ALLEROED, DENMARK, JANUARY 21, 2021 — DPA Microphones and Rycote are pleased to announce the winners of the “Pay-It-Forward” Film Contest Giveaway. The brands joined forces to support the film industry during these unprecedented times by offering first-time and indie filmmakers the opportunity to win a customized DPA/Rycote filming kit. The winners of the contest are Jacob Deming of the United States, Lijie Cheng of Singapore and Sergey Martynyuk of Austria. The winners will receive three DPA mics – the brand new 4097 Micro Shotgun, 4017 Shotgun and 6060 CORE Subminiature – along with an array of Rycote accessories. 

Aspiring and indie filmmakers around the world were encouraged to participate in the DPA/Rycote Pay-it-Forward Giveaway campaign, which concluded late last year. The applications were reviewed and judged by representatives from both brands, as well as a group of film experts, comprised of Tim White, Bryan “Sol” Aponte, Antoin Cox and Stéphane Bucher. In addition to the prize package, the winners will also have access to free loans of any additional mics and accessories needed to complete their projects. Furthermore, they will receive a mentoring session from one of the film sound experts.

Deming plans to utilize the equipment to film the Northwest Association for Performing Arts’ 2021 Winter Percussion Championships on behalf of his company, CORPSOUND AUDIO. This competitive, multi-group marching style music competition will include in-depth, multi-camera coverage along with six judges stationed around the venue, adjudicating the event. Given the high importance that sound plays for such an event, Deming will place emphasis on live audio quality, using proper mic'ing techniques and post-production audio mastering.

“It’s an incredible feeling to have industry professionals and established businesses believe in the vision, which we spent so much time and energy developing,” says Deming. “It reaffirms that our passion is worthwhile, and I think our projects will help motivate other independent filmmakers. With audio experiences at the forefront of what CORPSOUND AUDIO does, story-telling is centered around incredible music experiences in a variety of challenging environments. DPA’s legendary accuracy, transparency and ruggedness are a perfect fit for our unique sound stages, and I don’t think there’s a better set of tools for us to create with. The ultimate winners of this competition are really the fans, who will be immersed in the fidelity that DPA brings to the table.”

Cheng will put the equipment to good use on the set of HBO’s horror series “Folklore,” for which he will serve as the location sound mixer for a season two episode that is being filmed in his native Singapore. “Folklore” focuses on the superstitions and myths that plague six Asian nations. The episode that Cheng is working on will be based on a mother’s unsettling and haunting relationship with her child. 

“I am absolutely elated and honored to be chosen out of so many applicants from around the world; this is a dream come true in many ways,” says Cheng. “The Southeast-Asian market is still relatively unknown and small, and it means a lot for DPA to support regional filmmakers and technical crews in their storytelling. I have always been a big fan of DPA mics, and I can’t wait to utilize the array of DPA mics and Rycote gear. They will go a long way in supporting my journey as a sound professional in the world of storytelling. I am also very excited for the upcoming mentoring session with Production Sound Mixer Tim White and learning more about his wealth of experience mixing for big budget movie sets. Thank you again to everyone involved!” 

Martynyuk plans to incorporate the DPA and Rycote equipment into a 3D virtual reality (VR) project that he has dubbed Surraudisuals, for which he aims to meld audio and video into one multi-dimensional experience. Martynyuk’s project will be filmed in a variety of active locations – concerts, factories, churches, shipping vessels, helicopters, nature and more – using different capture techniques.

“I am flattered and thank DPA and Rycote for choosing me from among all of the applicants,” says Martynyuk. “It gave me the motivation I needed to forge ahead with this initiative, and I’m sure it will have a tremendous impact on the sound quality of my project. The 4097 Micro Shotgun and 6060 CORE Subminiature Mics are absolutely unique in terms of sound quality and their footprint! This is exactly what my virtual reality project needs and I’m thrilled to use them for this endeavour and to share my experience with the community.”