Sony Pictures Studios offers the film, television and multimedia industries one of the world’s most extensive full-service post-production facilities, combining a creative, on-lot work environment with technological excellence and highly talented and vastly experienced crews.
Ten years ago, the studio embarked upon an extensive expansion and analog-to-digital modernization program, under the management of Michael Kohut, President, Sony Pictures Post Production Facilities. The company now features ten film and television mixing theaters, as well as its historic scoring stage, nine DVD audio mastering suites, three ADR and three Foley stages, 204 editing rooms, 55 digital audio workstations, two sound design suites, 15 nonlinear picture editing systems, and complete film and video transfer services.
Favored by leading composers such as John Williams and Randy Newman, the famous scoring stage is massive – 93×66 with a 28-foot ceiling; three iso booths – with a commensurately large 59×42-foot control room. It is equipped with an AMS Neve 72-channel VRL-72 console with Flying Faders automation.
The facility’s ten re-recording theatres include six for feature films (including four large-scale theatres – the Cary Grant Theatre, the William Holden Theatre, the recently constructed Burt Lancaster Theatre, the Kim Novak Theatre and Stages 6 and 7) and four television stages, known as 11, 12, 15 and 17. All theatres are equipped with GLW Harrison MPC-1 consoles and Sony Digital Audio Disk Recorders/DADR-5000s.
The impressive roster of film mixers includes Kevin O’Connell and Greg Russell, Scott Millan and Bob Beemer, Gary Bourgeois and Greg Orloff, Jeff Haboush and Bill Benton; television mixers include Russell Smith and William Freesh, Jon Taylor and Carlos deLarios, Sherry Klein, Robert Edmondson and Joel Fein, Tim Philben, Alan Decker and Deborah Adair. “This facility is customer-driven, and we will continue to listen to our customers and offer the best crews, unique working environments, coupled with cutting-edge service and quick response,” says Richard Branca, Senior Vice President, Sound, Video and Projection Operations.
The facility’s sound editorial department is also impressive. Observes Tom McCarthy, Senior Vice President, Theatrical and Television Sound Editorial: “With the installation of 55 digital audio workstations and our continued dedication to staying on the forefront of digital technology, we are positioned to provide sound editorial services for both Sony Pictures product and third-party clientele. Our facility has attracted independent supervising sound editors Michael Benavente, John Morris and Michael O’Farrell, who have recently set up shop here.”
On the DVD front, expansion has recently been completed to handle both in-house and third-party business. “We now have nine DVD audio mastering rooms, all fully digital and networked around Sonic Solutions workstations,” Branca noted. Besides DVD restoration and conforming services, the facility also provides editing and mixing of directors’ commentaries and other value-added features.
All audio facilities offer analog, linear digital and nonlinear digital recording media, tielined to both individual and central machine rooms, creating a versatile audio, video, data and control media network throughout the facility.
