Ben Wilkins

Originally from London, Ben moved to Hollywood to pursue his dream of creating sounds for feature films. Two decades and nearly 130 films later, Ben is just getting started. Part of a rare breed that is as good at designing sounds as he is at mixing them. Ben took home the Oscar for Sound Mixing and BAFTA for Sound on the independent film Whiplash (2014). Ben is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and BAFTA. In addition to his Oscar win, Ben cites his proudest professional moments as working with Angelina Jolie on her directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011), and his part in designing sounds for the Academy Award nominated Twister (1996). Not surprisingly, Sergio Leone and his sound mixer, Fausto Ancillai, inspire Ben creatively for the way the Italian filmmakers used sound to selectively push the audience's emotional buttons. A kid at heart, Wilkins loves to use all the speakers in the theater to help tell a story. Consequently, he is curious about the development of high order Ambisonics sound systems that deliver more channels. Ben explains, "The 3D sound formats provide us a larger, more distinct canvas through which the filmmaker can weave their story."