Though it may have failed to launch in the major categories, “First Man” did manage to snag four below-the-line Academy Award bids. Directed by Damien Chazelle, this biographical drama recounts the harrowing true story of Neil Armstrong‘s historic trip to the moon. Gold Derby recently spoke with visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert, sound editor and mixer Ai-Ling Lee, sound editor Mildred Iatrou, and sound mixers Frank A. Montano and Jon Taylor about their Oscar-nominated work.
Iatrou and Lee last competed for Best Sound Editing for Chazelle’s previous film, the lavish musical “La La Land” (2016), and in both cases Lee contended for Sound Mixing as well. The duo also earned Best Sound BAFTA nominations for the two films, and Lee contended at the Cinema Audio Society Awards for both, winning for “La La Land.” If Lee wins her categories this year she’ll be the first ever Asian sound editor to win an Oscar and the second Asian sound mixer to win.
Montano and Taylor were previously nominated together for Best Sound Mixing for “Birdman” (2014), “Unbroken” (2014) and “The Revenant” (2015). Before that Montano contended for “Under Siege” (1992), “The Fugitive” (1993), “Clear and Present Danger” (1994), “Batman Forever” (1995) and “Wanted” (2008). They also earned Cinema Audio Society and BAFTA bids for “First Man.”
Lambert won the Best Visual Effects Oscar on his first try just last year for “Blade Runner 2049” (2017). Now he’s hoping to go two-for-two. For “First Man” he has already won Best Supporting Visual Effects at the Visual Effects Society Awards, and he was nominated at the BAFTAs as well.
Click on their names below to see their complete video interviews:
Mildred Iatrou and Ai-Ling Lee, sound editors and sound mixer (Lee)
Frank A. Montano and Jon Taylor, sound mixers
Paul Lambert, visual effects supervisor
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