Thursday, July 03, 2014
Tony Award Sound Design Category Update
Lighting&Sound America Online - News: The battle continues to reinstate the Tony Awards for sound design. For those who came in late, the committee that administers the Tony Awards recently dropped the categories for sound design of a play and of a musical, unleashing a firestorm in the industry.
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3 comments:
I have been following this situation for a while now and it seems just as absurd and, quite frankly ridiculous, now as it did when I originally found out. It seems so back words. Sound is fairly new, but that in no way takes away from how vital it is to a production. Being able to hear the actors is such an essential part to a performance, and that is just the beginning of what sound does. As the author of the article said, the artistic use of sound effects can enhance a performance exponentially. Sound, like many areas of design, is not missed until it’s not there. I honestly do not think the league could understand just how much sound brings to a production and still choose to drop the category. A bold statement I know, but I stand by it. I did not know until I read this that the presumed reason for their decision is that they were unable to identify quality sound design. That idea, that people with such experience are unable to differentiate between low quality and high quality sound, baffles me. I am however happy to hear that the efforts have been noticed, and I remain hopeful for a recall on their decision.
Being recognized for your work is important, it makes people feel like the work they have done is worthy of an award. Giving sound designers recognition at the Tony Awards is very important. In this article there are several different people that voice there opinion, telling us the importance of the matter. I agree with this feedback, many of them bring forth very important points that reinforce and add to the case of whether or not a sound design award should be given at the Tony Awards. The work that is put in by these designers is nothing less than that of a lighting designer, making it hard for the committee to take this award away. I think it’s great that people have taken these polls and gotten people to take action and express the way they feel to make the difference. I am a sound designer myself and feel the importance of this award, I can't tell you the amount of times I've done the long hours to get that near-perfect product, and knowing that people are being recognized for the long hours they put in makes me want to work that much harder.
Claiming that you are unable to identify the difference between poor and quality sound design is an absurd excuse to drop a category that shows appreciation and accomplishment. In that statement alone, it sends a message to sound designers that their work is the same if they put in a few hours, or an entire run's worth of work. How difficult is it to include a single category? I saw a parody of this announcement, were half way through, the sound goes out and the audience is no longer able to here the remainder of the message. This is a blunt example of the entertainment world without sound. Without it, no other work would be able to be communicated. I am not even a sound designer myself, but I couldn't imagine how this makes aspiring sound designers feel. Knowing one of the highest awards does not apply to you must be so unmotivating and demeaning. I'd hate for future sound designers to feel that they must choose a different path for fear they will not be appreciated in this brilliant concentration.
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