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Philip's Looking Forward at Risk After 25 years, Philip Webster's iconic analogue studio in Bay Street Port Melbourne is now home to Pro-Tools HD and a new engineer. And Philip couldn't be happier. "It's about moving with the times," Philip says. "But in moving with the times we're keeping the old analogue technology still on line so if we need to and want to we can use the analogue quarter-inch to record and we can do a multi-track mix. "And Paul (McCosh) who's working in this studio, that I've worked out of for 25 years has fallen in love with it already. It's like any sound designer in their own room, you know where the sweet spots are, you get to know your speakers intimately, you know the sound and you can hear the sound coming out of the television speaker in the home, or the lounge room, or the radio in the car or the kitchen, so you know where it's all working. Creatively it's your palette of colour in sound if you like. All three studios are linked plus there's a central computer booking and messaging system to manage studio time. Despite spending less time in the studio, Philip says he still hasn't worked out how to get a lunch-hour. "I'm often in the studio with production ideas, but I'm spending more time finding and casting new voices. For example, a job that Paul is working on tomorrow, we've had terrific creative input with the writer on that; how we will record etc, and the casting of the voice has been very important. I'm freer during the day now to come up with creative ideas and find voices. So it's using the talent I've acquired over my time in the studio a little differently these days," he says. "I'm happy to have Paul in my old studio. I met the right guy at the right time in the right place to fill my shoes in this room. It was the same with James downstairs, and Dylan in his room ... they're all wonderful creative people in their own creative way. So, everyday is still rewarding for me and challenging."
SOS Soundtrack Sparks Fireworks Jamie Greene says he's used to creating fireworks - well the soundtracks for them anyway. But the impact of his sound design for the 2004 New Year's Eve fireworks on Sydney Harbour was unexpected and exhausting. Jamie, who runs Speed of Sound Studios in Crows Nest, has designed the soundtrack for the Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks for several years: the last three working closely with Creative Director Leo Schofield. This year (just past) they decided they wanted to start and end the midnight fireworks with the Australian National Anthem. However, Jamie suggested instead of using the Sydney Symphony Orchestra version at the beginning and the end, they should commission a new version for the closing of the fireworks. They commissioned Jamie's colleague Hylton Mowday to do a new version and in Jamie's words it caused a furore. "...they got the Prime Minister involved..." "It was basically a media feeding frenzy when they decided to release it at the media launch for the event. They've never released any part of the soundtrack before ..it's always been kept secret. "Some of them were for it some of them were against it. But then of course there was all the political stuff. They got the Prime Minister involved and he said he didn't like it. But we were unfairly represented because the media played it pitched up so much that our singer sounded like a chipmunk. "And that's what we kept saying to people ... and we were approached by all the radio stations and TV stations to talk about it ... and we just kept the line that until you hear it in context it's not going to make sense. "And that's what Leo said and to his credit Leo got that right. He said hold your horses the lot of you. As Creative Director of the event he copped a kick up the bum publicly for it but he stood behind us which was great. "...it was a little bit cheeky and had the desired effect..." "So it was interesting, but not much different politically to doing certain TV commercials or radio commercials. So that was pretty funny, it was quite funny in fact." And Jamie says of course after the event, he and Hylton have had nothing but praise for the 17-minute soundtrack. "So that was hilarious as well. Ironically after the event all we've had is praise for the soundtrack because it was all Australian, it was a little bit cheeky and it had the desired effect. So that's a pretty cool thing ... especially after having worked on it for so long to have gotten such a positive response is really good. "And even the flack that we copped, it was great publicity. It was fantastic publicity actually. You know we even had emails from people like Dick Smith saying you can't buy that kind of publicity. "We've also had a lot of clients calling us up saying well done ... so for that it was also quite funny," Jamie says. And the media barrage dissipated under the bright lights on Friday night. "There's nothing like standing at the best venue in the harbour city to watch it and hear your work being broadcast around the world. We're using to dealing with stuff coming out of TVs and radios and to actually hear something on that scale..there's nothing quite like it... and it's a real highlight of every year."
Fresh Face for AudioNET® M&C Saatchi Senior Producer Donna Scully has joined AudioNET® in the newly created role of Agency Services Manager, to further enhance and strengthen the relationships between production studios and agencies. Managing Director Dave Cox says he's very excited about Donna's contribution to the AudioNET® team. Dave says Donna's focus will be to provide information and assistance to agency personnel to ensure they understand the unique benefits of having their production studios deliver their radio spots with AudioNET®. "Donna is exactly the right person for this liaison role, having spent nearly 18 years as a producer, either in agencies or production companies." Her most recent position was as senior producer for Woolworths at M&C Saatchi in Sydney. Other agencies she worked for include DDB and FNL. She also worked as business manager for Supersonic and Window Productions. Donna will be based in AudioNET's Sydney office working closely with Client Services Manager Sandy Campbell. Gusto Goes Live Gusto Music has moved premises. Physically they've only moved about 100 metres down the road and around the corner - but creatively, it's a whole new world. Cameron Giles-Webb says the business just outgrew Park St and they needed more space. "We now have two post suites and a music room and a huge live recording room ... so it's a lot bigger. We've taken on a new engineer Sam Farr and we have another producer now as well, Kate Reynolds ... so the business has grown." Plus each studio has its own dedicated booth so all three studios can be doing completely different jobs at the same time. The guest area at the top of the entrance stairs doubles as a live recording space. "We wanted to have a big live area to have the facility to be able to record a choir or do a big live project," Cameron says. "We do quite a bit of that stuff for certain clients and we sometimes had to go to a bigger studio, but we won't have to do that anymore."
Cameron, Colin, Sam and Bob (Cameron's father) did most of the work themselves over Christmas and were able to re-cycle some of fittings from the previous tenant and add new materials where needed. "We had the builders do the main shells which are made out of Hebel aerated concrete blocks, and they did the ceiling beams and the main joists for the ceiling and we did all the rest," Cameron says. Colin says "it was great to be able to build from scratch." "I guess one of the things we applied ourselves to this time round is absolute sonic isolation between the rooms. The only way to achieve that is to literally build from scratch. So we've got walls that are a couple of feet thick, full of different materials and different building designs and concepts so that there's absolute sonic isolation ... which is luxury for us ... and for any studio." Cameron says they also put a fair bit of thought into the live recording area, putting in a proper wooden floor, and curtains that can be drawn to deaden up the space. All the studios also have windows onto the guest area/live space, for added flexibility. "We also incorporated extra windows where I guess you wouldn't normally have put them, so they're visual to all rooms and the central control room," Colin says. "So by drawing the curtain you can open up another window in order to be able to see into various different areas to be able to record a full band, orchestra, choir or anything really." And just to top it all off, the boys also built their own bar. "I think we're still coming to terms with it and recovering," Colin says. Fuelled by GAS Former Metropolis advertising team Stephen Renfree and Polly McGregor started the New Year by building their own audio production facility at video post house Tide. The new studio, Fuel Productions, is a joint venture with Rod Lowe from Good Audio Sense. Stephen says it was one of those things that just came together. "Pol and I discovered Rodney was very interested in setting up an audio facility at Tide, as they needed an audio studio nearby to service their video post production work. So between all of us we saw a great opportunity. "Polly and I run Fuel on a day to day basis and do exactly what we were doing at Metropolis, but of course now with the backup of the Good Audio Sense network and facilities," Stephen says.
Building started in early January and was squeezed in between recording sessions at GAS and other work. "Although there were builders working really hard for us, we were doing a lot of the carting, hauling and fetching work that needed to be done. And the painting!" Stephen says. The new studios have Fairlight desks to be compatible with GAS and Stephen says he's looking forward to taking on some new work. "We'll continue to do similar work to what we've done traditionally, but I'm hoping the union of Fuel and Tide will be a healthy relationship which opens up new opportunities for all of us. We'll be a fully functioning post production one stop shop and that will be very attractive to some people." Studio Support for Tsunami Appeals Several studios donated studio time and effort after Christmas to contribute to fund-raising appeals across Australia for various tsunami relief efforts. Barry and Matt at Sound Reservoir in Sydney recorded a radio campaign for Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) the day after the wave hit. "We were out of the blocks the first business day after, in here and recording early," Barry says. He says the fast action was largely due to the agency BMF getting everyone organised quickly and he says the campaign was so successful, the medical aid group reached its fund-raising target within 48 hours. ...World Vision... The gang at GAS in Melbourne have a long-standing relationship with World Vision and Les and Sam produced radio spots with Tim Costello over the phone. "We had to ring Tim Costello and he was in Sri Lanka at the time," Les says. "I don't know whether it was a satellite phone or just his mobile, but ... we just rang Tim Costello and recorded via our phone hybrid. "The nice thing about it from our perspective was that ... we recorded it on a Friday afternoon about two o'clock I think and ... had it out by four to all the radio stations, so that was really good and the client was very happy with it." ...Nike... Nike was another happy client, raising $100,000 through a radio campaign they made with help from Gusto Music. James Hird provided the voice talent for the spots and Nike was so impressed with the fund-raising they threw in $100,000 worth of Nike product for the Tsunami victims. The next week in Sydney, Jeremy at David + John recorded the promos for the Australia Unites Concert, with all the station 'voices' in the recording session at the same time. ...Australia Unites... Jeremy said they got a call from a producer at Channel 9 early on Monday asking if they'd help out with some studio time. "Before you knew it we had Ken Sparkes from Channel 9, Jay Hackett from 7 and Jenny Wilson from 10 in the studio. They were all supposed to come at staggered times but they all got here at the same time, so we stuck them all in the booth together and we recorded the promos for all three networks. "It was quite an experience having all the networks here together and producers from 9 and 7 all getting along well and having a good old yarn about all things television," Jeremy says. AudioNET® delivered all radio spots related to Tsunami relief efforts for free. Your Bits - Studio news
The Jury Is In Mike O'Sullivan from Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand is the MADC Chairman of Judges for 2005. The judging panel for the mainstream categories comes mainly from Sydney, with one Perth representative.
Gary Freedman, The Glue Society Sydney There are 913 entries this year, 46% more than last year. Judging is taking place over the weekend of the 26-27th of February and finalists will be announced at the Chairman of Judges lunch on Monday 28th. AudioNET® is sponsoring the Chairman's lunch again this year and we're giving away a half-day rally driving course as a door prize (for those of you who like to live in the fast lane!). For invitations and bookings follow this link. Our Bits - AudioNET® News
AudioNET® Thought For The Day "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together." - Vincent Van Gogh.
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Killer Bits: February 2005
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