Gala Ceremony Scheduled for November 6th at Skirball Cultural Center

Nominations have been announced by the Hollywood Post Alliance for the Third Annual HPA Awards. Winners of the prestigious HPA Award will be announced during a gala evening ceremony on November 6, 2008 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California. The awards, launched in 2006, acknowledge creative and technical excellence in the art, science and craft of post production in twelve categories. The HPA Awards recognize the abilities of the talented men and women behind the scenes that are a vital part in the creation of motion pictures, commercials and television.
In announcing the nominees, HPA President Leon Silverman noted, "For the third year, the HPA Awards are honored with the highest caliber of talent and skill. The HPA Awards were created to pay homage to the people who make the art happen, and the creative partners in the process. The nominees, all of the entrants, and the companies behind them are the finest part of the business."

Nominees for the HPA Awards include:

Outstanding Color Grading Feature Film in a DI Process

Iron Man
Steven J. Scott (EFilm)

Sweeney Todd
Stefan Sonnenfeld

Kite Runner
Mike Sowa (LaserPacific Media Corporation)

Outstanding Color Grading- Television


Pushing Daisies “The Fun in Funerals”
Joe Hathaway (LaserPacific Media Corporation)

ESPN: The Masters
Siggy Ferstl (RIOT)


Andromeda Strain, Night 2: “Part 1”
Mike Sowa (LaserPacific Media Corporation)

Outstanding Color Grading- Commercial

Travelers Insurance “Delivery”
Sean Coleman (Company 3)

Farmers Help Point “Drowned Circus”
Stefan Sonnenfeld (Company 3)

Jaguar “XF Hush”
Alex Bickel (Outside Editorial)

Outstanding Editing – Feature Film

Iron Man
Dan Lebental, A.C.E.

Into the Wild
Jay Cassidy, A.C.E.

The Dark Knight
Lee Smith, A.C.E.

Outstanding Editing- Television

Mad Men “Indian Summer”
David J. Siegel, A.C.E.


Breaking Bad (Pilot Episode)
Lynne Willingham, A.C.E. (Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Pushing Daisies “Pie-lette”
Stuart Bass, A.C.E.

Outstanding Editing- Commercial

American Express “Airport Lounge”
Chris Franklin (Big Sky Editorial)

Jaguar “XF Hush”
Neil Gust (Outside Editorial)

Audi “Dream Cars”
Jeff Ferruzzo (Outside Editorial)

Outstanding Audio Post- Feature Film

Wanted
Wylie Stateman and Harry Cohen (Soundelux) & Christopher Jenkins and Frank A. Montano (Universal Studios)

Wall•E
Ben Burtt (Pixar Animation Studios), Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Matthew Wood (Skywalker Sound)

Into the Wild
Michael Minkler (Todd AO), Lora Hirschberg (Skywalker Sound) and Martin Hernandez
(Ztrackz)

Outstanding Audio Post- Television


CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION "Cockroaches"
Mace Matiosian, Ruth Adelman, David Vanslyke, Bill Smith, Yuri Reese and Jivan Tahmizian (Todd-AO)


John Adams, Episode 3: “Don’t Tread on Me”
Marc Fishman and Tony Lamberti (Todd-AO) & Stephen Hunter Flick and Vanessa Lapato (Warner Brothers Post)


R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour Don’t Think About It
Sam Kaufmann and John Schell (Media City Sound)

Outstanding Audio Post- Commercial

Samaritans “Vectorscope”
Joe Mount (Wave Recording Studios)

Audi RS6 “Gymnast”
Tony Rapaccioli and Warren Hamilton (Wave Recording Studios and Tonic)

Playstation 3 “Universe”
Nathan Dubin (Margarita Mix Santa Monica)

Outstanding Compositing- Commercial

Dunkelziffer e.V. “Tentacle”
Jamie White, Toby Walton, Matt Burn and Nathan Kane (Absolute Post)

Pontiac “Shwayze”
Patrick Poulatian and Robert Sethi (Brickyard VFX)

MasterCard Mini – mini
Chris Franklin and Ryan Sears (Big Sky Editorial)

Engineering Excellence

Judging to be held Saturday, September 27

In addition to the categories announced today, Dean of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Elizabeth M. Daley will receive the first Charles S. Swartz award, which honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of post production – an industry in a state of an expanding creative palette and of dynamic transition as a result of digital technologies and societal changes. The award recognizes Daley’s important contributions to our industry in helping to prepare the filmmakers of the future for their careers in an era of significant creative and technological possibilities. Also on November 6, Ron Burdett will receive the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award. During a 30-year career, Ron has committed himself to the post production industry through technical innovation and his service to the industry, including a key role in launching the HPA. The HPA Engineering Excellence Award winner, which will be announced later this month, will also be awarded at the gala.

Tickets are now available for the gala evening, which will be held on November 6th at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. A cocktail reception follows the Awards Show. For further details about the Hollywood Post Alliance Awards or to buy tickets, please visit hpaawards.net, call 213.614.0860 or write info@hpaawards.net.