The 88th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored the best films of 2015 on February 28, 2016 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. Director George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road won six Academy Awards out of 10 nominations, including its sweep of the two Oscar Sound categories, with wins for both Sound Editing and Sound Mixing.
The fourth installment of director George Miller’s Mad Max franchise hit theaters with a boom last spring, in a full immersive Dolby Atmos experience. Supervising sound editor Mark Mangini, who keynoted the Mix Sound for Film event at Sony Pictures, explained how the art of sound design contributed to crucial scenes, amid the vehicles, weapons and battle scenes. Nonstop action didn’t get in the way of a dynamic and tasteful selection of futuristic, yet organic sounds. The vehicles alone seemed worthy of a nomination, as their movement and tone drives the track. Note the integration of Junkie XL’s music track as it weaves in and out of the effects track and buttresses the action.
The Oscar for Sound Editing went to Mangini and Sound Designer David White.
This was the fourth Academy Award nomination for Mangini; he was previously nominated for The Fifth Element (1997; Sound Effects Editing), Aladdin (1992; Sound Effects Editing) and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986; Sound Effects Editing). It was White’s first Academy Award nomination.
The Oscar for Sound Mixing was awarded to Chris Jenkins, Gregg Rudloff and Ben Osmo.
Mad Max: Fury Road was the fifth Academy Award nomination for two-time winner Re-Recoding Mixer Chris Jenkins. He was previously nominated for Wanted (2008; Sound Mixing), The Last of the Mohicans (1992; winner), Dick Tracy (1990) and Out of Africa (1985; winner).
This is the seventh Academy Award nomination and the third win for Re-Recording Mixer Gregg Rudloff. He was previously nominated for American Sniper (2014; Sound Mixing), Argo (2012; Sound Mixing), Flags of Our Fathers (2006; Sound Mixing), The Perfect Storm (2000), The Matrix (1999; winner) and Glory (1989; winner).
This is the first Academy Award nomination for Production Sound Mixer Ben Osmo.
View the complete list of Oscar winners for 2016 at oscar.go.com.
