Paul Haggar
Post-production icon Paul Haggar will receive the Hollywood Post Alliance Lifetime Achievement Award during the HPA Awards on November 12, 2009. The HPA Awards recognize the contributions of the talented men and women of the post-production industry, and who are a pivotal part of the creative process.
Haggar, one of the best known names in the post-production community, retired from Paramount Pictures in 2005. He had a notably long studio career, heading theatrical post production at the studio from the 1970s. He was part of the Paramount family for over 54 years.
“For decades, the name Paul Haggar was synonymous with post production,” said Leon Silverman, president of HPA. “It is no exaggeration to say that Paul kept us all on our toes. He demanded the best and got it from his post-production team and his vendors. He was a master at balancing the creative and the business, as he was always a tenacious advocate of both the filmmaker’s vision and the studio’s needs. His accomplishments cannot be minimized and this Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes his undeniably significant contribution to our industry.”
Haggar rose through the studio ranks from mailroom to apprentice editor and eventually to executive vice president of Post Production for Feature Films, a post he held for over 20 years. Known as a fierce defender of the projects he worked on and of the studio he worked for, he oversaw the post production of hundreds of films, including Oscar winners and those recognized as the most important of the era. His credits include: “Love Story,” “Chinatown,” “The Godfather,” “Reds,” “Heaven Can Wait,” and many, many more. In 1987, a building on the Paramount lot was renovated for editing and fittingly named in his honor, The Haggar Building.
Haggar is a tireless fundraiser for charities including the Vision Awards, which he chaired, and Hollywood Has Heart, a charity of the American Heart Association, where he has been honored for his long support.
