Chatham-Kent native Jason Charbonneau has won his first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing on the HBO series The Last of Us.
"We were all very proud of the work we did," said Charbonneau, who is now living and working in Toronto as a freelance foley artist. "We knew the Last of Us had been a big hit, but you're up against many really big shows. It's an incredibly anxious moment when you're sitting there waiting for that announcement to be read out."
The 75th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards were held on January 6 and 7 at the Peacock Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was set to take place in September 2023 but was delayed due to the Hollywood labour disputes.
"You're getting pictures taken, there's photographers everywhere," said Charbonneau. "You pick up your Emmy backstage and sign for it right there. So, you're walking around with this Emmy award in your hand. It makes you feel like the most important person in the world."
Charbonneau is a foley artist. He is the person who uses creativity to make viewers believe that the sound effects they are hearing are real.
These sounds can be anything from the swishing of clothing and footsteps to squeaky doors and breaking glass.
"I was going to be a history teacher," said Charbonneau. "I got a master's in history but I decided to leave that all behind to make a radical career change."
At the time, Charbonneau said he moved to Toronto from Ottawa and enrolled himself in an audio production course at the Harris Institute.
"The rest is history," said Charbonneau.
Charbonneau is also known for his work on Everything All At Once, Wednesday, The White Lotus, Schitts Creek, and Fargo.
"This is one of those fields that people try to talk you out of, they will tell you it's not realistic, but you absolutely can make it," said Charbonneau. "Every field needs creative people who are good at what they do. If you can manage to do that and stand out in some way, you can make a career at it."
The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards Ceremony will air on Fox on January 15, 2024.