Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1469840
24 S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y 24 24 24 S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y MOTION PICTURE – ANIMATED ENCANTO by DANIEL VASQUEZ VELEZ CAS Encanto was inspired by Colombian culture and traditions. Directed by Jared Bush, Byron Howard, and Charise Castro Smith, it tells the story of the Madrigal family, who, after suffering forced displacement from their town, find themselves living in Encanto, a magical place surrounded by mountains and harmony among the community. Each member of the family has a magical gift, except Mirabel, who has to face her own family to save the blessing. The film resembles the "Magical Realism" of Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez, with the blend of reality and surreal situations with personal struggles as key points in the story. Encanto features diverse but unique music that conveys culture and emotion, presented along with great dialogue, effects, and Foley, resulting in a dynamic and powerful mix for a thrilling experience that has captivated the ears and hearts of millions around the world. Re-recording mixers David E. Fluhr CAS and Gabriel Guy CAS; original dialogue mixer Paul McGrath CAS; ADR mixer Doc Kane CAS; Song mixer David Boucher CAS; scoring mixer Alvin Wee; and Foley mixer Scott Curtis form the team of exceptional mixers that received the recognition. At the CAS Awards, there was a special moment when Mauro Castillo, a member of the cast (playing Felix), announced the winners through a pre- recorded video and sent a warm message to the recipients. I had the opportunity to talk to them about their trajectory and their process of making the sound of Encanto. David E. Fluhr CAS and Gabriel Guy CAS: Re-recording Mixers The re-recording mixers on this film were David E. Fluhr CAS and Gabriel Guy CAS. David supervised the process and was in charge of mixing the dialogue and music, while Gabriel was in charge of mixing SFX, ambience, and Foley. According to them, their team works so well that it is to a point where non-verbal communication is possible for a creative collaboration, as they have the same idea of mixing, putting ego aside, and focusing on what is best for the movie. It's something that they both love. What drives them to do this? The storytelling and helping filmmakers tell stories through sound. Encanto was a milestone in their career. It's a musical with a lot of action that allowed them to work again with composers Lin-Manuel Miranda and Germaine Franco. They have seen the influence of the film on families. "The movies have grown up and they are now for everybody," they feel. David Fluhr CAS thought he was going to be a composer when he was a teenager, as he composed music since sixth grade, and grew up in Long Island taking music lessons, performing, writing, and conducting in high school. He went into college for Electronic Music Composition in Upstate New York while he was getting involved in recording studios. It was fascinating for him being able to record his music, record his friends, and make records. Right out of college, he was offered the opportunity to move to California in 1981 to work in a studio called Compact Video, which was a premier independent post-production facility at the time. He was serving coffee for a couple of years while learning from others and on his own. Then he realized that the mixing console was his instrument to help tell stories and transmit emotions with. After mixing a lot of TV material, he moved to Todd-AO and began working on films, leaving the TV background behind. Four years ago, David joined Disney Animation full time as supervising re-recording mixer. David considers that being part of organizations like the CAS is a way of getting involved with the community and giving back. He was CAS President for two terms, in which MEET THE WINNERS