2018 MPSE Golden Reel Awards Slated for February 18th

Studio City, California – The Motion
Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) today announces that it will present Sound
Designer and Sound Recordist John Paul Fasal with its 2018 MPSE Career
Achievement Award. A 30-year veteran of the sound industry, Fasal has
contributed to more than 150 motion pictures and is best known for his
groundbreaking work in field recording. Among his many credits are Top Gun, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Interstellar, The Dark Knight, American Sniper and this year’s box office hit Dunkirk. Fasal will receive his award at the MPSE Golden Reel
Awards ceremony, February 18th, 2018 in Los Angeles.

“John is a master of his craft, an innovator who has
pioneered many new recording techniques, and a restless, creative spirit who
will stop at nothing to capture the next great sound,” said MPSE President Tom
McCarthy. “He is also an exceptional professional who enjoys the esteem of his colleagues
in the sound world and filmmakers worldwide. We take pride in presenting him
with this unique honor.”

The MPSE Career Achievement Award
recognizes sound artists who have distinguished themselves by meritorious works
as both an individual and fellow contributor to the art of sound for feature
film, television and gaming and for setting an example of excellence for others
to follow. Fasal joins a distinguished list of sound innovators, including 2017
Career Achievement Recipient Harry Cohen, Richard King, John Roesch, Skip
Lievsay, Randy Thom, Larry Singer, Walter Murch and George Watters II.

“Sound artists typically work behind the scenes, out of the
limelight, and so to be recognized in this way by my peers is humbling,” said
Fasal. “It is an honor to join the past recipients of this award, many of whom
are both colleagues and friends. I am grateful to the MPSE for this wonderful
distinction.”

Fasal began his career as a musician and songwriter, but
gravitated toward post production sound in the 1980s. Among his first big
successes was Top Gun for which he
recorded and designed many of the memorable jet aircraft sound effects. He has
been a member of the sound teams on several films that have won Academy Awards
in sound categories, including Inception,
The Dark Knight, Letters from Iwo Jima, Master
and Commander: The Far Side of the World, The Hunt for Red October and Pearl Harbor.

Fasal has worked as a sound designer and recordist
throughout his career, but in recent years has increasingly focused on field
recording. He enjoys especially high regard for his ability to capture the
sounds of planes, ships, automobiles, and military weaponry. “The equipment has
changed dramatically over the course of my career, but the philosophy behind
the craft remains the same,” he says. “It still involves the layering of sounds
to create a sonic picture and help tell the story.”

About MPSE

Founded in 1953, the Motion
Picture Sound Editors is a non-profit organization of professional sound and
music editors who work in the motion picture television and gaming industries.
The organization’s mission is to provide a wealth of knowledge from award-winning
professionals to a diverse group of individuals, youth and career professionals
alike; mentoring and educating the community about the artistic merit and
technical advancements in sound and music editing; providing scholarships for
the continuing advancement of motion picture sound in education; and helping to
enhance the personal and professional lives of the men and women who practice
this unique craft.