MPSE Wavelength

M OT I O N P I CTU R E S O U N D E D I TO R S I 37 What was the biggest challenge you and your team faced? SCOT STAFFORD, SUPERVISING SOUND EDITOR: Creatively, our biggest challenge was to create a world of sound and music that, like the art and animation, was both otherworldly and yet familiar. Technically, we created the story of Baba Yaga as both a 2D/linear short fi lm, as well as a nonlinear/interactive VR experience. This introduced many layers of complexity that were largely due to everyone's desire to do both uncompromisingly, which results in two unique projects rather than one. Like everyone, we had to adapt to the realities of COVID-19, which for the sound team included recording our amazing cast in custom home studio rigs in Chicago and in/around London. Why are the MPSE Awards important to you? "And the Winners are…" Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing Animation Short Form BABA YAGA Amazon Supervising Sound Editor: SCOT STAFFORD Sound Designers: ANDREW VERNON, JAMEY SCOTT MPSE Sound E• ects Editor: BRENDAN WOLF Music Editor: REX DARNELL SCOT: The MPSE Awards signify peer recognition at its best. To be nominated in any category by our heroes is deeply humbling and motivating. Was there anything specifi c within the story that infl uenced your decision to take on this project? SCOT: I've had the pleasure of working with director Eric Darnell and Baobab Studios on many occasions, so the decision to jump in was already made. What hooked me though was the element of folklore, the idea that it occurred in an "Arctic jungle", and that it would be an all-female cast. I knew it would be unique, and great. How did the pandemic change the way you and your team worked on this project? SCOT: I mentioned recording the actors, which was challenging and very rewarding when it all worked. As the entire Baobab team was also working remotely, I actually discovered that some of the barriers between studio and post broke down in a very positive way. Because we weren't "on the outside," we ended up handling a lot more of the audio directly in the show. Was your vision seen through from initial spot to fi nal mix or did any interesting new perspectives arise along the way? SCOT: Overall "vision?" Yes, absolutely. But Eric, his animation, art, tech and editorial teams, and sound designers like Jamey Scott and Andrew Vernon, all provide a constant stream of surprises that in the end create a sonic experience I'd never dream of alone. I'm grateful that this is a team award that can shine a light on their work! Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing Non-Theatrical Animation Long Form MORTAL KOMBAT LEGENDS: "Scorpion's Revenge" Warner Bros. Animation Supervising Sound Editors: ROB MCINTYRE MPSE D.J. LYNCH Supervising ADR Editor: MARK A. KEATTS Sound E• ects Editors: LAWRENCE REYES ROGER PALLAN Dialogue Editors: MIKE GARCIA KELLY FOLEY DOWNS DAVID M. COWAN PATRICK FOLEY Sound Designers: MARC SCHMIDT EVAN DOCKTER ADR Editors: MARK MERCADO JON ABELARDO Foley Editors: ROBERTO ALLEGRIA DEREK SWANSON What was the biggest challenge you and your team faced? ROB MCINTYRE MPSE, SUPERVISING SOUND EDITOR: The greatest challenge our team faced was portraying the overwhelming amount of brutality that is synonymous with Mortal Kombat. The iconic video game

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