Ohio Today Online Spring 2002
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More from Through the Gate

  • Super intentions

  • Fine tuning

  • She really means business

  • Marching home

  • Sounds like the right mix

     


    Cy Dodson, BSC '96, also walked away with a golden statue last fall.

    Dodson was part of a photojournalism team for KSTP-TV in St. Paul, Minn., that won the Minneapolis/St. Paul chapter's regional Emmy for Outstanding Sports Segment/Feature. The segment, "One Wild Night," detailed the return of NHL hockey to Minnesota.

    Dodson also was nominated for a regional Emmy for his work on a feature about a local White Castle fast-food restaurant that decorated and requested reservations for Valentine's Day.

    "Minneapolis is the best photojournalism market in the country," he says. "I'm just glad to be here and be a part of the team."

  • Through the Gate

    Sounds like the right mix

    By Sarah Welch

    Though you may never see Brentley Walton's face on TV, his moment in the spotlight came last fall, when he earned one of the most coveted awards in television.

    Walton, BSC '85, snagged a 2001 Emmy for his sound mixing team's work on the hit sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," beating out "The Drew Carey Show" and "Frasier."

    The Danville, Ohio, native accepted the award at a creative arts Emmy Award ceremony last fall in Pasadena, Calif. Walton is the production mixer of the team, which records dialogue and audio effects and matches them to the picture an audience sees.

     

    Walton group

     

    Brentley Walton, BSC '85, (left) received a 2001 Emmy along with three members of his sound mixing team, Anthony Costanti, Doug Gray, and Rick Himot.

    "I had a feeling we were going to win when they sat me by the aisle," says Walton, who described receiving an Emmy and giving an acceptance speech as "totally surreal and almost out of body."

    The award, Outstanding Multicamera Sound Mixing for a Series or a Special, recognized an episode in which Raymond and his family vacationed in Italy. Walton, who normally works on location in and around Los Angeles, traveled to Rome for the filming.

    Though constantly surrounded by celebrities, Walton no longer thinks of his co-workers as stars. "We're all there for a job, to work together," he says, though he admits meeting musicians like Neil Young early in his career was exciting.

    Walton began setting the stage for his show business success while studying at Ohio University. His adviser and mentor, Professor of Telecommunications David Mould, called Walton self-motivated, creative and personable.

    "Brent set high standards for himself," Mould says, recalling the endless hours Walton spent perfecting his projects.

    Walton moved to Los Angeles in 1985 to pursue a career as a music engineer but realized work in television provided a lighter workload and a bigger paycheck. He got his break while recording music for "The Tracey Ullman Show," when an opportunity to assist the production sound crew arose.

    Since then he has worked on "The Simpsons," "Full House," "The Steve Harvey Show," "Hangin' With Mr. Cooper" and "True Colors." Still, he says the five years he's spent with "Raymond" have been the best.

    "The producers are top-notch, the hours are relatively short, and the crew is really nice," he says. "After five years you get to be really close with people."

    Off the set, Walton is building his own remote recording facility in California, where he lives with Koby, his wife of seven years.

    Sarah Welch, BSJ '03, is a student writer for University Communications and Marketing.