So, if you haven't already heard, "No Country for Old Men" took down the motion picture award at tonight's Cinema Audio Society Awards, and to be truthful, it was something of a surprise.

Sure, much has been made of Kevin O'Connell and Greg P. Russell's streak of losses at the Oscars, but they've also put up a goose egg with their peers.  It's really difficult to deny a sound job like that of "Transformers," and yet here it sits, winless, staring at the same possibilities for Oscar.

There is also no denying the creativity of the mix on "No Country," so let's not miss my meaning.  I spoke with re-recording mixer Craig Berkey before the show and had to tell him "bravo" for making the tracks on this guild-dominating film another character in the pic.  The clip the Society chose (and boy did they get risque with these clips) is probably one of the best examples of this team's work on the film: Javier Bardem's chilling Anton Chigurgh ambushes a hotel room full of Mexican thus as Josh Brolin's Llewelyn Moss listens from a nearby room.

It's just a different kind of "good," as I told one of mixers seated at my table tonight.  So it goes.

Berekey, who also, coincidentally enough, did some recording work on "Transformers," said he was encouraged that the media is slowly but surely turning its gaze toward the craft achievements.  It's something Gerard Kennedy and I have been fairly passionate about for two years now, and indeed, these individuals deserve the coverage.  Dorothea Sargeant, the CAS' publicist, has made some considerable strides since she took the organization on as a client.  Here's hoping the exposure continues.

Bill Condon received the Society's Filmmaker Award.  It was good to talk it up with him outside of the awards frenzy of last year, to be sure, and his speech was a hoot.  CAS member Michael Minkler presented the trophy to Condon, who offered a biting but comedic salute to "Dreamgirls" producer David Geffen as he accepted.

Meanwhile, the great Dennis Sands won the Lifetime Achievement Award,.  Sands has left his signature on everything from "Back to the Future" to "Predator," "Contact" to "Forrest Gump."  Composer Alan Silvestri presented the award, a longtime friend of Sands going back nearly three decades.

Greg P. Russell, in presenting the TV award this evening, gave his own touching tribute to Sands before going back to the script.  He recalled walking into the sound mix of "Romancing the Stone" way back in 1984 and how the technology at the time was like nothing he'd ever seen.  He said he was honored to call Sands a mentor, a colleague and a friend.

Off the topic of sound mixing, Tom O'Neil was bouncing around with his one-man camera show, grabbing an interesting video podcast with Kevin O'Connell out in the lobby.  We chatted about this Tilda Swinton craziness that has been spreading through the Oscarweb like wildfire since the BAFTA awards and, to be truthful, he almost made me rethink my position on the matter.  Almost.

Here are some images from the show:


Kevin O'Connell (left) and Bill Condon chat in the ballroom lobby.



The most surreal shot I've ever taken: Condon, ever the sport, films
Tom O'Neil's video podcast with O'Connell.  Only on the Oscarweb.



The strike has taken its toll on poor Mr. Condon, moonlighting
anonymously as an Envelope employee.  (I kid the Times.)



Condon accepts the Filmmaker Award.



The "No Country" sound crew reigns victorious.  O'Connell
and Greg P. Russell look on from the table directly in front of the stage.