Randy Thom started his career in radio and music recording before making the transition to film in 1975, when he was hired on APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) as a sound effects recordist. Since then, Thom has worked in a wide variety of creative capacities within the sound department in over thirty films. For example, In addition to being the music mixer on RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983), Thom was also the production sound mixer for all the footage shot in the US. Since 1983, Thom has been on staff as a sound designer and mixer at Lucasfilm's Skywalker Sound facility. He is part of a small group of sound designers that are following in Walter Murch's and Ben Burtt's footsteps to continue to turn motion picture sound into an art form. His work on a film often begins before the film has started shooting, and becomes an integral part of the storytelling and emotional impact of the film. Thom has been part of Robert Zemeckis' core creative team ever since FORREST GUMP (1994). Recently, they have collaborated on THE FRIGHTENERS (1996), CONTACT (1997), CAST AWAY and WHAT LIES BENEATH (both 2000), THE POLAR EXPRESS (2004), MONSTER HOUSE (2006) and BEOWULF (2007), with Thom acting as both sound designer and supervising mixer. Throughout his career Thom has worked with such top Hollywood talents as Walter Murch, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, Chris Columbus, Mel Brooks and the Farrelly Brothers. Thom received Academy Awards for sound for THE RIGHT STUFF (1983) and THE INCREDIBLES (2004). On FORREST GUMP and THE POLAR EXPRESS, Thom recieved nominations for Sound as well as Sound Effects Editing. Other notable sound design/mixing credits include THE IRON GIANT, SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS and BICENTENNIAL MAN (all 1999), REINDEER GAMES (2000), AVALON and OSMOSIS JONES (both 2001), WINDTALKERS and HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (both 2002), DARKNESS FALLS, SHREK 4-D and LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER: THE CRADLE OF LIFE (all 2003), INOSENSU: KÔKAKU KIDÔTAI / GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE and SHREK 2 (both 2004), WAR OF THE WORLDS and HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (both 2005), ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN, OVER THE HEDGE and ERAGON (all 2006), RATATOUILLE, THE SIMPSONS MOVIE and ENCHANTED (all 2007), S.O.P.: STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE and HORTON HEARS A WHO! (both scheduled for 2008), and HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (scheduled for 2009).  Nominated for Sound 1983: NEVER CRY WOLF (w. Alan R. Splet, Todd Boekelheide & David Parker)  Nominated for Sound 1983: RETURN OF THE JEDI (w. Ben Burtt, Gary Summers & Tony Dawe)  Sound 1983: THE RIGHT STUFF (w. Mark Berger, Tom Scott & David R.B. MacMillan)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound 1991: BACKDRAFT (w. Gary Summers, Gary Rydstrom & Glenn Williams)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound 1994: FORREST GUMP (w. Tom Johnson, Dennis Sands & William B. Kaplan)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound Effects Editing 1994: FORREST GUMP (w. Gloria S. Borders)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound 1997: CONTACT (w. Tom Johnson, Dennis Sands & William B. Kaplan)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound 2000: CAST AWAY (w. Tom Johnson, Dennis Sands & William B. Kaplan)  Best Achievement in Sound Editing 2004: THE INCREDIBLES (w. Michael Silvers)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound Mixing 2004: THE INCREDIBLES (w. Gary A. Rizzo and Doc Kane)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound Editing 2004: THE POLAR EXPRESS (w. Dennis Leonard)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound Mixing 2004: THE POLAR EXPRESS (w. Tom Johnson, Dennis Sands and William B. Kaplan)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound Editing 2007: RATATOUILLE (w. Michael Silvers)  Nominated for Achievement in Sound Mixing 2007: RATATOUILLE (w. Michael Semanick and Doc Kane) 14 nominations, 2 Awards