Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1545202
28 S U M M E R 2 0 2 6 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y M E E T T H E W I N N E R S Animation offers sound artists a rare kind of freedom. Nothing is accidental. Every footstep, every breath, every swell of emotion is constructed from the ground up. But that freedom comes with pressure. When nothing is fixed, everything must be defined. KPop Demon Hunters leans directly into that challenge. This is not a traditional animated feature with songs, nor is it a conventional musical. The soundtrack is not a layer added in post. It is a central force shaping tone, pacing, and performance. Dialogue, music, Foley, and effects are in constant negotiation, each fighting for space while still serving the same story. What makes the CAS Award-winning work on this film stand out is not just its scale, but its clarity of intent. Across every department, there is a shared understanding of when to push, when to pull back, and how to maintain cohesion in a world built on contrast. To understand how that balance was achieved, I spoke with this year's winners in the Motion Pictures – Animated category about the decisions, risks, and creative alignment that shaped the final mix. Following are excerpts from my discussions with original dialogue mixer Howard London CAS, scoring mixer Erich Talaba, Foley mixer Giorgi MOTION PICTURES – ANIMATED KPOP DEMON HUNTERS by Gregory Charles Vilfranc CAS MPSE Lekishvili, and re-recording mixers Michael Babcock CAS and Tony Lamberti. One of the first things that becomes apparent in speaking with the team is that the foundation was laid early, long before the final mix stage. Howard London CAS, the project's original dialogue mixer, has spent decades shaping performance-driven soundtracks, including his work at Sony Pictures. On KPop Demon Hunters, his focus was clear from the beginning: protect the emotional truth of the performances, even as the film pushed toward heightened stylization. "[Directors] Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans, and [producer] Michelle Wong had such a clear vision rooted in depth, culture, and a blend of cinematic and anime influences," London said. "From early on, it became about honoring that vision while still protecting the emotional core of the performances." Erich Talaba Giorgi Lekishvili