Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1541612
C I N E M A A U D I O S O C I E T Y. O R G 39 Netflix in 2019 on The Letter for the King, but just after that, COVID hit, and several projects he had booked were delayed or cancelled. Then in 2022 and 2023, there were the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which left him with "almost 11 months without steady work." This is a good thumbnail that some of the gains made in securing international work were offset by the same stoppages and challenges that many faced stateside over the last 5-10 years. Nick Emond, who has numerous sound-based nominations and wins in his home country, notes a similar experience in Australia when he landed his "first American film," Thor: Love and Thunder. He then had several projects move or cancel when COVID hit and Australia became completely locked down. Nick also brought up that the pressure of these larger international projects and Viktor Prasil CAS, production sound mixer in the Czech Republic budgets means "that we're not getting [the] local films made. There are hardly any Australian films being made at the moment. I've got friends of mine, directors, who have had successful films but haven't been able to get another funded in 10 years." On the production side, Viktor feels, "In terms of workflow and attitude, international productions aren't that different from Czech ones," but in post, Joana Niza Braga and Igor Vujovic both found that the local aesthetic—such as "the craftsmanship of Portuguese Cinema" for Joana, and needing "to wear many hats" for Igor— meant that working in post meant taking on multiple roles. This includes Joana working on Foley through the edit and mix and Igor being involved from production recording all the way through final mix. Igor Vujovic CAS, sound editor and re-recording mixer in Montenegro Nick Emond CAS, production sound mixer in Australia