MICHAEL MCDONOUGH
Michael McDonough has a life-long love affair with sound. Recording and cataloging sounds since he was a child led him to an award-winning career beginning with radio drama, then on to sound design and post audio for motion pictures, IMAX Films, TV, games and VR, and theme park attractions. As a founder of Huge Sound Post Production, Michael brings with him his passion and experience for his craft.
MICHAEL MCDONOUGH
Michael McDonough, MPSE
Senior Sound Designer and VP of Operations at HUGEsound Post Production.
Michael McDonough has been active in the professional audio industry since the 1980’s. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Communications and Broadcasting.
Michael started his professional career at Disneyland California, mixing live sound for performing groups such as The Carpenters and Olivia Newton-John. Soon he was sound department supervisor at the Motion Picture Studio in Provo Utah, part of Brigham Young University. In 1984, Michael collaborated with fantasy author Ray Bradbury to write, direct, produce and engineer 13 original half-hour radio dramas for National Public Radio entitled “Bradbury Thirteen”. This series won the George Foster Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting.
Michael began his career in film sound, as lead sound designer for Walt Disney’s animated feature, “The Black Cauldron”. This was followed by contributing original sound design on other feature films, including Star Trek “First Contact”, Star Trek “Insurrection”, and “Demolition Man”.
Since then, Michael has worked as supervising sound editor on over 20 Imax and large format films, including Walt Disney’s “Roving Mars”, Shackelton’s Antarctic Adventure”, “ Amazon”, “Tornado Alley” and National Geographic’s “Mysteries of Egypt”. He was awarded a Golden Reel Award by the Motion Picture Sound Editors for sound design on “Island of the Sharks”.
As well as working on numerous feature length films, documentaries and television series, Michael has been active in the Game and Entertainment industry as Senior Sound Designer for Carbine Studios MMORPG, “Wildstar”. Recently he completed sound design for a new Virtual Reality experience entitled “The Void”, and the ‘Hello Kitty” mobile app for Katsu Entertainment. Michael also designed sound for a motion simulator thrill ride for a new Theme Park in Wohan China, and “House of Terror”, a ride at the Utah based theme park Lagoon.
Michael is a member of MPSE, Motion Picture Sound Editors, and a major contributor of original sounds effects to Sound Ideas, Inc.
SELECT CREDITS
EXTINCT Sound Designer, Rerecording Mixer
Sound Design and final mixing for Sci-Fi TV series. Four hundred years after the extinction of the human race, a small group of humans is revived by an alien civilization. Produced by GoFilms. BYUtv.
TOXIC PUZZLE, HIDDEN KILLER Sound Designer, Rerecording Mixer
Feature length documentary on the dangers of blue-green algae in US waterways, and a cure for ALS disease. Narrated by Harrison Ford. Directed and produced by Bo and Marianne Landon, Sandinature Films.
3000 CUPS OF TEA Sound Designer, Rerecording Mixer
Documentary about charges leveled by 60 Minutes at philanthropist Greg Mortensen. Jennifer Jordan directed.
EDGE OF DARKNESS Sound Designer
Sound design, rerecording mixer for domed planetarium feature. Michael Doubt, Evans and Sutherland.
HELLO KITTY Sound Designer
Sound designer for mobile game app. Katsu Entertainment
THE VOID Sound Designer
Sound designer for new virtual reality attraction.
STORY TREK TV Series - 8 episodes — Sound Designer, Rerecording Mixer
Sound designer for half hour reality series. BYUtv.
WILDSTAR Senior Sound Designer
Created original sound design and content for a major new MMORPG game title from NC Soft Corp.
POWER OF NATURE Sound Designer
Responsible for creating and mixing sound for motion simulator attraction at a major new theme park in Wohan China.
HAWAIIAN JOURNEY Sound Designer, Rerecording Mixer
Large screen film produced for the newly remodeled large format theater at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie Hawaii.
TORNADO ALLEY Sound Designer
45 minute IMAX film featuring tornado film maker Sean Casey. Casey chases active tornados across the midwest.
THE ASSIGNMENT Sound Designer, Rerecording Mixer
Feature Length Film produced by New Movie Group starring Adam Baldwin and directed by Tim Nelson.
THE EDGE OF NEVER Sound Designer, Rerecording Mixer
90 minute television documentary for Showtime on big mountain skiing in Chamonix France. Directed by Bill Kerig.
FOREVER STRONG Sound Designer, Rerecording Mixer
Feature Film directed by Ryan Little, starring Neal McDonough and Sean Astin.
THE WORK AND THE GLORY trilogy — Sound Designer, Rerecording Mixer
A motion picture series of three films based on the best selling novels by Gerald Lund.
MUMMIES, SECRETS OF THE PHARAOHS Sound Designer, Supervising Sound Editor
IMAX documentary on tracing mummy DNA as a cure for diseases. Narrated by Christopher Lee, directed by Keith Melton, and produced by Giant Screen Films.
ROVING MARS Sound Designer, Supervising Sound Editor
Disney IMAX film documentary about the NASA rovers landing on Mars. Directed by George Butler, and produced by Kennedy-Marshall Productions. Released by Walt Disney Pictures.
NATURAL DISASTERS: FORCES OF NATURE Sound Designer, Supervising Sound Editor
IMAX film featuring earthquakes, tornados, and volcanos, and their effects on the planet. Directed by George Casey, narrated by Kevin Bacon. Released by Graphic Films.
THE BEST 2 YEARS Sound Designer, Rerecording Mixer
Feature Film. Humorous look at two fictional sets of Mormon Missionaries and their adventures in Amsterdam. Directed by Scott S. Anderson.
SHACKLETON’S ANTARCTIC ADVENTURE Sound Designer, Supervising Sound Editor
IMAX film recounting the legendary story of explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s 1914-1916 British Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Directed by George Butler. Narrated by Kevin Spacey.
OCEAN OASIS Sound Designer, Supervising Sound Editor
IMAX film featuring the aquatic life and animals of the Baja Peninsula. Directed by Soames Summerhayes.
THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE – FLY GIRLS Supervising Sound Editor, Rerecording Mixer
Television series documentary. The story of the American Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) in World War 2. Starring Mary McDonnel. Produced and directed by Laurel Ladevich.
ISLAND OF THE SHARKS Supervising Sound Editor, Sound Designer
IMAX documentary about the underwater habitat of sharks in the Great Barrier Reef. Directed by Howard Hall. Narrated by Linda Hunt. Released by NovaMax - WGBH Boston. Winner of the Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Design, Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) of Hollywood, 1999.
OLYMPIC GLORY Supervising Sound Editor, Sound Designer
IMAX feature documenting the sports technology created for the Winter Olympics in Nagano Japan. Directed by Kieth Merrill. Produced by Frank Marshall, Kenned-Marshall Productions. Narrated by Stacey Keach.
STAR TREK, INSURRECTION Contributing Sound Designer
Feature Film, Paramount Pictures. The crew of the Enterprise learn of a Federation conspiracy against the inhabitants of a unique planet.
MYSTERIES OF EGYPT Supervising Sound Editor, Sound Designer
IMAX film about the building of the Pyramids and monuments in Gizeh region of ancient Egypt. Directed by Bruce Neibar. Starring Omar Sharif.
AMAZON Supervising Sound Editor, Sound Designer
Imax feature documentary. Both Indian shaman Julio Mamani and ethnobotanist Dr. Mark Plotkin seek medicinal plants in the basin of the Amazon River. Directed by Kieth Merrill.
* Nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary.
SAME RIVER TWICE Supervising Sound Editor, Sound Designer, Final Mix
Feature Film. Story of 4 friends dealing with life while whitewater rafting. Directed by Scott Featherstone.
STAR TREK, FIRST CONTACT Contributing Sound Designer
Feature Film, Paramount Pictures. Captain Picard and his crew pursue the Borg back in time to stop them from preventing Earth's first contact with an alien species.
SPECIAL EFFECTS: ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN Sound Designer
Imax Feature. Explores the ground-breaking special effects portrayed in Hollywood films from the very originals to the breathtaking special effects in movies today. Directed by Oscar winner Ben Burtt.
SOUND IDEAS, INC Featured Sound Designer
One of 4 featured “Hollywood” sound designers asked to contribute special sound effects material to this commercial sound effects library.
THE TWILIGHT ZONE Sound Designer
CBS Television. Worked with Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead to provided original sound design for several episodes of the reboot of this Rod Serling series.
THE BLACK CAULDRON Sound Designer
Walt Disney Films. A young boy and a bunch of misfit friends embark on a quest to find a dark magic item of ultimate power before the Horned King can.
BRADBURY 13 Writer, Producer, Director, Engineer
Original Radio Drama Series for NPR Playhouse. Conceived, wrote, produced, directed and engineered thirteen half-hour radio dramas based on storied by fantasy author Ray Bradbury. Awarded the Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting.
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS
George Foster Peabody Award. “Excellence in Broadcasting” for Bradbury 13.
International Radio Festival of New York. “Gold Award” for Bradbury 13.
Giant Screen Cinema Association (GSCA) Achievement Award, “Best Sound Design” for Tornado Alley IMAX Film.
Themed Entertainment Association, “Outstanding Achievement Award”, Sound design for Hawaiian Journey, large format film for Polynesian Cultural Center, Hawaii.
MPSE Golden Reel Award. “Best Sound Editing”, Island of the Sharks. Motion Picture Sound Editors.
Motion Picture Sound Editors “Golden Reel Award” Nominations — “Best Sound Editing”
Tornado Alley (2011)
Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs (2007)
Roving Mars (2006)
Star Trek, First Contact (1996)
Princess and the Pea (music editing)
Annual Award for Administrative Excellence, Brigham Young University College of Fine Arts and Communications.