AACTA Award for Best Sound in a Documentary
Soundfirm would like to congratulate all the winners at the 5th AACTA Awards Industry dinner held at The Star last night in Sydney. It was an absolute pleasure being involved in many of the projects that were nominated.
A special shout out goes to the brilliant sound team on ONLY THE DEAD winner of the AACTA Award for Best Sound in a Documentary (marking a first AACTA Award win for Leah Katz, Andy Wright and Chris Goodes CAS, and a third AFI or AACTA Award for Steve Burgess).
Success @ Monster Fest
Monster Fest's Neil Foley hailed a "brilliant new Aussie horror film from two of Australia's most exciting cinema talents, totally deserving of every bit of success coming its way."
Crystal Monster for Best Film
SCARE CAMPAIGN - Dir. Colin and Cameron Cairnes, Prod. Julie Ryan
Best Feature Screenplay
Colin and Cameron Cairnes - SCARE CAMPAIGN
Best Sound in a Feature
SCARE CAMPAIGN
Best Feature Film Director
Colin and Cameron Cairnes - SCARE CAMPAIGN
Monster Jury Award
VELVET VIXEN'S ZOMBIE MASSACRE
The Dressmaker
“Thank you for your extraordinary effort over the past few months… You are a truly extraordinary team and together make Soundfirm the best possible place for any filmmaker to finish their film! I am aware of the long hours you have all been putting in, and appreciate this enormously. Mostly I am just blown away by your talent and you will be a very large part of making this film successfully connect with audiences when it is finally released later this year.” Sue Maslin – Producer – ‘The Dressmaker.”
Soundfirm have successfully delivered ‘The Dressmaker’ (Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, Hugo Weaving, Sarah Snook, Judy Davis) for Director Jocelyn Moorhouse and Universal Pictures, due for release in Australia on the 29th October 2015.
Cut at Soundfirm Melbourne by Jill Bilcock ('Romeo & Juliet,' 'Moulin Rouge,' 'The Libertine,'), Soundfirm completed the full post production, using facilities in both Sydney and Melbourne.
Complete sound design and post was completed at Soundfirm Melbourne, with Director of Photography, Donald McAlpine attending the projection DI grading suite at Soundfirm Sydney for the final grade (with Colourist, Trish Cahill).
Soundfirm CEO, Roger Savage, took an Executive Producer role on the film, working closely with co-writer P.J Hogan (‘Peter Pan,’ ‘Muriel’s Wedding,’ ‘Mental’) and Producer, Sue Maslin to ensure the film entered production, and was seamlessly managed through post production, to delivery.
Roger Savage, CEO/Executive Producer, said, "The Dressmaker is a really stunning film: I think audiences will get a lot of joy from the story, and it's been exquisitely shot and directed, with some stand-out performance from Kate (Winslet), Liam (Hemsworth) and Hugo (Weaving), so we have high-hopes that the film will do very well here in Australia, and will travel well overseas too..."
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPCyjqGH914[/youtube]
Looking For Grace
Soundfirm have completed the full picture and sound post production on ‘Looking for Grace,’ written and directed by Sue Brooks.
Recently nominated for a Golden Lionand a Green Drop Award at the Venice Film Festival, ‘Looking for Grace’ was selected for official competition earlier in the year, and will have its official Australian release at the Adelaide Film Festival on the 22nd October 2015.
The film was also selected for the Toronto Film Festival, where it enjoyed its North American Premiere.
Soundfirm’s Melbourne team completed the full post production – including the DI, sound post, and delivery.
‘Looking for Grace’ is an intimate, funny and profoundly moving story about the complexities of family life. When impetuous 16-year-old Grace (rising star Odessa Young) takes off, her exasperated mum and dad – Radha Mitchell and Richard Roxburgh – enlist the help of a close-to-retiring detective (Terry Norris) and begin the long drive from Perth out to the West Australian Wheatbelt to try to find her. On the journey, the two must confront the realities of their changing relationship to one another, and to their daughter. Wry, intriguing and poignant, Brooks’ unflinching reflection on the twinned traumas of adolescence and middle age boasts her trademark sense of character, humour and eye for the hypnotic rhythms of Australia’s most inhospitable landscapes, and is a beautifully moving reminder that life is often what happens while we’re busy making other plans.
“Doing post production at Soundfirm on Looking for Grace was fabulous. They handled the whole of the post production path from editing, sound design, VFX, mix, grade plus all of the bits and pieces in between. They were more than a post production facility. They were part of our team technically and creatively. It was wonderful having a whole post production team in the one building making the film with us” - Sue Brooks – Director “Looking for Grace”
Soundfirm credits:
Sound Post Producer - Helen Field
DI Producer - Catherine Armstrong
DI Supervisor - Jonathan Burton
DI Imaging Assistant - Tim Morton
Colourist - Martin Greer
Re-recording Mixer - Chris Goodes
Dialogue Editors - James Ashton & Simon Rosenberg
Foley Walker - Mario Vaccaro
Foley Recordist - Alex Francis
ADR Recordist - Diego Ruiz
Technical Support - Martin Bayley
Technical Support - Peter Cherny
Soundfirm CEO - Roger Savage
UnIndian
Soundfirm have completed the full picture and sound post production on Anupam Sharma’s and Devendra Dupta’s romantic comedy, ‘UnIndian,’ starring Australian cricket legend, Brett Lee and Tannishtha Chatterjee (‘Brick Lane,’ ‘Anna Karenina’).
Run from Soundfirm’s Sydney Facility, the company managed camera originals, back-ups and media transcodes (with Nir Shelter, DataShelter), partly on-set, and partly back in the facility – and then the full post, from Editorial/cutting rooms at their facility on Fox Studios, to DI/picture post, sound post production and delivery.
The Production’s editorial team were able to preview shots and VFX plates directly from the cutting room to Soundfirm’s 30-seater DI projection grading/preview room, providing a real short-hand for the film-makers.
VFX and motion graphics were also managed in-house, as Soundfirm directly commissioned local artist, Nils Crompton, who located himself in the Soundfirm building to work closely with the original media, the Director and the Editor, providing very tangible creative and logistical advantages.
Sound FX and additional design was seamlessly provided by Soundfirm’s Melbourne team.
“…we had to take a very hands-on approach to managing the post production on this film and being able to do that entirely under one-roof made it possible,” said General Manager, Paul Willey. "Centrally managing the data, the editorial and the full finishing post is the best way to ensure we can adapt and provide flexibility to the film-maker," he added.
‘UnInidian’ has its Gala Premiere on the 7th October, and will release in Australia and globally, later in the year.
Colourist – Trish Cahill
Conform and Online Editor – Shane Goddard
Sound Designers – Andy Wright & Steve Burgess
Dialogue Editor and Re-recording Mixer – Andy Wright
Dialogue and ADR – Diego Ruiz
Foley Recordist – Alex Francis
Foley Recordist – Adam Connelly
Foley Walker – Mario Vaccaro
Sound Assistant – Tanya Payne
VFX – Nils Crompton (RMK Crew)
Digital Imaging Technician – Nir Shelter (Data Shelter)
Post Producer – Jasmin Turnbull
General Manager – Paul Willey
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QMRiv9a7uI[/youtube]
Beautiful divorcee and single mother of one, Meera (Tannishtha Chatterjee) is an Australian of Indian origin. Smart and independent, she has carved out a successful life for herself and her daughter ... despite family pressure to find 'a nice Indian match'. Then Meera meets Will (Brett Lee)... tall and blonde with a charming smile. But falling in love with an Australian man is not only scandalous - it's unindian! Does she do as her family wishes? ... Or does she follow her heart and live her life the way she wants? Highlighting the complexities of wooing another from a different culture, unINDIAN is a comedy with a lot of heart and a little spice!
Women He's Undressed
“Soundfirm were both investors and the post production house for ‘Women He’s Undressed.’ The crew at Soundfirm were dedicated to the task of completing the film on time and the result is excellent. I am grateful to the excellent staff at Soundfirm Sydney for their professionalism and dedication...”
Damien Parer- Producer
Soundfirm have completed the full picture and sound post production on Gillian Armstrong’s ‘Women He’s Undressed,’ a feature-length documentary that chronicles the life of Academy Award winning Australian designer Orry-Kelly. Unfamiliar at home, the Kiama born designer created wardrobes for the silver screen from the 1930s to 1960s. Kelly’s design credits include; Hollywood’s biggest studios, most memorable stars, and films hits such as ‘Some Like it Hot’ and ‘An American in Paris.’
Soundfirm CEO, Roger Savage, said “we were involved in this film from a very early stage, both as investors in it, and as the picture and sound post production facility. Our team in Sydney have done a fantastic job, especially with their treatment and management of the archive content. We’re confident that the story of Kelly’s life will have tremendous appeal, and do very well.”
Paul Willey, General Manager, added: “this film is a great example of the holistic approach we are now taking when working with Producers and Directors: from the closing of production finance, to the management of specialist in-house and local freelance talent, we’re genuinely coming on board as an integral part of the team, from development to delivery.”
Conform and Online Editor, Shane Goddard
FX Artist, Nils Crompton
Graphic Designers, Betsy Baker
Graphic Designer, Michelle French
Colourist, Billy Wychgel
Sound Supervisor and Editor, Rob MacKenzie
Re-recording Mixer and Editor, Andy Wright
Voice Over and ADR recording, Diego Ruiz
Foley Artist, Alex Francis
Foley Walker, Mario Vaccaro
CEO, Soundfirm, Roger Savage
General Manager, Paul Willey
Post Producer, Jasmin Turnbull
Post Production Supervisor, Colleen Clarke
Strangerland
Soundfirm has recently delivered the full picture and sound post production on Kim Farrant’s ‘Strangerland,’ starring Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, Joseph Fiennes, Lisa Flanagan and Meyne Wyatt.
‘Strangerland’ was selected for the Sundance Film Festival 2015, and will premiere there at the end of January.
The film is due for release later in the year, and is being represented by Wild Bunch International and Worldview Distribution.
http://www.sundance.org/projects/strangerland
More to follow......
That Sugar Film
Soundfirm have recently completed the sound post production and picture mastering on Damon Gameau’s ‘That Sugar Film,’ for Madman Productions (Australia) and Metro Films International (UK).
In the vein of “Supersize Me,” Gameau becomes a human guinea-pig when he puts himself through a grueling 8 week diet (60 days) consuming the equivalent of 40 teaspoons of sugar a day; the average daily amount consumed by teenagers.
The film was artfully cut and mixed by Simon Rosenberg at Soundfirm’s Melbourne Facility, with Ralf Ortner cutting dialogues; delivering a track that fully complimented the motion graphics and overall ‘brand’ of the film.
With additional narration by Stephen Fry and contributions from Hugh Jackman, ‘That Sugar Film’ has already captured the imagination of the public online, with nearly 23,000 ‘likes’ on the film’s Facebook page; and a whopping 544,200 views (and counting) of the official trailer on YouTube.
The film is about to commence a tour of Australia, with Q&A screenings already selling out, starting in Alice Springs on the 20th February, and moving through NSW and Victoria throughout March 2015.
"A definite must-see" - Jamie Oliver
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uaWekLrilY
https://www.facebook.com/thatsugarfilm
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uaWekLrilY[/youtube]
Paper Planes - Dolby Atmos Mix & Soundtrack
Soundfirm has completed the full soundtrack on Robert Connolly’s ‘Paper Planes,’ set for Australian and global release on 15th January 2015.
‘Paper Planes’ was the very first Australian feature to be fully conceived in ‘Dolby Atmos from day one, allowing Soundfirm’s Sound Supervisor and Sound Designer, Chris Goodes unlimited creative control over the track from the very beginning of the project.
Chris designed all sound FX for the paper planes, in addition to special ‘movement’ sequences in Dolby Atmos; working closely with FX Editor, Emma Bortignon, who cut all the atmospheres and FX in 9.1 (by utilising overhead speakers in one of Soundfirm's sound design suites), ahead of the final mix.
Audiences around the world have become accustomed to the application of Dolby Atmos for large-scale VFX, Action or Sci-fi films, but ‘Paper Planes’ clearly illustrates the use of the medium to enhance drama, and create truly immersive experiences in other cinematic genres.
Chris’s work with Composer, Nigel Westlake and Music Recording & Mix Engineer, Lachlan Carrick, was especially significant in the crafting of this unique track. Nigel said:
“It's always gratifying to engage with a Director who sees music as a priority, and is willing to allocate appropriate resources to the task. The score has been beautifully captured in glistening detail by sound engineer Lachlan Carrick, and with the invaluable assistance of Jessica Wells who took on the task of assisting me with the orchestration, it was brought to life by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in three days of thrilling recording at the Iwaki auditorium in Melbourne.”
The opportunity to have immediate feedback from Chris and Rob, and (to) be monitoring in the same space really informed our working process, and was very critical in shaping our approach.”
Nigel and his team were quick to heap praise on Soundfirm’s team, and their DolbyAtmos Mixing stage in Melbourne:
“Mixing the score in the same theatre as the final opened up every possible permutation of options for us. Once we completed a first draft music pass, we were able to pull up all the dialogue and FX pre-mixes to check how it was all sitting in context with the score, switching from 5.1 - over to Dolby Atmos - then back to 5.1. The new Soundfirm facility has to be heard to be believed. The clarity, power and detail is breathtaking; and Dolby Atmos is the closest thing to "3D sound" you'll ever hear. Talk about taking it to the next level! I honestly can't imagine a better way to work. It was a real privilege to have access to such an amazing facility and I can't thank Roger and Chris enough for warmly welcoming us so readily to work closely with their crew on site.”
Robert Connolly said: "Paper Planes was the ideal introduction to the extraordinary impact of Dolby Atmos! Bringing together the 3D elements of Paper Planes and celebration of flight with Nigel's [Westlake] score provided a strong foundation to make the most of the exceptional opportunity provided at Soundfirm to work in Atmos. Chris Goodes sound design built from the ground up with Atmos providing a rich and complex final mix that is an exhilarating aural ride that sits hand and glove with the ambition for the film. I’m extremely excited by the potential in Atmos for future films."
Soundfirm’s Chris Goodes said, “it’s very rewarding to be able to utilise the power and scope of Dolby Atmos as a story-telling device. Having these tools at our disposal on ‘Paper Planes’ gave us unparalleled creative control, and ultimately forged a very strong collaboration between sound designer/mixer, composer, picture editor and the Director when it came to the sound track. Robert and his team have an intimate understanding of the power of sound in their film-making, and it was a pleasure helping them realise that creative vision.”
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/113977350[/vimeo]
In conclusion, Soundfirm CEO, Roger Savage, said “’Paper Planes’ is a wonderful example of how Dolby Atmos can be used as an instrument to craft a very nuanced theatrical track. We are really very proud of our collaboration with Robert (Connolly)’s team and the outstanding work that Chris Goodes and the crew did here in post production.”
Sound Team:
Chris Goodes - Sound Supervisor, Sound Designer & Re-Recording Mixer
James Ashton - Dialogue Supervisor and Editor
Dolby Consultant, Australia - Bruce Emery
Emma Bortignon - Sound FX Editor
Trevor Hope – Production Sound Recordist
Mario Vaccaro – Foley Walker
George Alamaras – Foley Recordist
Production:
Robert Connolly - Director, Co-Writer, Producer
Maggie Miles - Producer
Liz Kearney - Producer
Nick Meyers - Editor
Nigel Westlake - Composer
Lachlan Carrick - Music Recording and Mix engineer.
Paper Planes - The Sydney Morning Herald @ http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/why-robert-connolly-hopes-his-kids-film-paper-planes-will-take-flight-20150107-125oep.html
Kill Me Three Times
Soundfirm have completed the full post production on Kriv Stenders’ ‘Kill Me Three Times,’ starring Simon Pegg, Sullivan Stapleton, Luke Hemsworth, Alice Braga, and Teresa Palmer.
Gruesome and hilarious, ‘Kill Me Three Times’ is a blackly comic neo-noir that unfolds in a small Australian surfing town under a blinding sun; all the better to illuminate its cleverly designed network of malfeasance, as Charlie Wolfe (Pegg) quickly comes to learn that he isn’t the only one trying to kill the town’s siren, Alice Taylor (Braga).
Director Kriv Stenders and screenwriter James McFarland have crafted a suspenseful, knotted plot rigged with hairpin turns and bleak surprises, while cinematographer Geoffrey Simpson's sun-punched images keep us grounded in a world of sweaty tension, careering from one perspective to the next.
Editor Jill Billcock’s masterful edit was skilfully complemented by the Soundfirm team in post production: picture and sound post were centrally managed from their Melbourne Facility, with Dee McClelland grading on Resolve, Jonathan Burton managing picture delivery, and Chris Goodes acting as Sound Supervisor.
Soundfirm CEO Roger Savage said, “we are really proud to have been able to work with Kriv on ‘Kill Me Three Times,’ following successful collaborations with him in the past. Being able to accommodate everything under one roof realised both time and cost savings during post, and allowed everyone to focus on crafting the best film possible.”
‘Kill Me Three Times’ will have it’s World Premier on the 6th September at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
