Carpenter documentary nominated for sound award

Carpenter

“Above the Ashes,” a documentary film directed, produced and edited by Michelle Bauer Carpenter, an assistant professor in digital design at the University of Colorado Denver College of Arts and Media, has been nominated for a prestigious Golden Reel Award in the category of “Best Sound Editing: Short Form Documentary.”

The half-hour film highlights the acts of courage of “ordinary” people who defied evacuation orders and did what they could to save homes using shovels, sand and pots of water during the Fourmile Canyon Fire in 2010. The most costly fire in Colorado history destroyed 168 homes, many of them in the community of Sunshine, which is the setting of the film. “It’s about normal people doing extraordinary things and doing what you can do to help out your community,” said Carpenter in an earlier interview.

Carpenter said she is “thrilled” by the nomination and credits her crew, especially David Bondelevitch, the supervising sound editor, for the honor. Bondelevitch is an assistant professor in the music and entertainment industry studies recording arts program in the College of Arts and Media. He also works as a freelance music and dialogue editor and re-recording mixer in Los Angeles and has credits on more than 150 films and television shows. Also named in the nomination are music editors Brandon Vaccaro and Carpenter, and Alex Layne, sound effects editor.

The Motion Picture Sound Editors announced the nominees Jan. 20. Winners, acknowledged for the year’s best work in areas of sound editing, will be announced Feb. 19 at the 59th annual Golden Reel Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.