Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1500716
56 S U M M E R 2 0 2 3 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y TELEVISION NON-FICTION, VARIETY OR MUSIC – SERIES OR SPECIALS FORMULA 1: DRIVE TO SURVIVE S4 EP. 9 "GLOVES ARE OFF" by DANIEL VASQUEZ V. CAS Formula 1: Drive to Survive is a show that has gained vast popularity around the world among motorsports fans. It goes beyond what happens on the race tracks and gets into the lives of the drivers and team members. It has dynamic and cinematic sound that is spectacular and believable at the same time. The ninth episode of Season 4, "Gloves Are Off," proved to be a winner for senior re-recording mixers Steve Speed and Nick Fry as they were bestowed the CAS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Non-Fiction, Variety or Music – Series or Specials after two previous CAS Award nominations for the series. I had the opportunity to talk to them about their trajectory and their amazing work on the series. Steve Speed, Senior Re-recording Mixer at Picture Shop, is from the United Kingdom. He started his audio career at Molinare, spending 17 years there progressing from audio assistant to sound editor to junior mixer and then senior re-recording mixer. Looking back to his early years in audio, he considers himself lucky to have been mentored in the foundations of documentary mixing; clarifying dialogue with EQ, level, and restoration while crafting FX and music to enhance storytelling through sound. "There were invaluable lessons and disciplines of mixing that I learnt from the beginning that have served me faithfully through the years," he shares. He joined Picture Shop (formerly The Farm) around five years ago and has worked on every season of Formula 1: Drive to Survive under the Picture Shop roof. Nick Fry, Head of Audio & Senior Re-recording Mixer at Picture Shop, started as a sound editor about 30 years ago, progressing to junior mixing and assisting, then finally moving into mixing. He started at Molinare in London, UK, and then moved to Picture Shop, where he has been for the past 23 years. Nick has worked across all genres, from comedy, scripted and unscripted, promos, short form, and a bit of everything in between; but his true love is documentary work. He heads up the talented unscripted audio team at Picture Shop. Formula 1: Drive to Survive is a very complex show with a tight turnaround. Both Steve and Nick sound supervised the series, overseeing the whole process to make it happen on time and with the expected quality. The show is recorded throughout the year and ends when the Formula 1 racing calendar finishes, providing just a couple of months to complete the sound for the 10 episodes. For each episode, they usually have around five days for sound editing, which is split between a dialogue editor and a sound designer. Then, around four days for pre-mixing, final mixing, client review, and all of the associated downmixes and stems from the master Dolby Atmos mix. Therefore, besides the intensity and complexity of the soundscape, the time constraint presents a significant challenge. The episodes have to sound consistent, so Steve and Nick frequently exchange creative and technical ideas. The whole process is very collaborative. According to them, "It's a real team effort," and a privilege to be able to work with the incredible filmmakers; Box to Box Films and Netflix. MEET THE WINNERS