Randolph, NJ: Gary Rizzo wins sound-mixing Oscar for work on 'Inception'

Randolph native Gary Rizzo claimed his first Academy Award Sunday, winning the Oscar for sound mixing along with two partners for their work on "Inception."
His third trip to the Oscars proved to be the charm after being nominated in the same category for "The Dark Knight"and in 2005 for "The Incredibles."
Rizzo's partners, Lora Hirschberg and Ed Novick, also shared the "Dark Knight" announcement and shared the stage with him last night as actors Matthew McConaughey and Scarlett Johansson announced their names during the 83rd Academy Awards, which was broadcast worldwide from the Kodak Theatre.
A 1991 graduate of Randolph High School, Rizzo, 38, lives in Marin County and works at Skywalker Sound with 1986 Randolph High School graduate, Stephen Morris, the company's director of engineering.
"I sent him an e-mail congratulating him but haven't heard back yet," Morris said. "I've worked with him since he started his career and have seen him grow."
Morris added that he and Rizzo "recently spent a lot of time working together on 'Tron' (referring to the 2010 "Tron" sequel, "Tron: Legacy"). Gary was the dialogue and music mixer."
His previous film credits include "Black Hawk Down," and "Fahrenheit 9/11."
Rizzo, who did not respond to e-mail inquiries on Monday, caused a slight stir Sunday during his acceptance speech when he thanked "all the hard-working boom operators and utility sound people that worked on the production crew. Union, of course." Another "Inception" winner, Wally Pfister, who claimed the Oscar for cinematography, used the occasion to take thinly veiled shots at the Republican governor of Wisconsin, who has made headlines for trying to strip unionized civil servants of their collective bargaining rights.
"I think what's going on in Wisconsin is kind of madness right now," Pfister said during a press briefing backstage. Earlier, he thanked his "fantastic union crew."
The film, TV and entertainment industries, which count among California's largest employers, are heavily unionized.

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