audience.

What are your outside activities, hobbies, passions?

Besides watching rugby matches, the other thing I did as a nine-year-old on Saturday morning was to go flying with an Air Force reserve squadron that had a reconnaissance mission profile. The Commanding Officer of this unit was a client of my father, who was an ad exec, and he invited us to check out their new planes. The flying bug bit me hard and has never let go. That said, I have been so busy with my career over the years that I haven’t logged a lot of hours, but I love every second I spend in the air. I also enjoy sailing and photography.

Favorite movie(s)? Why?

My first summer in the US was hot and soupy in Amherst where I was studying Electrical and Computer Engineering at UMass. I spent most of the summer indoors in air conditioning watching two movies on HBO over and over until I could recite almost every line. My favorite was “Real Genius” (1985) — thank you, Martha Coolidge — which fed a personal fantasy that I could have been smart enough in 10th grade to make it into Cal Tech. The script totally plays to my (lame) sense of humor.

The other movie was John Hughes’ “Sixteen Candles” (1984). I attended an all-boys boarding school in a different culture, so I enjoyed this film for “what might have been” had I gone to an American public high school.

More recently, my wife has led us into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). What an amazing collection of stories — so well created both in front of and behind the lens! There is a curated timeline of the suggested viewing order of the films and TV shows, and it all fits together like clockwork. Amazing!

Favorite TV program(s)? Why?

Besides all the shows I am fortunate to work on, and the great MCU shows, I enjoy classics like “Law and Order” (the original series) and “Seinfeld.” Among more contemporary shows, I like “Stranger Things” and “The Americans.” I’m sure I’ll think of a bunch more after this article is published.

Do you have an industry mentor?

Many top-notch TDs have shared their experience with me, but my primary mentor is Eric Becker. We met when my sports TV world collided with his entertainment TV world on the Super Bowl halftime shows produced by Don Mischer (another mentor). Eric opened many doors that helped me transition into entertainment productions, and I have worked behind him many times as screens TD. He has a well-deserved international reputation — smart, professional, largely unflappable — and I have matured into an employable TD in Hollywood, thanks to his example. Honorable mention must go to Bob Ennis who continually challenges me to strive for technical excellence.

What advice would you offer to someone interested in pursuing your line of work?

Learn everything technical about production. Pay attention to everything around you as you work your way up the ranks in the business. Learn how to shoot and edit so you can anticipate the director’s needs. Learn as much about television engineering as you can so that you can communicate clearly and troubleshoot effectively with your engineers.

Was there ever a circumstance when you had to rely on the Guild for help or assistance?

The Guild is always there when something needs ironing out. Someone ALWAYS gets back to me within 24 hours (48 max!). I have all these silly little questions about benefits or safety training and it’s never any bother for anyone. Thanks, Cathy Repola and Ann Hadsell!

Is there anything you’d like to say to your fellow Guild members, some words of encouragement?

Do what you love. When you do what you love for a living, it’s not work — it’s a work of love.

Compiled by David Bruskin.

Want to be profiled in this feature? Reach out to SCollins@editorsguild.com.

June 5, 2020 0 comments

Columns My Most Memorable Film

Beth Stiller on Los Angeles Lakers Road Telecasts

by uncredited June 7, 2019

written by uncredited 10 minutes read

by Peter Tonguette

Beth Stiller.

Beth Stiller is not a professional basketball player. She isn’t known for shooting from the three-point line or for scoring fast-break points. In fact, she prefers surfing to basketball. But, for about eight years in the late 1990s and 2000s, Stiller found herself on the road with the Los Angeles Lakers.

From the 1998-1999 to 2005-2006 NBA seasons, Stiller served as the technical director on Lakers road games shown on KCAL in Los Angeles. Although her job was strictly behind-the-scenes, she nonetheless felt connected to the excitement that was happening on the court. Any Lakers fan can call to mind the electricity of those years: Head coach Phil Jackson was cooking up plays on the sideline while players like Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal were working their superstar magic at game time.

“It’s such a trip to be on the front of a wave,” Stiller says. “You felt that synergy both with the production team and with the sports team itself. We always felt like we were little barnacles on the side of a whale, just flying along with them.”

For Stiller and her colleagues, the stakes weren’t quite as great as winning or losing a championship, but the pressure of delivering games to viewers tuning in at home could be intense. “We work as a great organism together, and if one of us is derailed, another member has to take over,” she explains. “If you’re thinking about, ‘Oh, did I take the laundry out?’ or ‘Did I forget to turn off the heater?’ or silly little things like that, it can derail the train.”

A native of Brooklyn, New York, Stiller moved with her family to Los Angeles when she was 10. She did not grow up as a sports fan in general, or a Lakers fan in particular. “Personally, I don’t enjoy watching sports too much, but it’s really fun to technical direct,” she comments. And, with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz, her ultimate career path in show business was not a foregone conclusion, either. “I love literature,” she explains. “I love stories.”

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant flies high for a rebound against the Houston Rockets in January 2003 in Houston.
Photo by Pat Sullivan/Associated Press

Upon graduation, the TD-to-be planned to return to New York, but before she could make the trip back to her hometown, she had a chance encounter with an acquaintance who ran an audio studio in Los Angeles. “He invited me to learn how to audio engineer,” she remembers. “I said, ‘Oh, what the hell’ — I was young.”

Then, in the early 1980s, Stiller learned about an internship at a small television station called KSCI, UHF channel 18 in Long Beach, California, which was then associated with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi — the guru to, among other notables, the Beatles. “At the beginning, all of the programs were focused on Transcendental Meditation,” she recalls. “The work environment was extremely chill. It was kind of run by his monks, and there were 30-hour workweeks.”

Three years into her gig at KSCI, Stiller transitioned from audio to a succession of other jobs, including field camera and, eventually, directing/technical directing. “I learned that I really like technical directing,” she comments. “At the time, it wasn’t as complicated as today. It was more about overseeing the engineering area, switching cameras, and adding graphics and a couple of transitions.”

In the late 1980s, she left KSCI to have her first child — Stiller and her husband, an executive at Voice of America in Washington, DC, are parents to a daughter and a son — but, after about a year out of the workforce, she got the itch to get back in. She initially worked as a TD on game shows in Miami, but by the early ’90s, opportunities in sports programming were starting to explode. “The technology was growing — the amount of people, the number of cameras and the money,” she says. “There were a lot of jobs there.”

Stiller, whose early sports-related gigs included technical directing broadcasts of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim professional hockey team, enjoyed telling the story of a game through shots, transitions and graphics. “We’re the keeper of the grammar of television — correct and timely transitions between shots, replays and pre-packaged clips are necessary to keep viewers in the flow of the game,” she explains. “If the grammar or timing of a transition is incorrect, it can shock viewers, and then they’re not with us anymore. In addition, there can be errors we intercept. We’re the gatekeeper of whatever hits the air, and it’s live.”

In 1998, she got the call to technical direct the Lakers road games on KCAL (Channel 9 in Los Angeles, then owned by Young Broadcasting) — though not the team’s home games, which, at the time, were only shown on cable. “The broadcast shows were the shows that went on the road,” Stiller explains. “They thought that if you broadcast local games, nobody would show up at the arena. The whole model is completely different nowadays.” Not that the shows produced on the road were anything less than first-rate. “It was one of the premier shows,” she adds. “Probably the Lakers and the [New York] Knicks had the most money — and they could do the most elaborate shows.”

Under the supervision of producer/director Susan Stratton, the crew set up about six hours ahead of tipoff. “I had an incredible boss,” Stiller recalls. “She put together a team that was from all ethnicities, all genders and, theoretically, we were all at the top of our games.” At the front bench of the mobile unit, the technical director would be stationed at the switcher while both live shots and replays were being called. “We had a minimum of six cameras,” she explains. “There were also clock cameras because, at that time, you had to show a picture of the game clock and the shot clock. And we traveled with a field camera operator, Victor Smith, who would go out and shoot interviews and whatnot.”

Beth Stiller, center left, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, home of the NBA’s Washington Wizards, in March 1998 with the Laker Road Show team: Back row from left, Chick Hearn (play-by-play announcer), Bobby Matthews (stage manager), Seth Shore (graphics coordinator), Stiller, Victor Smith (camera and tease producer), Susan Stratton (executive producer/director), Cathy Glynn (graphics operator/chyron), Stu Lance (color announcer); front row, Doug Coffland (associate director), Norm Larson (linear/nonlinear playback/replay), Antony Hurd (audio mixer), Vance Edwards (linear/nonlinear playback/replay) and Rich Rose (video control). Courtesy of Andrew D. Bernstein Associates Photography

The assorted cameras gave the team an array of options, from a game camera that displayed the entire court to a tight camera that zeroed-in on the player with the ball at a given moment. “It’s pretty fun because you have to predict what’s going on before it happens so that you’re ready,” Stiller remarks. “The director is always looking not at the shot that’s on the air, but the next shot.”

Most games would wrap up within three hours, but many — including those that went to overtime — could go even longer. Stiller remembers a game during which Bryant broke his latest in a succession of NBA records. KCAL had a crew in place with first dibs on the player’s post-game interview, but the higher-ups at the station wanted to cut away before it could be broadcast. “There was another show that was coming up on KCAL that was very important to the people at the station,” the technical director recalls. “They told us that we should get off the air, but Susan didn’t. We sat there and we broadcast the interview. You really want to be able to serve the audience and give that to the audience.”

At the end of each game, the crew packed up and flew with the team to the next stop. “We stayed in the Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons,” Stiller says, though accommodations were not quite as luxurious as what the players could expect. “For us, to order a cup of coffee was the entire per diem,” she laughs. “You learned to travel with your own tea and immersion heater. They didn’t have them in the rooms at that time.” She also had to spend chunks of time away from her family. “I was very lucky to have a really good husband who looked after the kids and worked while I was gone,” she says. “We were so blessed.”

By and large, though, the technical director is grateful for those years on the road. “We’d go into different cities and they each had different labor characteristics,” she relates. “Texas is a right-to-work state, and people don’t make very much money, but they made sure that everybody eats and they’re very hospitable. And then you got into Boston, which is super-organized, but they had horrible conditions for the crew.”

Over the course of Stiller’s run as technical director of the Lakers road games, television itself was going through changes. “We went from standard definition to high definition,” she points out. “When you’re in one format, that’s cool; when you’re in another format, that’s cool. But the transition between one and the other is very difficult.” The one constant, of course, was the top-level play. She remembers Bryant stringing together nine 40-point-plus games, including a memorable contest with the Utah Jazz in 2003, but she appreciated any game in which he went airborne. “It seems the man could magically fly through walls,” she marvels.

Stiller’s experiences with the Lakers led to other opportunities in the sports world. “It helped me career-wise,” she says. “I worked on the NBA Finals for the NBA. I went to four Olympics with NBC — including snowboarding in Italy, which was really great — and Australia.” Eventually, she left sports to move on to entertainment programming, including stints technical directing NBC’s The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien (2008-2010) and its successor, TBS’ Conan (2010-present).

But Stiller will always remain grateful for her years with the Lakers. “Something magical happened during those years,” she reflects. “It was something just to be there.”

June 7, 2019 0 comments

Web Exclusives What Our Members Do

What Our Members Do: Mary Crowley

by uncredited June 1, 2019

written by uncredited 5 minutes read

Where are you currently employed?

I work freelance.

Current Project?

The Rachael Ray Show, the talk and lifestyle show. We are going into Season 14 this fall, which will be my ninth season with the show.

Describe Your Job.

I always tell people that I am an “instantaneous editor.” I edit the show as it happens. My day-to-day responsibilities include keeping the switcher up to date and cleaned out, building effects for the show and switching the show. During the show, I am cutting cameras, running effects and feeding monitors.

How did you first become interested in this line of work?

I first became interested in switching when I was in college.

Who gave you your first break?

Kim Southwick! Kim was the production manager at KIDK-TV 3, the local CBS news affiliate in Idaho Falls, Idaho. When I was 15, he hired me as a camera operator for what was both my first job and my first TV job. I was so lucky to work in such a small market. While in high school, I was a camera operator, as well as stage manager, prompter operator and character generator (the station had a vidi-font machine — so old!). I was also the weekend photographer and writer for the evening news.

What was your first union job?

Rachael Ray was my first union gig.

Which of your credits or projects have made you the most proud and why?

I have a lot of projects that I’ve been proud to be a part of. I am very proud to work on Rachael. We put out a beautiful product and I work with a fantastic crew. Over the last couple of years, I have had to opportunity to work on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Sesame Street. All these shows require completely different skill sets from me, but they are all final products that I am super proud of.

What was your biggest challenge in your job (or on a particular project) and how did you overcome/solve it?

Truck work is probably the most challenging. You roll into a completely unbuilt show and you have a day or less to build every effect you need and to make sure that it will work effectively enough that your split-second decisions don’t hinder the flow of the show. If you don’t have a good truck engineer, it can be a very intensive build. It’s fun — like putting together a puzzle.

What was the most fun you’ve had at work?

I got to switch a show where British performance artist Millie Brown vomited paint all over Lady Gaga. It was part of a performance that Lady Gaga was doing at the 2014 South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Austin that Fuse.tv aired on the Internet. An hour before airtime, someone ran into the truck, told us, “The second song is where she will throw up,” and then left. None of us knew what that meant, until the second song started. It was an adventure. Really, even the worst show can be fun if you have a good crew.

Jobwise, what do you hope to be doing five years from now?

I would love it if Rachael was in its 18th season in five years. It’s a great work environment.

What are your outside activities, hobbies, passions?

I love fermentation — getting my hands in the dirt and bringing life into a garden, or anything that I can use to express my creativity. That includes painting, music and crafting with my kids.

Favorite movie(s)? Why?

The Philadelphia Story, especially for the banter between Katherine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart.

Favorite TV program(s)? Why?

I can’t say I have a favorite, but I just binged The Umbrella Academy and looooved it. It is so purposeful with its cinematography and editing. I enjoyed it for the story and its production values.

Do you have an industry mentor?

Jon Pretnar and Mike Ser are probably the best technical directors I’ve ever worked with. They both are never-ending wells of information and creativity.

What advice would you offer to someone interested in pursuing your line of work?

Do it as much as possible. It won’t matter how much you learn about the switcher if you don’t have the opportunity to get your chops. So much of what you do during the show is muscle memory and it’s important to build.

Was there ever a circumstance when you had to rely on the Guild for help or assistance?

Actually, no. I haven’t tapped into the Guild for assistance yet.

Is there anything you’d like to say to your fellow Guild members, some words of encouragement?

We are on the crossroads of creativity and technology. How lucky are we?!!

Compiled by Edward Landler

Editor’s Note: To recommend a member (including yourself) to be featured on CineMontage.org, and the home page of the Editors Guild website, please contact edlandler@roadrunner.com.

June 1, 2019 0 comments

Features

Oscar’s Digital Effects Master – Technical Director Kenneth Shapiro Works His Magic on Hollywood’s Biggest Awards Show

by Laura Almo February 15, 2019

written by Laura Almo 15 minutes read

by Laura Almo • portraits by Wm. Stetz

When the curtain rises on “Hollywood’s Biggest Night,” which it will again on Sunday, February 24 this year, the global audience tunes in to watch the Academy Awards live. People are eager to see the stars, the fashion, the elegance, the glitter and the gold in real time.

Kenneth Shapiro. Photo by Wm. Stetz

A big part of this ritual is, of course, to watch the presentation of the awards, from the ceremonial “Here are the nominees for…” to the moment when the presenter says, “And the Oscar goes to…” Be it Best Picture, Actor in a Supporting Role, Costume Design, Sound Mixing, Animated Short — or any of the 24 categories — millions of viewers around the world will simultaneously see the face of each of the nominees in a little box. Viewers see the smiles and the nerves, the exaltation and the reactions, and of course the applause, as each nominee is named and then the winner is announced.

While the television audience is focused on the competition, technical director Kenneth Shapiro is concentrating on making sure those little boxes — and myriad other effects — go off without a hitch.

When everything works perfectly, what goes on behind the scenes at the Oscar ceremony remains invisible to viewers. These seemingly simple yet iconic moments are the work of the effects technical director and, for many Oscar broadcasts over the past three decades (20 to be exact), Shapiro has been responsible for the effects that are so much a part of the Academy Awards show. To put it in perspective, this TD began working on the show in 1990 (the 62nd), the same year Billy Crystal hosted his first Oscar show. (This year is the 91st awards ceremony.)

Shapiro builds the effects that are used throughout the show. Last year, when actresses Jodi Foster and Jennifer Lawrence were on stage presenting the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (to Frances McDormand, in case you forgot), Shapiro was making sure the video effects that he created prior to the show were working and that the camera people had the correct shots and framing. “It’s all about seeing the celebrity faces as big as possible so that the viewer at home can see their reactions to the win or the loss,” he explains.

Over the years, as the Oscar shows have become more ambitious, producers and directors want to utilize different shapes and effects. In the past it, was simply squares but more recently it’s become video walls and complex shapes. “For the last two years, the effects design was a parallelogram that was angled,” recounts Shapiro. “And director Glenn Weiss wanted to go from this angled look to a full frame with the box blowing up full-screen. Because of the shape and angle, the cameramen had to frame their shots looser so they wouldn’t cut off the heads.”

Digital video effects (DVE) were always part of the technical director’s job. But as the number of cameras being used grew from 10 to now over 20, plus the addition of more and more LED video walls and other signals needed to be routed and sourced during busy sequences, it became an ever-increasing task for one technical director to stay focused on the main show. “I started to help the main technical director as the complexity of the video signals needed routing and the video effects grew and evolved into another technical directing role,” Shapiro says. “You’re performing similar tasks as the other technical director. You’re sourcing and controlling content, you’re cutting cameras on the air and you’re doing live-editing on the director’s cue.”

A photo from 1992, when Kenneth Shapiro was the technical director for the television series Roc, which was broadcast live one year on Fox. Pictured from left, are associate director Debbie Palacio, director Stan Lathan and Shapiro. It was part of a segment that Entertainment Tonight aired on the historic nature of the show.

At the Academy Awards, there are now three technical directors working in different zones: the screens, the effects and the main show. Working in collaboration, the trio takes the creative ideas from the show’s director and executes them in a one-time live situation. Eric Becker, the main show technical director, is responsible for all the camera cutting, keying and playback elements, while John Pritchett, the screens technical director, focuses on all the feeds going to the video walls, set monitors and projection feeds. For his part, Shapiro, who has worked the show the longest, creates the multi-camera digital video effects boxes mostly used for the nominee categories or special sequences.

Oscar TDs are a close-knit group. For many years, Shapiro worked the show with John B. Field (the primary technical director for the main show), Rick Edwards and Allan Wells, whose fortes became coordinating the screen feeds going out to the stage. More recently, Becker, Pritchett and Iqbal Hans have come into the fold.

A Chicago native, Shapiro grew up in the television and live TV world. His father was a technical supervisor for WBBM, the CBS-owned-and-operated station in Chicago. In high school, he was involved in the school radio station, where he was a production manager and had his own show.

After graduating, he moved to Colorado to pursue his dream of becoming a professional skier. When he realized that wasn’t in the cards, he returned to Illinois and enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. During his first year, Shapiro started working weekends for his father’s company. It was after learning how to use a new slow-motion instant replay machine that Shapiro started traveling to work on sports events and variety television.

Kenneth Shapiro, right, with fellow technical director John B. Field in a Denali television production truck working on the 80th Oscars broadcast in 2008. Photo by Gregory Schwartz

Shapiro worked on the national broadcasts of the World Football League and met the crew, including Gene Crowe, who went on to become one of the top technical directors in Los Angeles. “It was a tremendous group of people who were the cutting edge of freelance live television in the mid-’70s, and that gave me a lot of opportunity,” he recalls.

While in California for a game, he visited another show at Pepperdine University in Malibu and struck up a conversation with the crew working in the VTE (Video Tape Enterprises) broadcast truck. When the technical director learned that Shapiro knew how to operate and maintain the new slow-motion/instant replay disc, he asked if he wanted a job. “And it was like, BAM — I’m there,” Shapiro remembers. “I’m done with school. I’m moving to California. And there was no turning back.”

Shapiro traveled to work on sports and specials. In 1984, he came off the road and took a studio job (as a videotape operator/editor) at Entertainment Tonight (1981-present). It was an opportunity to learn new equipment — and also a turning point in his career.

“I had a fascination to learn the new Ampex ADO Digital Effects System (the newest DVE device at the time) because ET had such high demand for constant effects,” he relates. “They wanted a lot of pizzazz. They wanted lots of effects transitions. Different DVE boxes were being utilized for live shows and it was all about what it can do, how quickly can we get it done, and what’s new/different about it?” As part of the Miss Universe team, Shapiro would create nearly 200 effects during both pre-production editing and the live show using different DVE equipment.

Any chance Shapiro got, he would learn the new equipment/switchers and video effect boxes. He devised the “page turn” effect, which was used for many years on ET and was key to his effects training. When he started working on awards shows and specials (Miss Universe Pageant, Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, American Music Awards, etc.), he pretty quickly showed producers/directors that he had the chops to deliver the types of effects they were envisioning.

Oscar Bound

In 1990, Shapiro’s technical prowess landed him an opportunity to work on the Oscars. The director was Jeff Margolis, with whom Shapiro had worked on the AMA Awards. “He saw that I could make that box perform, and when he had the opportunity to bring me on to the Oscars, he jumped at it.”

Storyboards Kenneth Shapiro created for the 3D “slab” video effects to be used for the 65th Oscars in 1993.

Tasked with trying to bring new visual effects to the Oscar broadcast, the TD remembers, “When I got to the Oscars, it was another giant leap. The director wanted to explore the next level of video effects as well as incorporate elements of the production design into the look of the video effects.”

Since he first began working on the Oscars in the ’90s, shows have gotten bigger and more complex, costs have increased and digital technologies have changed the way he works. Shapiro observes that building the effects and doing setup for the show takes less time than in the analog days. “The effects are one of first things we rehearse on camera,” he explains. “The technical setup takes a couple of days. That time used to be consumed with installing all the equipment and getting all the sourcing worked out and routed correctly. Digital technology changed everything. The technical setup now goes much faster.

“The engineering team for the Oscars is amazing,” he continues. “There’s a lot of planning and attention to detail. There’s a giant infrastructure for the show and the effects are just one element.”

But some things haven’t changed too much, according to the technical director, who stresses that rehearsal is still crucial to test everything. So is the chance to run through the show with the camera people using stand-ins for the nominees, and to double-check that the right name comes up with the right face.

Pencil drawing designs by Kenneth Shapiro for the effects to be used on the 79th Oscars in 2007.

From Shapiro’s vantage point, live shows like the Oscars are about anticipating the points of disaster. For example, a sequence starts and one of the nominees is missing. This is something that has happened numerous times over the years. “Maybe the nominee is a no-show or in the bathroom,” he posits. “The bottom line is that they are not on camera. What do we do? Do we drop all the effects? Do we move on and stay with the package?”

He recalled a near disaster with a nominee effect at one of the Oscar telecasts on which he worked. Shapiro had built a complex 3D “slab” video effect using multiple videotape machines, electronic graphics, numerous keys and still-store slides that on-cue would flip around to reveal the live-nominee camera in the audience before flipping around to the next nominee clip.

“When we started into the effect sequence, one of the camera people got on the PL [private line intercom] and said that the nominee was not in his seat,” he reveals. “At that time, we only had no-show photos of nominees we knew were not coming to the show. I realized that we did not have a photo of the missing nominee to substitute in place of the live camera. I had planned for a ‘bailout’ possibility but had not rehearsed the procedure. It made my heart triple in speed to try to figure out how to get around it.” Even though Shapiro was manually sourcing the inputs during the sequence, at the last second he was able to jump to the next videotape, bypass the live camera and advance to the next key frame to get back into the sequence.

“Now we try to make sure that we’ve anticipated every problem,” he adds. “We have a photo backup just in case they’re supposed to be there but didn’t show up. We try to have backup plans for everything.”

For Shapiro, a self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie, being a technical director for live TV suits him well. Whether it is making sure all the cameras have their shots framed correctly or that the wrong camera is not cut to, he knows that the stakes are high when there is only one chance to do things perfectly.

“Technical directors are expected to be 100 percent all the time,” Shapiro maintains. “There’s no ‘Fix-It-in-Post.’ The amount of adrenaline that gets pumped as we go on air is a feeling I’ve always loved. I love that high-stress, short-term pressure, when you’ve got one chance to do it right.

“It’s just like skiing down a mountain,” he continues, harkening back to his original career dream. “You don’t want to make any mistakes. You don’t want to hit a tree. You want to get all the way down and feel great about it.”

In the early-to-mid-2000s, Shapiro directed 19 episodes of the sitcom Everyone Loves Raymond (1996-2005). Since then he has also gone on to direct an extensive array of televised classical music and operas, as well as the documentary Great Voices Sing John Denver (2013), in which opera singers perform songs from the singer/songwriter’s catalogue. “After that, it was nice for me to be able to come back into the live television world,” he offers.

Kenneth Shapiro outside the Denali truck he’ll be working in on Oscar night. Photo by Wm. Stetz

As for his best day at the Academy Awards, Shapiro says it was doing the Oscars with Crystal the first time they both worked on the show. “Not only is Billy a great comedian, he is also an extraordinary entertainer,” the TD recounts. “He ended his opening monologue with a humorous short medley about the Best Picture nominees. And I was tasked with creating video effects during his medley performance.”

Before Crystal’s rehearsal, he would briefly meet with the host to describe the director’s framing of the camera and where the effects were entering and exiting the picture around him. “Billy was very interested in where his eye line should be,” Shapiro says. “Then we would record a rehearsal and I would follow the script and take my cues from him. After each rehearsal, we would watch the playback and make adjustments to the effects to coincide with his movements. By the third time through, the performance and effects blended perfectly. It’s a thrill when something complicated appears natural and gets the desired reaction from the audience.”

It has been nearly 30 years since Shapiro’s first Academy Awards. To what does this multi-hyphenate attribute his longevity working with the Oscars? “Luck,” he replies. “That and my continued excitement about the job at hand. It’s the passion, the rush and a great group of people. There’s a lot of clout to the show and I’m humbled to have been a part of it for so many years.”

February 15, 2019 0 comments

Columns My Most Memorable Film Web Exclusives

Lucinda Margolis on ‘Wheel of Fortune’

by Peter Tonguette October 4, 2018

written by Peter Tonguette 10 minutes read

by Peter Tonguette

As a technical director specializing in entertainment events and game shows, Lucinda Margolis spends the better part of her days seated in front of television monitors. Earlier this year, however, when she and her husband moved into a new home, it took them about a month to plug in their own TV set.

“We don’t watch a lot of television because our schedules are so demanding,” Margolis says. “It’s a rare pleasure to actually sit and watch a movie. I read a lot of books, and I listen to a lot of books on tape. I’m much more of a reader than I am a television-watcher.”

Lucinda Margolis.

By the same token, she had tuned into the occasional episode of Wheel of Fortune (1983-persent) and Jeopardy! (1984-present), but until she began working on the syndicated game shows four seasons ago, she had never taken the time to study them carefully.

“I had seen both Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! because, gosh, they’ve been on for 30 years,” says Margolis, who credits Wheel of Fortune director Robert Ennis — a former technical director himself — for bringing her up to speed on the inner workings of the show.

“Thank God for YouTube,” she comments. “We put it on an iPad and played it over and over again. We basically rehearsed and cut the show to him calling it live and our playing it back from a previous show. We just practiced it over and over again, so the first day when I came in and sat down, the butterflies were down a little bit.”

A native of Las Vegas, Margolis has been working in broadcasting since she was a teenager. While a freshman in high school, she was in search of an elective course to take and stumbled upon the student television studio. “I was thinking photography, but I didn’t own a camera,” she says. “I wandered down the hall and the television studio had its own equipment. I thought, ‘I could do this.’ The technical stuff looked interesting to me.”

Wheel of Fortune. Photo by Carol Kaelson. Sony Pictures Television

A job in radio followed. “I got my FCC third-class license when I was 14 and got a little job as a radio DJ at an automated station that played tapes in the middle of the night,” Margolis remembers. “I had friends who were basically working in the cafeteria making fries, but I thought, ‘I have a job at a radio station.’”

When she was 18, the future TD found employment at a then-independent station in Henderson, Nevada, KVVU-TV. “I got a midnight to 8:00 a.m. job because nobody wanted to work that shift,” she recalls, but because of the small size of the station — and the late hour of the shift — the teenager learned the business.

“I ran almost everything,” she recalls. “I would make commercials, do promos and load tapes. We would do a live morning talk show out of there every day. I ended up being a director there.”

Two years later, Margolis moved onto KLAS-TV in Las Vegas, where she technical directed news programming. “It was small enough where you could actually hire a kid my age and have them do something because it wasn’t so high pressure,” she says, adding that the age of the station’s outdated equipment proved to be a plus. “It was difficult to figure out, so it kind of gave me a great base to keep learning more and more equipment. I don’t know how many different switchers in my life that I’ve been on, but once you learn a little bit about one, it applies to the next one.”

Lucinda Margolis at the switcher.

Following a nearly decade-long tenure at KLAS, Margolis hopscotched between stations in Texas and Nevada before receiving an offer to technical direct sports programming — which she had begun to do on a freelance basis — at the now-defunct NMT (National Mobile Television) in Los Angeles. “A director asked me if I wanted to come to Los Angeles to do volleyball and I said, ‘Sure!’” she reveals. “I started traveling basically every weekend after that day to do various events: baseball and basketball and football.” The technical director moved to southern California in 1996.

In preparing for the assignments, Margolis took time to learn the intricacies of each sport and the ways in which they were shown on television. “I’d never done a baseball game in my life,” she concedes. “I sat and I would look… You can tell there’s a camera up at high home, there’s a camera out in center field, there are some low ones. I would watch the elements, memorize them, see how many layers there were and then diagram it out.”

The skill proved useful when transitioned from sports events to game shows, an opportunity that came about after meeting director Ennis through freelance work she did for Sony; Margolis teaches switchers to TDs at stations and facilities across the country. “He was at that point the technical director of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, so when he moved up to become the director of Wheel of Fortune, he asked me to technical direct for him.”

One of the challenges of technical directing game shows, Margolis says, is to juggle game elements without revealing material meant to be kept secret from those in the studio, including the contestants and the audience. “When you’re programming and you’re trying to do certain effects, everything has to be blacked-off to the studio,” she comments. “That really adds a lot of complexity to any kind of programming you’re doing on a game show.”

Wheel of Fortune. Photo by Carol Kaelson. Sony Pictures Television

Despite sharing personnel with Jeopardy!, Margolis says that Wheel of Fortune is the more demanding series to work on. “Jeopardy! doesn’t change much,” she observes. “I have effects that blow out of the board, and I cut the cameras. It’s pretty quick.” By contrast, Wheel of Fortune airs themed shows that require different set elements and reworked graphics. “Wheel literally will change between the Thursday and the Friday tapings,” she explains. “We go from doing a Thanksgiving show to doing a Disney show. There is a lot more programming and a lot more layers in Wheel.”

Normally, both series are taped on their own sets at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. However, when Wheel of Fortune is taped at a remote location, that show’s level of complexity is increased. For example, the series’ eight cameras — including a camera showing a four-shot with all three contestants and host Pat Sajak; a Techno-Jib-supported camera that flies across the set; and a camera locked down on the show’s spinning wheel — increase in number when on location.

Such was the case in October 2017, when Margolis technical directed Wheel of Fortune at the Epcot theme park at Walt Disney World in Florida. “It was a big deal,” she stresses. “We had 12 cameras. We had four pedestal cameras, a Techno-Jib, a Steadicam and a couple of remote cameras. We added another downstage-right camera and another front-of-house camera.”

Before she could cut between angles, of course, the cast, crew and contestants had to make their way to Florida. “I think 125 or 130 people traveled to Epcot,” Margolis says. “Every day that I came to work for a while, there was another humongous truck being loaded. They take everything. We have the exact same set duplicated for the road. The offices, the editors, the makeup department, the contestant department — everybody goes [on location], so it’s just this huge road show. It’s almost like a circus.”

At Sony, Margolis works from a booth on the set, but on location at Epcot, she worked from a truck on a lot that was “nowhere near the stage.” “If you just want to go out and see how something is going, it’s harder to have physical access to the stage,” she says. “The fiber runs are amazing. Our truck was very, very far away from the location of the stage.”

In the Wheel of Fortune control room: Chloe Corwin, booth production assistant; Patrick O’Brien, associate director; Bob Ennis, director; and Lucinda Margolis, technical director. Photo by Carol Kaelson. Sony Pictures Television

Equally challenging were variances in the switcher and other equipment. “It’s a different brand, so it’s a completely different build and nothing could be just brought on the disc and imported,” the TD explains. “Everything had to be rebuilt within two days,” including graphics representing tosses, spins, express rounds and bonus rounds. “Every one of them has an effect.”

Three sets of shows were taped: one to air around Christmas, a second pegged to Valentine’s Day and a third that was Disney-themed. For Margolis, however, the differing graphics were what distinguished the episodes. “As a technical director, I just looked at it as I needed to build effects that had Christmas graphics; I needed effects that had hearts; and I needed to make effects that had Tinker Bells,” she comments. “From my point view, it was the elements.”

Each night on the outdoor stage, five shows were taped, beginning around 7:00 p.m. — close to sunset. However, three of the evening’s five shows had to be wrapped up by 9:00 p.m. “Epcot has fireworks that go off at 9:00, Margolis explains. “We had to be done and be completely dark. The stage couldn’t have any lights on it.” After the fireworks, a second audience was loaded and the evening’s final two shows were taped. “You’re basically trying to work around everything that the park needs to do — because the park is open the whole time.”

The novelty of working outside of the confines of the studio is Margolis’ most lasting memory of her week at the Magic Kingdom. Not to mention the Disney-fanatic contestants. For the Valentine’s Day episodes, married couples were chosen as contestants. “Most of them had gone to Disney for their honeymoons,” Margolis remembers. “It was just adorable. They were really big Disney fans.”

October 4, 2018 0 comments

Awards Web Exclusives

70th Creative Arts Emmy Awards Winners Announced

by uncredited September 10, 2018

written by uncredited 14 minutes read

The winners of the 70th Creative Arts Emmy Awards were announced at a two-night ceremony, Saturday, September 8 and Sunday September 9, at the Microsoft Theatre in Hollywood. The award ceremonies for the Creative Arts Emmy Award winners will be shown on the FXX network on Saturday, September 15, at 8:00 p.m.

Following are the winners in the post-production categories, who are congratulated by the Editors Guild:

OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

BRIAN A. KATES, ACE, Editor

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Pilot

OUTSTANDING MULTI-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

PETER BEYT, Editor

Will & Grace, Grandpa Jack

OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

SELINA MACARTHUR, Editor

USS Callister (Black Mirror)

OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

WENDY HALLAM MARTIN, ACE, Editor

The Handmaid’s Tale, June

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM

HUNTER GROSS, ACE, Editor
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Lagos

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR VARIETY PROGRAMMING

RYAN BARGER, Editor

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Border Patrol (segment)

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A STRUCTURED OR COMPETITION REALITY PROGRAM

THOMAS SCOTT REUTHER, Supervising Editor

JOE DESHANO, Editor
A.M. PETERS, Editor
RYAN TAYLOR, Editor

MATTHEW D. MILLER, Editor

BRIAN RAY, Editor

Queer Eye, Series Body of Work

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR AN UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM

BRYAN EBER, Supervising Editor
United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell, Sikhs In America

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR)

BRADLEY NORTH, Sound Supervisor

CRAIG HENIGHAN, Sound Designer

TIFFANY S. GRIFFITH, Dialogue Editor

JORDAN B. WILBY, Sound Effects Editor

DAVID WERNTZ, Sound Effects Editor

ANTONY ZELLER, Supervising Foley Editor

DAVID KLOTZ, Music Editor

ZANE BRUCE, Foley Artist

LINDSAY PEPPER, Foley Artist

Stranger Things, Chapter Eight: The Mind Flayer

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION

TREVOR GATES, Supervising Sound Editor

JASON DOTTS, Dialogue/ADR Editor

DAVID BARBEE, Sound Effects Editor

JORDAN MCCLAIN, Foley Editor

GEORDY SINCAVAGE, Foley Editor

MICHAEL HEAD, Foley Editor

TARA BLUME, Foley Artist
MATT SALIB, Foley Artist

Atlanta, Teddy Perkins

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR SPECIAL

KENNY CLARK, Sound Supervisor/Sound Effects Editor

MICHAEL MAROUSSAS, Dialogue Editor
MATTHEW SKELDING, Dialogue Editor
DILLON BENNETT, Sound Effects Editor

DARIO SWADE, Foley Editor

RICKY BUTT, Foley Artist

OLIVER FERRIS, Foley Artist

USS Callister (Black Mirror)

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM (SINGLE OR MULTI- CAMERA)

BRIAN BRACKEN, Sound Editor

NICK BRIGDEN, Sound Editor

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Seattle

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

BOB BRONOW, Re-Recording Mixer

MARK HENSLEY, Re-Recording Mixer

TAMÁS CSABA, Production Mixer

Genius: Picasso, Chapter One

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR)

ONNALEE BLANK, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer

MATHEW WATERS, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer

RICHARD DYER, Production Mixer
RONAN HILL, CAS, Production Mixer

Game of Thrones, Beyond the Wall

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION

TODD BECKETT, Re-Recording Mixer

ELMO PONSDOMENECH, Re-Recording Mixer
BEN PATRICK, CAS, Production Mixer

Barry, Chapter Seven: Loud, Fast and Keep Going

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A VARIETY SERIES OR SPECIAL

THOMAS HOLMES, Production Mixer

ELLEN FITTON, Production Mixer
ANTHONY LALUMIA, Re-Recording Mixer
JOHN HARRIS, Production Music Mixer

BRIAN FLANZBAUM, Music Mixer
MARK WEGLINSKI, Music Playback Mixer

DAVID CRAWFORD, FOH Mixer
DAN GERHARD, FOH Mixer
MIKE BOVE, Monitor Mixer
JASON SEARS, Monitor Mixer
CHRISTIAN SCHRADER, Sweetening Mixer

Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM (SINGLE OR MULTI- CAMERA)

BENNY MOUTHON, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Lagos

OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL DIRECTION, CAMERAWORK, VIDEO CONTROL FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR SPECIAL

ERIC BECKER, Technical Director

Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert

OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL DIRECTION, CAMERAWORK, VIDEO CONTROL FOR A SERIES

STEVEN CIMINO, Technical Director

Saturday Night Live

Host: Donald Glover

September 10, 2018 0 comments

Awards Web Exclusives

70th Emmy Awards Nominations Announced

by uncredited July 12, 2018

written by uncredited 16 minutes read

Nominations for the 70th Emmy Awards were announced on Thursday morning, July 12 by the Television Academy. The Editors Guild congratulates all of its members who received nominations. The post-production categories will be awarded at the Creative Arts Emmy Show on Friday and Saturday, September 18 and 9, which will air on the FXX Channel Friday, September 15, while the Emmy Awards Show will be broadcast Monday, September 17, on the NBC network.

Following are the nominees in the post-production categories:

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series

Game Of Thrones • Beyond The Wall • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; 360 Television/Startling Television

Tim Porter, ACE, Editor

Game Of Thrones • The Dragon And The Wolf • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; 360 Television/Startling Television

Crispin Green, Editor

Game Of Thrones • The Spoils Of War • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; 360 Television/Startling Television

Katie Weiland, ACE, Editor

The Handmaid’s Tale • June • Hulu • MGM, Hulu, The Littlefield Company, White Oak Pictures, Daniel Wilson Productions

Wendy Hallam Martin, Editor

Stranger Things • Chapter Nine: The Gate • Netflix • A Netflix Original Production

Kevin D. Ross, ACE, Editor

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series

Atlanta • Alligator Man • FX Networks • FX Productions

Isaac Hagy, Editor

Atlanta • Teddy Perkins • FX Networks • FX Productions

Kyle Reiter, Editor

Barry • Chapter Eight: Know Your Truth • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Alec Berg and Hanarply

Kyle Reiter, Editor

Barry • Chapter Seven: Loud, Fast And Keep Going • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Alec Berg and Hanarply

Jeff Buchanan, Editor

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel • Pilot • Prime Video • Amazon Studios

Brian A. Kates, ACE, Editor

Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series

The Big Bang Theory • The Bow Tie Asymmetry • CBS • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television

Peter Chakos, Editor

Mom • Crazy Snakes And A Clog To The Head • CBS • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television

Joe Bella, Editor

One Day At A Time • Not Yet • Netflix • Sony Pictures Television

Pat Barnett, ACE, Editor

Roseanne • Darlene V. David • ABC • Carsey-Werner Television

Brian Schnuckel, ACE, Editor

Will & Grace • Grandpa Jack • NBC • Universal Television

Peter Beyt, Editor

Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Limited Series Or Movie

The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story • Alone • FX Networks • Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions

Emily Greene, Editor

The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story • House By The Lake • FX Networks • Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions

Shelly Westerman, Editor

The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story • Manhunt • FX Networks • Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions

Chi-Yoon Chung, Editor

Twin Peaks • Part 8 • Showtime • Rancho Rosa Partnership, Inc.

Duwayne Dunham, Editor

USS Callister (Black Mirror) • Netflix • House of Tomorrow

Selina MacArthur, Editor

Outstanding Picture Editing For Variety Programming

Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special 2018 • CBS • CBS Television Studios / Fulwell 73

Brad Conlin, Editor

Tom Jarvis, Editor

Dave Chappelle: Equanimity • Netflix • Pilot Boy Productions / Lathan TV

Jeff U’ren, Editor

Drunk History • Heroines • Comedy Central • Gary Sanchez Productions

John Cason, Editor

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Presents: The Great American* Puerto Rico (*It’s Complicated) • TBS • Jax Media

Jesse Coane, Editor

Charles Divak, Editor

Daphne Gomez-Mena, Editor

Andrew Mendelson, Editor

Tennille Uithof, Editor

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver • Wax President Harding (segment) • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Sixteen String Jack Productions and Avalon Television

Anthony Miale, Editor

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver • Border Patrol (segment) • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Sixteen String Jack Productions and Avalon Television

Ryan Barger, Editor

Outstanding Picture Editing For A Nonfiction Program

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown • Lagos • CNN • CNN Original Series and Zero Point Zero Production, Inc.

Hunter Gross, ACE, Editor

The Defiant Ones • Episode 3 • HBO • HBO Entertainment and Silverback 5150 Pictures in association with Alcon Television Group

Lasse Järvi, Editor

Doug Pray, Editor

Jane • National Geographic • National Geographic Studios in association with Public Road Productions

Joe Beshenkovsky, ACE, Editor

Brett Morgen, Editor

Will Znidaric, Editor

Wild Wild Country • Part 3 • Netflix • A Duplass Brothers Production in association with Stardust Frames Productions and Submarine Entertainment

Neil Meiklejohn, Editor

The Zen Diaries Of Garry Shandling • HBO • HBO Documentary Films in association with Apatow Productions

Joe Beshenkovsky, ACE, Editor

Outstanding Picture Editing For A Structured Or Competition Reality Program

The Amazing Race • It’s Just A Million Dollars, No Pressure • CBS • WorldRace Productions, Inc.

Brooks Larson, Editor

Jay Gammill, Editor

Josh Lowry, Editor

Michael Bolanowski, Editor

Tori Rodman, Editor

Jason Pedroza, Editor

Eric Beetner, Editor

Tricia Rodrigo, Editor

American Ninja Warrior • Daytona Beach Qualifiers • NBC • A. Smith & Co. Productions

Nick Gagnon, Editor

David Green, Editor

Michael Kalbron, Editor

Corey Ziemniak, Editor

Curtis Pierce, Editor

Kyle Barr, Editor

Mary DeChambres, ACE, Editor

Queer Eye • Series Body Of Work • Netflix • Scout Productions, Inc. and ITV Entertainment, LLC

Thomas Scott Reuther, Supervising Editor

Joe DeShano, Editor

A.M. Peters, Editor

Ryan Taylor, Editor

Matthew D. Miller, Editor

Brian Ray, Editor

RuPaul’s Drag Race • 10s Across The Board • VH1 • World of Wonder Productions

Jamie Martin, Lead Editor

Drew Forni, Editor

John Lim, Editor

Michael Roha, Editor

The Voice • Series Body Of Work • NBC • MGM Television, Talpa Media USA, Inc., Warner Horizon Unscripted & Alternative Television

John M. Larson, Supervising Editor

Robert Michael Malachowski, Jr, ACE, Supervising Editor

Hudson H. Smith III, Supervising Editor

Matt Antell, Editor

Roger Bartlett, Editor

Sean Basaman, Editor

Kevin Benson, Editor

Matthew Blair, Editor

Melissa Silva Borden, Editor

William Fabian Castro, Editor

Grady Cooper, Editor

A.J. Dickerson, ACE, Editor

Glen Ebesu, Editor

Noel A. Guerra, Editor

John Homesley, Editor

Omega Hsu, ACE, Editor

Ryan P. James, Editor

Charles A. Kramer, Editor

James J. Munoz, Editor

Rich Remis, Editor

David I. Sowell, Editor

Robby Thompson, Editor

Eric Wise, Editor

Outstanding Picture Editing For An Unstructured Reality Program

Born This Way • Series Body Of Work • A&E • Bunim/Murray Productions

Jarrod Burt, Editor

Jacob Lane, Editor

Mac Caudill, Editor

Madison Pathe, Editor

John Barley, Editor

Daysha Broadway, Editor

Stephanie Lyra, Editor

Svein Mikkelsen, Editor

Ryan Rambach, Editor

Peggy Tachdjian, Editor

Dan Zimmerman, Editor

Deadliest Catch • Battle Lines • Discovery Channel • Original Productions, LLC

Rob Butler, ACE, Supervising Editor

Alexandra Moore, Editor

Ben Bulatao, ACE, Editor

Josh Earl, ACE, Editor

Greg Cornejo, Editor

Life Below Zero • The 11th Hour • National Geographic • BBC Studios

Eric Michael Schrader, Editor

Tony Diaz, Additional Editor

Matt Mercer, Additional Editor

Jennifer Nelson, Additional Editor

RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked • Untucked – 10s Across The Board • VH1 • World of Wonder Productions

Lousine Shamamian, Editor

United Shades Of America With W. Kamau Bell • Sikhs In America • CNN • CNN Original Series, All3Media America, Main Event Media

Bryan Eber, Supervising Editor

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)

Game Of Thrones • The Spoils Of War • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; 360 Television/Startling Television

Tim Kimmel, MPSE, Sound Supervisor

Paula Fairfield, Sound Designer

Tim Hands, Supervising ADR Editor
Paul Bercovitch, Supervising Dialogue Editor

Bradley C. Katona, MPSE, Sound Effects Editor

John Matter, Foley Editor

Brett Voss, Foley Editor

David Klotz, Music Editor

Jeffrey Wilhoit, Foley Artist

Dylan T. Wilhoit, Foley Artist

Homeland • All In • Showtime • Fox 21 Television Studios, Teakwood Lane Productions, Cherry Pie Productions, Keshet

Craig Dellinger, Supervising Sound Editor

Eric Raber, Sound Designer

Ian Shedd, Dialogue Editor

Ryne Gierke, Dialogue Editor

Shawn Kennelly, Foley Editor

Jeff Charbonneau, Music Editor

Melissa Kennelly, Foley Artist

Vincent Nicastro, Foley Artist

Star Trek: Discovery • What’s Past Is Prologue • CBS (CBS All Access) • CBS Television Studios / Secret Hideout / Roddenberry Entertainment

Jon Mete, Supervising Sound Editor

Tim Farrell, Sound Designer

Chris Assells, Sound Editor

Matt Taylor, ADR Editor

T. Ashley Harvey, Dialogue Editor

Angelo Palazzo, Sound Effects Editor

Peter D. Lago, MPSE, Sound Effects Editor

Chris Scarabosio, Sound Effects Editor

Matt Decker, Music Editor

Trevor Sperry, Foley Artist

Ale Ulrich, Foley Artist

Stranger Things • Chapter Eight: The Mind Flayer • Netflix • A Netflix Original Production

Bradley North, Sound Supervisor

Craig Henighan, Sound Designer

Tiffany S. Griffith, Dialogue Editor

Jordan B. Wilby, Sound Effects Editor

David Werntz, Sound Effects Editor

Antony Zeller, Supervising Foley Editor

David Klotz, Music Editor

Zane Bruce, Foley Artist

Lindsay Pepper, Foley Artist

Westworld • Akane No Mai • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Kilter Films, Bad Robot, Warner Bros. Television

Thomas de Gorter, MPSE, Sound Supervisor

Brett Hinton, Co-Supervising Sound Editor

Chris Kahwaty, Dialogue Editor

Fred Paragano, Dialogue Editor

Brian Armstrong, Sound Editor

Mark Allen, Sound Effects Editor

Marc Glassman, Sound Effects Editor

Allegra De Souza, Music Editor

Christopher Kaller, Music Editor

Michael Head, Foley Editor

Jordan McClain, Foley Editor

Geordy Sincavage, Foley Editor

Tara Blume, Foley Artist

Matt Salib, Foley Artist

Rick Owens, MPSE, Foley Artist

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And Animation

Atlanta • Teddy Perkins • FX Networks • FX Productions

Trevor Gates, Supervising Sound Editor

Jason Dotts, Dialogue/ADR Editor

David Barbee, Sound Effects Editor

Jordan McClain, Foley Editor

Tara Blume, Foley Artist

Matt Salib, Foley Artist

Ballers • Bull Rush • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Seven Bucks Productions, Leverage Entertainment, Closest to the Hole Productions

Mark Relyea, Sound Supervisor

Julie Altus, ADR Supervisor

Robert Guastini, Dialogue Editor

David Barbee, Sound Effects Editor

Bruno Roussel, MPSE, Music Editor

Joseph T. Sabella, Foley Artist

Damien Smith, Foley Artist

Barry • Chapter Seven: Loud, Fast And Keep Going • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Alec Berg and Hanarply

Matthew E. Taylor, Sound Supervisor

Sean Heissinger, Dialogue/ADR Editor

Rickley W. Dumm, MPSE, Sound Effects Editor

Michael Brake, MPSE, Music Editor

Hilda Hodges, Foley Artist

Rick Owens, Foley Artist

Star Wars Rebels • A World Between Worlds • Disney XD • Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.

Matthew Wood, Co-Supervising Sound Editor

David Acord, Co-Supervising Sound Editor

Bonnie Wild, Sound Editor

Sean Kiner, Music Editor

Ronni Brown, Foley Artist

Margie O’Malley, Foley Artist

Vice Principals • The Union Of The Wizard & The Warrior • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Rough House Picturs

George Haddad, MPSE, Sound Supervisor

Dale Chaloukian, Dialogue/ADR Editor

Karyn Foster, Dialogue/ADR Editor

Chad J. Hughes, Sound Effects Editor

Marc Meyer, Sound Effects Editor

Jim Gallivan, Foley Editor

Michael Brake, Music Editor

Louie Schultz, Music Editor

Gregg Barbanell, MPSE, Foley Artist

Nancy Parker, MPSE, Foley Artist

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special

American Horror Story: Cult • Great Again • FX Networks • Twentieth Century Fox Television

Gary Megregian, MPSE, Supervising Sound Editor

Naaman Haynes, Dialogue Editor

Steve M. Stuhr, Dialogue Editor

Timothy A. Cleveland, Sound Effects Editor

Paul Diller, Sound Effects Editor

Mitchell Lestner, Sound Effects Editor

Sam Munoz, Foley Editor

David Klotz, Music Editor

Noel Vought, Foley Artist

Fahrenheit 451 • HBO • HBO Films in association with Brace Cove, Noruz Films, Outlier Society Productions

Jacob Ribicoff, Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer

Deborah Wallach, ADR Editor

Branka Mrkic-Tana, Dialogue Editor

Rich Bologna, Sound Effects Editor

Chris Chae, Sound Effects Editor

Isaac Derfel, Sound Effects Editor

Dan Brennan, Foley Editor

John M. Davis, Music Editor

Marko Costanzo, Foley Artist

Godless • Homecoming • Netflix • A Netflix Original Production

Wylie Stateman, Co-Supervising Sound Editor

Eric Hoehn, Co-Supervising Sound Editor

Harry Cohen, Sound Effects Designer

Gregg Swiatlowski, Dialogue Editor

Hector C. Gika, Sound Editor

Leo Marcil, Sound Editor

Sylvain Lasseur, Sound Editor

Jackie Zhou, Sound Editor

Tom Kramer, Music Editor

Twin Peaks • Part 8 • Showtime • Rancho Rosa Partnership, Inc.

Ron Eng, Sound Supervisor

Dean Hurley, Sound Supervisor

David Lynch, Sound Designer

David A. Cohen, Dialogue Editor

Kerry Dean Williams, Dialogue Editor

Luke Gibleon, Sound Editor

Willard Overstreet, Sound Effects Editor

USS Callister (Black Mirror) • Netflix • House of Tomorrow

Kenny Clark, Sound Supervisor/Sound Effects Editor

Michael Maroussas, Dialogue Editor

Dario Swade, Foley Editor

Ricky Butt, Foley Artist

Oliver Ferris, Foley Artist

Waco • Operation Showtime • Paramount Network • Brothers Dowdle Productions

Kelly Oxford, Sound Supervisor

Karen Triest, Co-Supervising Sound Editor

Mitch Bederman, Music Editor

Brian Straub, Foley Artist

Outstanding Sound Editing For A Nonfiction Program (Single Or Multi- Camera)

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown • Seattle • CNN • CNN Original Series and Zero Point Zero Production, Inc.

Brian Bracken, Sound Editor

Nick Brigden, Sound Editor

Blue Planet II • Coral Reefs • BBC America • BBC Studios and The Natural History Unit in co-production with BBC America, Tencent, WDR, France Télévisions, CCTV9

Kate Hopkins, Sound Editor

Tim Owens, Sound Editor

The Defiant Ones • Episode 1 • HBO • HBO Entertainment and Silverback 5150 Pictures in association with Alcon Television Group

Jay Nierenberg, Supervising Sound Editor/Designer

Todd Niesen, Dialogue Editor

David Mann, Sound Effects Editor

Katrina Frederick, Foley Editor

Del Spiva, Music Editor

Jane • National Geographic • National Geographic Studios in association with Public Road Productions

Warren Shaw, Sound Supervisor

Joshua Paul Johnson, Co-Supervising Sound Editor

Odin Benitez, MPSE, Sound Designer

Peter Staubli, MPSE, Sound Designer

Will Digby, Sound Editor

Suzana Peric, Music Editor

Tara Blume, Foley Artist

The Vietnam War • Episode 6: Things Fall Apart (January 1968-July 1968) • PBS • Florentine Films and WETA, Washington, DC

Erik Ewers, Sound Design/Sound Effects Editor

Mariusz Glabinski, Sound Design/Sound Effects Editor

Dave Mast, Sound Design/Sound Effects Editor

Jacob Ribicoff, Sound Design/Sound Effects Editor/Music Editor

Ryan Gifford, Sound Effects Editor

Margaret Shepardson-Legere, Sound Effects Editor

Ira Spiegel, Sound Effects Editor

Matt Rigby, Sound Effects Editor/Dialogue Editor

Marlena Grzaslewicz, Dialogue Editor

Dan Korintus, Dialogue Editor

Wild Wild Country • Part 1 • Netflix • A Duplass Brothers Production in association with Stardust Frames Productions and Submarine Entertainment

Brent Kiser, Sound Supervisor

Jacob Flack, Sound Designer

Elliot Thompson, Dialogue Editor

Danielle Price, Sound Editor

Timothy Preston, Sound Editor

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)

Game Of Thrones • Beyond The Wall • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; 360 Television/Startling Television

Onnalee Blank, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer

Mathew Waters, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer

Richard Dyer, Production Mixer

Ronan Hill, CAS, Production Mixer

The Handmaid’s Tale • June • Hulu • MGM, Hulu, The Littlefield Company, White Oak Pictures, Daniel Wilson Productions

Joe Morrow, Re-Recording Mixer

Lou Solakofski, Re-Recording Mixer

Sylvain Arseneault, CAS, Production Mixer

Mr. Robot • eps3.4_runtime-error.r00 • USA • Universal Cable Productions and Anonymous Content

John W. Cook, II, Re-Recording Mixer

Bill Freesh, Re-Recording Mixer

Joe White, Production Mixer

Paul Drenning, ADR Mixer

Stranger Things • Chapter Eight: The Mind Flayer • Netflix • A Netflix Original Production

Joe Barnett, Re-Recording Mixer

Adam Jenkins, Re-Recording Mixer

Michael P. Clark, CAS, Production Mixer

Bill Higley, CAS, ADR Mixer

Westworld • Akane No Mai • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Kilter Films, Bad Robot, Warner Bros. Television

Andy King, Re-Recording Mixer

Keith Rogers, Re-Recording Mixer

Geoffrey Patterson, Production Mixer

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Limited Series Or Movie

The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story • The Man Who Would Be Vogue • FX Networks • Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions

Doug Andham, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer

Joe Earle, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer

John Bauman, CAS, Production Mixer

Judah Getz, ADR Mixer

Fahrenheit 451 • HBO • HBO Films in association with Brace Cove, Noruz Films, Outlier Society Productions

Tom Fleischman, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer

Henry Embry, CAS, Production Mixer

George Lara, Foley Mixer

Genius: Picasso • Chapter One • National Geographic • Imagine Television and Fox 21 Television Studios

Bob Bronow, Re-Recording Mixer

Mark Hensley, Re-Recording Mixer

Tamás Csaba, Production Mixer

Twin Peaks • Part 8 • Showtime • Rancho Rosa Partnership, Inc.

Ron Eng, Re-Recording Mixer

Dean Hurley, Re-Recording Mixer

Douglas Axtell, Production Mixer

Waco • Operation Showtime • Paramount Network • Brothers Dowdle Productions

Craig Mann, Re-Recording Mixer

Laura Wiest, Re-Recording Mixer

David Brownlow, Production Mixer

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (Half-Hour) And Animation

Barry • Chapter Seven: Loud, Fast And Keep Going • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Alec Berg and Hanarply

Todd Beckett, Re-Recording Mixer

Elmo Ponsdomenech, Re-Recording Mixer

Benjamin Patrick, CAS, Production Mixer

Family Guy • Three Directors • FOX • 20th Century Fox Television

Jim Fitzpatrick, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer Patrick Clark, CAS, Production Mixer

Modern Family • Lake Life • ABC • Twentieth Century Fox Television, Steven Levitan Productions, Picador Productions

Brian R. Harman, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer

Dean Okrand, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer

Stephen Alan Tibbo, CAS, Production Mixer

Mozart In The Jungle • Domo Arigato • Prime Video • Amazon Studios

Andy D’Addario, Re-Recording Mixer

Chris Jacobson, Re-Recording Mixer

Ryotaro Harada, Production Sound Mixer

Silicon Valley • Fifty-One Percent • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Judgemental Films, Alec Berg, 3 Arts Entertainment

Todd Beckett, Re-Recording Mixer

Elmo Ponsdomenech, Re-Recording Mixer

Ben Patrick, CAS, Production Mixer

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Series Or Special

60th Annual Grammy Awards • CBS • AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC

Thomas Holmes, Production Mixer

Mikael Stewart, Production Mixer

John Harris, Broadcast Music Mixer

Eric Schilling, Broadcast Music Mixer

Ron Reaves, Front of House Music Mixer

Thomas Pesa, Stage Foldback Mixer

Simon Welch, Stage Foldback Mixer

Eric Johnston, Playback Music Mixer

Pablo Munguia, Pro Tools Mixer

Josh Morton, Post Audio Mixer

Bob La Masney, Sweetening Mixer

Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert • NBC • Universal Television, The Really Useful Group, Marc Platt Productions, Zadan/Meron Productions

Thomas Holmes, Production Mixer

Ellen Fitton, Production Mixer

John Harris, Production Music Mixer

Brian Flanzbaum, Music Mixer

Mark Weglinski, Music Playback Mixer

David Crawford, FOH Mixer

Dan Gerhard, FOH Mixer

Mike Bove, Monitor Mixer

Jason Sears, Monitor Mixer

Christian Schrader, Sweetening Mixer

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver • Episode 421 • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Sixteen String Jack Productions and Avalon Television

Steve Watson, Production Mixer

Charlie Jones, Music Mixer

Patrick Smith, Music Mixer

Steve Lettie, FOH Mixer

Anthony Lalumia, Monitor Mixer

Jason Dyer Sainsbury, Pro Tools Music Mixer

Max Perez, Pro Tools Mixer

The Oscars • ABC • The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Paul Sandweiss, Broadcast Production Mixer

Kristian Pedregon, Re-Recording Mixer

Tommy Vicari, Music Mixer

Michael Parker, Monitor Mixer

Tom Pesa, Orchestra Monitor Mixer

Mark Repp, Orchestra Monitor Mixer

Patrick Baltzell, House PA Mixer

Christian Schraeder, Supplemental Audio Mixer

John Perez, VO Mixer

Pablo Munguia, Pro Tools Mixer

The Voice • Live Finale (Part 2) • NBC • MGM Television, Talpa Media USA, Inc., Warner Horizon Unscripted & Alternative Television

Michael Abbott, Broadcast Production Mixer

Randy Faustino, Broadcast Music Mixer

Kenyata Westbrook, Reality Supervising Mixer

John Koster, Production Reality Mixer

Robert P. Mathews, Jr., Production Reality Mixer

Brian Riordan, Re-Recording Mixer

Ryan Young, Re-Recording Mixer

Tim Hatayama, Re-Recording Music Mixer

Eric White, Re-Recording Music Mixer

Shaun Sebastian, Monitor Mixer/Music Mixer Reality

Michael Bernard, Music Sub Mixer

Carlos Torres, Interstitial Music Playback Mixer

Christian Schrader, Supplemental Audio Mixer

Andrew Fletcher, House PA Mixer

Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Nonfiction Program (Single or Multi-Camera)

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown • Lagos • CNN • CNN Original Series and Zero Point Zero Production, Inc.

Benny Mouthon, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer

The Defiant Ones • Episode 1 • HBO • HBO Entertainment and Silverback 5150 Pictures in association with Alcon Television Group

Christopher Jenkins, Re-Recording Mixer

Gabriel Andy Giner, Production Mixer

Jane • National Geographic • National Geographic Studios in association with Public Road Productions

David E. Fluhr, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer

Marc Fishman, Re-Recording Mixer

Lee Smith, Production Mixer

Derek Lee, Scoring Mixer

The Vietnam War • Episode 6: Things Fall Apart (January 1968-July 1968) • PBS • Florentine Films and WETA, Washington, DC

Dominick Tavella, Re-Recording Mixer

Wild Wild Country • Part 1 • Netflix • A Duplass Brothers Production in association with Stardust Frames Productions and Submarine Entertainment

Chapman Way, Production Mixer

Outstanding Technical Direction For A Series

The Big Bang Theory • The Bow Tie Asymmetry • CBS • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television

John D. O’Brien, Video Control

Dancing With The Stars • Finale • ABC • BBC Studios

Charles Ciup, Technical Director

David Bernstein, Technical Director

Jimmy Kimmel Live! • Jimmy Kimmel Live In Brooklyn: Billy Joel And Tracy Morgan • ABC • ABC Studios in association with Jackhole Industries

Ervin D. Hurd, Technical Director

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver • Episode 421 • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Sixteen String Jack Productions and Avalon Television

Dave Saretsky, Technical Director

Saturday Night Live • Host: Donald Glover • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video

Steven Cimino, Technical Director

The Voice • Live Finale, Part 2 • NBC • MGM Television, Talpa Media USA, Inc., Warner Horizon Unscripted & Alternative Television

Allan Wells, Technical Director

Outstanding Technical Direction For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special

Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special 2018 • CBS • CBS Television Studios / Fulwell 73

Shiran Stotland, Technical Director

Oleg Sekulovski, Technical Director

Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert • NBC • Universal Television, The Really Useful Group, Marc Platt Productions, Zadan/Meron Productions

Eric Becker, Technical Director

The Oscars • ABC • The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Kenneth Shapiro, Technical Director

Eric Becker, Technical Director

John Pritchett, Technical Director

2018 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Playtone, Line by Line Productions, Alex Coletti Productions, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation

Lori Gallati, Technical Director

Jon Pretnar, Technical Director

Super Bowl LII Halftime Show Starring Justin Timberlake • NBC • NFL Network

Rod Wardell, Technical Director

Eric Becker, Technical Director

July 12, 2018 0 comments

Web Exclusives What Our Members Do

What Our Members Do: Isabella Rupp

by Edward Landler June 1, 2018

written by Edward Landler 7 minutes read

Where are you currently employed?

NBC Universal’s Stamford Media Center in Stamford, Connecticut.

Current Project?

The Jerry Springer Show and The Steve Wilkos Show as technical director, and Maury with Maury Povich as backup tech director.

Describe Your Job.

I am both technical director and crew chief. As technical director, I am the co-pilot and the director is the pilot. Our team of 30 brings producers’ scripts to life through pictures and sound that best show and tell the story. Because we have a live audience of nearly 200, I simultaneously switch two shows — one for the studio audience and one for viewers at home. While our handheld cameras follow show guests backstage into green rooms and onto the street, I mix graphics, tapes, cameras and effects into monitors on set, in the studio and backstage. Equipment includes a Sony MVS-7000X switcher, 10 cameras, 24 digital recording channels and eight graphics channels.

As crew chief, I act as a bridge between crew and management to help troubleshoot equipment, production or facility issues. Clear communication with the director, engineers and the production and facility managers helps keep the shows flowing smoothly.

How did you first become interested in this line of work?

In my senior year at Fairfield University, I interned at CPTV, a public television station on campus. I was research assistant to the news anchor and rotated crew positions on live shows. Thanks to that internship, I knew what I wanted to do for my livelihood.

Who gave you your first break?

MTV Networks.

What was your first union job?

Technical director at ABC.

Which of your credits or projects have made you the most proud and why?

Starting out in my career, cable television was taking off. Working at MTV Networks, I was given the opportunity to help design and implement the technical operation of a new network that hadn’t hit the airwaves — VH1. Six of us were chosen to train operators on just released state-of-the-art equipment. This was back in the days of one- and two-inch tape! On launch day, I was the technical director who faded VH1 up from black into being a network. After that successful launch, at the age of 23, I was promoted to Supervisor of On-Air Operations and helped manage the 10 networks and staff, and made all live on-air programming decisions.

Later in my career, after I joined the IA, television was still being broadcast in standard definition (SD). I was fortunate to transition my skill set from SD to high definition (HD), as well as the shows I was tech directing. I helped up-convert from SD to HD the shows of Montel Williams, Martha Stewart, Jerry Springer, Steve Wilkos and, along with technical director Richie Wirth, Maury Povich. Technical director Jon Pretnar’s expertise guided both Richie and me at NBC.

Up-converting these shows to HD involved designing and programming the layout of the switcher, control room, studio, backstage, green room and house monitors. At NBC, I helped coordinate the incorporation of new equipment and HD graphics packages to accommodate both production and post-production. Knowing directors’ styles and productions’ needs, along with prioritizing in a precise and flexible manner, made these transitions seamless.

What was your biggest challenge in your job (or on a particular project) and how did you overcome/solve it?

When I was offered the job of technical director and crew chief for The Montel Williams Show, the person I was replacing was asked to leave and I inherited his crew. A few key individuals struggled with having a woman as his replacement and had difficulty “hearing me” over their headsets, among other issues. I’d never faced anything like this and, after a few months of trying everything I could think of, I decided it was best for the show for me to leave. I spoke with Executive in Charge of Production Peter Villapol, who was very supportive of me and pro-active with the specific individuals. After much deliberation, I decided to stick it out through the end of the season and continued with the show until it ended five years later.

As crew chief, I act as a bridge between crew and management to help troubleshoot equipment, production or facility issues. Clear communication with the director, engineers and the production and facility managers helps keep the shows flowing smoothly.

What was the most fun you’ve had at work?

Throughout the years, I’ve had the opportunity to help launch shows and networks; to cover breaking news stories, the Oscars and the Grammys; to be nominated for an Emmy Award, to fly in a chopper around the Statue of Liberty at sunrise directing a series open that I conceptualized; to be on the last plane from New York to LA packed with fellow journalists covering the O.J. Simpson trial verdict; and to work with some of the most creative and kindest people I have the pleasure to call friends.

Jobwise, what do you hope to be doing five years from now?

This may sound crazy, but first and foremost I hope to be here in five years, happy and healthy. No matter what our age, we never know how much time we have.

That said, in five years I hope to be working with like-minded people on projects that make a difference. I believe the divide in our country fueled by fear and anger can be healed using this powerful medium of television. Mixing a pure intention with innovative programming, I imagine TV leading the way for us to join hands rather than point fingers.

What are your outside activities, hobbies, passions?

I’m a glass artist. I blow and fuse glass to create semi-abstract collage wall hangings. I also love to write, meditate, study Buddhism and do yoga. And I especially treasure walks by the ocean with my husband Steve, whom I married two years ago.

Favorite movie(s)?

Her, City of Angels, It’s A Wonderful Life, The Wrecking Crew, Before Sunrise, Finding Vivian Maier, Philadelphia, Thelma and Louise, Good Will Hunting.

Do you have an industry mentor?

We never get where we are on our own. The support I’ve received along the way is humbling. Because I’ve worked on the technical, production and management sides of television, it’s impossible to name just one mentor. I’ve been blessed with many and I’m very thankful.

What advice would you offer to someone interested in pursuing your line of work?

If you’re in college, become an intern. The experience and personal contacts are invaluable. Integrity, hard work and knowing how to collaborate well with others is most helpful!

Was there ever a circumstance when you had to rely on the Guild for help or assistance?

Daily. The IA shows I’ve worked on benefit from the union checks and balances. My experience in cable, local and network news, entertainment, lifestyle and talk shows has shown me this firsthand.

Is there anything you’d like to say to your fellow Guild members, some words of encouragement?

What’s happening today reminds me of when I was starting out, with changes so fast you can barely keep up. We’ve entered the “wild west” with the US President tweeting his news rather than being interviewed by journalists.

With inexpensive digital equipment and accessible outlets for everyone — YouTube, social media, podcasts, etc. — the function of television morphs. My question is how do unions navigate this terrain and stay ahead of the curve in order to benefit everyone?

Compiled by Edward Landler

Editor’s Note: To recommend a member (including yourself) to be featured on CineMontage.org and the home page of the Editors Guild website, contact edlandler@roadrunner.com.

June 1, 2018 0 comments

Columns My Most Memorable Film Web Exclusives

Charles Ciup on ‘Hairspray Live!’

by Peter Tonguette September 14, 2017

written by Peter Tonguette 12 minutes read

By Peter Tonguette

Last December, when audiences tuned into NBC’s live broadcast of Hairspray Live!, they encountered a familiar cast of characters.

The show — derived from a 1988 film written and directed by John Waters, as well as a stage show and subsequent 2007 film adaptation thereof — has its share of memorable personages. Consider Tracy Turnblad (played by Maddie Baillio), the teenager whose not-quite-beanpole proportions are no impediment to her becoming a hit on television in Baltimore in the early 1960s. Then there is Corny Collins (Derek Hough), the too-slick host of the dance show on which Tracy appears; Motormouth Maybelle (Jennifer Hudson), the African-American record-store owner who teams with Tracy to lobby for racial integration. And, of course, many viewers were sure to have a soft spot for Tracy’s parents, Edna (Harvey Fierstein) and Wilbur (Martin Short).

Less obvious to viewers was the presence of the artists and technicians who brought the show to screens during its three-hour airtime. Supporting co-directors Kenny Leon and Alex Rudzinski was a crew of about 700, including 13 camera operators scattered throughout a Universal Studios backlot dressed to resemble Baltimore Street. Ideally, their work would go unnoticed—after all, audiences should be wrapped up in the show, not what it took to bring it to air.

Charles Ciup on the set of Hairspray Live!

If all went according to plan, however, Charles Ciup’s job may have been most invisible of all.

As the technical director of Hairspray Live!, Ciup was at the helm of a switcher to alternate between the angles of the show’s 19 cameras (two were in locked-down positions not requiring operators and others were used by operators sparingly) at the prompting of Rudzinski and associate director Carrie Havel. So, when Tracy sang a song or Edna cracked a joke, Ciup was in charge of cutting to a close-up or a wide shot at just the right moment. His efforts just netted him a Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Limited Series, Movie or Special at an awards ceremony in early September.

“It’s live editing,” Ciup says. “Even though directors are calling for the shots, and they’re calling for the tempo of the shots, you have that fine line: Are you ahead of the beat? Are you behind the beat? Is this where you take your shot? I can tell a story that way, and that’s what makes the job interesting to me.”

A native of Israel who spent his early years in Paris, Ciup was raised in Montreal, Canada. Initially intending to become a disc jockey, Ciup entered what was then known as Ryerson Polytechnic Institute in Toronto (now Ryerson University). After taking a class in television production, however, he decided that he preferred to work with both pictures and sound.

“As soon as I started taking TV production, I said, ‘OK, this is where I really belong,’” Ciup remembers. “This is where I get to tell a story. I was playing with flashing buttons and making things fly around the screen. That was heaven to me.”

In the year after his graduation in 1973, Ciup accepted a “summer relief” job at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). “In the summer, as their crews went on vacation, they needed people to come in and fill those jobs,” Ciup says. His responsibilities varied but he gravitated toward operating the switcher during live broadcasts.

A scene from Hairspray Live! Courtesy of NBC.

“I thought that was a blast,” Ciup recounts. “You have to have a sense of rhythm and anticipation about what’s coming up next, where the cuts should happen and, if the director is calling for a camera and you know it’s the wrong camera, then you take a chance and take the right camera. Most of the time it works out.”

Ciup’s summer stint at the CBC led to an offer of full-time employment, but in 1976, he left the network for a station in Vancouver, where he worked as a technical director and eventually news director and producer. A decade later, he moved to Los Angeles, where he was hired to work in the news department of a burgeoning satellite network of UHF stations. When the network didn’t take off, he began freelancing as a news writer before returning to his roots as a technical director.

Charles Ciup, sixth from right (in cap), with his camera crew on the set of Hairspray Live! Photo by Rob Vuona.

“It had been eight or ten years since I’d touched a switcher, and the technology has increased by leaps and bounds, but the basis of the job remained the same,” Ciup recalls. “The digital equipment that was for special effects was all new to me, but I learned it as I went along.”

In the 1980s and ’90s, Ciup hopscotched from children’s shows (Fun House) to game shows (Shop ’til You Drop) to courtroom programs (Judge Judy) before finding one of his most challenging assignments in Dancing with the Stars. In 2006, Ciup was asked to cover for technical director John Pritchett on ABC’s hit dance-competition program (helmed by future Hairspray Live! co-director Alex Rudzinski).

“They called me and said, ‘John is doing the show, but he has a few conflict days because he’s doing American Idol. Can you fill in for him?’” says Ciup, who agreed to take the assignment. When Pritchett decided not to return, Ciup became the show’s regular technical director.

A scene from Hairspray Live! Courtesy of NBC.

Years later, with Rudzinski directing Hairspray Live!, Ciup joined the project as technical director, although little in his career provided preparation for the ambitious live broadcast — not even the song-and-dance elements of Dancing with the Stars.

“It was new in that I’d never done live musical theatre for television,” Ciup observes. “It was not new in the sense that half the script was sitcom and half the script was music, and I’d done both. Putting the two together was an intense experience — the most intense experience I’ve ever had.”

Before he could dive into the tale of Tracy Turnblad, however, Ciup had to make sense of the script, which was about seven times the length of a typical music script for Dancing with the Stars. “I get these two gigantic binders dropped off at my door, and they’re a total of about 700 pages,” he says. “I thought, ‘There’s no way that I can turn that many pages in a three-hour time span and not make a mistake.”

Looking for guidance, Ciup contacted fellow technical director Eric Becker, who had worked with Rudzinski on Fox’s Grease Live! “He had broken his script up into three or four different binders, and he had rewritten his shot lists in his own way so that he could follow it,” says Ciup, who made his first stab at reducing the page count by having the script reprinted on double-sided pages. “Now I’m down to 350 pages.”

Charles Ciup’s final script, on the switcher in front of camera monitor wall, 45 minutes before airtime.

He also eliminated the lyrics to songs during musical numbers. “I’m strictly looking at the bars and the beats of the cuts, so I didn’t need all that in the script,” he says. “I just needed to rewrite the bars and beats and what the shots are.” Ciup divided the script into three columns. “I started marking: ‘Shot one: three bars, camera two. Shot two: two bars, camera five. Shot three: six bars, camera one,’” he recounts. “I reduced probably close to ten pages of music script onto one blank three-column page, and that ten-to-one just made it so much more manageable.”

Rehearsals were held during the week-and-a-half before the show’s broadcast on Wednesday, December 7. “We tried to do all of the scenes that happened in the same location together so that we spent as little time as possible moving equipment and as much time as possible rehearsing,” Ciup comments. “Rehearsals were just as intense as the live show because we rehearsed as if we were on the air. We wanted to know what the tension was going to be like.”

On the Monday of the week of the show, a dress rehearsal took place. “We plowed all the way through and if something didn’t work, we just keep pushing,” Ciup says. The next day, a full run-through — with final costumes and lighting, plus a friends-and-family audience in attendance — was recorded. “That recording was a backup to the live show in case a wind came up and blew the sets down or it started raining,” Ciup explains. “We had a complete show that was ready to go to air that we shot the day before.”

A scene from Hairspray Live! Courtesy of NBC.

At last, on the day of the broadcast — set to air at 4:30 pm on the West Coast, 7:30 Eastern — Ciup sat down at the switcher, which he reprogrammed to meet the demands of a 19-camera broadcast. “I played piano when I was younger, and I have a pretty good hand span, so I can do 10 or 11 cameras under one hand,” he says. “With 19 cameras, I have to take my eyes off the script and look down at my hand, and that’s not a good thing to do in the middle of a fast-paced show. In a trick I learned from technical director Allan Wells, I created macros that allowed me to place additional cameras above the first five cameras so that everything was within seven buttons.”

As the show began, Ciup experienced the usual butterflies, but quickly settled in. “You fade out from black and you roll the opening credits and the crane starts to come down, and you’re doing the show,” he says. “You don’t have time to think of anything else. You’re in the script, and away you go.” The first of 11 commercial breaks came 20 minutes in. “That opening act was about 20-some minutes long; that’s as long as a half-hour sitcom!”

Associate director Havel called “the bars and the beats” during musical numbers. “She’ll go, ‘Shot one, three bars — two, three-four; two, two, three, four; three, two, three, four,’” Ciup explains. “I’m counting along with her, because if she loses count, I’m in trouble. And she never lost count in calling nearly 1,700 different camera cuts.”

Camera operator Bettina Levesque’s camera cards with her shots listed.

As the show unfolded, however, Ciup had to think two or three moments ahead. For example, one scene called for the use of a “noise effect” on a black-and-white television set being switched on in the Turnblad household. “They’re watching in the living room so that it looks like they just switched the TV on,” Ciup explains. “That’s a special effect I have to pre-set, but I only have a very small window to do that.” During commercial breaks, controlled mayhem ensued — “Sets were being moved around; cameras were flying from one place to another; actors were getting into golf carts…,” he recalls — but the technical director used the pause in action to regroup: “I was looking ahead at the next act in the script. And, having rehearsed it so many times, I pretty much knew where we were going.”

In the end, Hairspray Live! was transmitted to airwaves without snafus or missteps, so Ciup’s job remained invisible. Interestingly, prior to being hired to work on the show, he was unfamiliar with Hairspray in its earlier iterations. “I hadn’t seen any other version of Hairspray,” he says. “I didn’t know very much of the music — just the last song, ‘You Can’t Stop the Beat.’” But he left the three-hour broadcast, and the months of preparation that led up to it, with admiration for the project and its performers, whose talents he helped transmit seamlessly to audiences from coast to coast.

“How do you dance and still have enough breath to sing?” Ciup says with a sense of awe. “I can’t imagine.”

September 14, 2017 0 comments

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