AlphaDogs Post Sheds New Light On Gang Culture

Using color as a storytelling tool makes a good story more interesting
visually and helps to convey the emotion of the film.

Burbank, CA—Gangs of one type or another have been around for hundreds of years.  While most of us conjure up images of guns and violence, there is often a human element to gang culture not expected in this kind of lifestyle. In the feature-length documentary Homeboy, Director Dino Dinco takes another perspective on the topic by examining the lives of gay Latino men who are ex-gang members and the transformation these men have undergone from membership within a gang.  Exclusive interviews with former gang members from around the Los Angeles area give first hand accounts of what it was like coming to terms with their sexuality, inclusive of the stereotypes of being both gay and Latino in a world that is hyper-masculine and largely heterosexual.

Homeboy is the first documentary of its kind to explore such a culturally taboo topic. “AlphaDogs worked with me in giving guidance on creating a project that I'm quite proud of,” said Dinco. “Everyone at the facility is very personable and professional.  The project was my first independent documentary film.”  Dinco continues,  “I’m truly grateful to AlphaDogs for being so generous with their time and knowledge, and in treating my project the same as they would a big budget film. They have definitely won my loyalty as a client.”

In a workflow that isn’t used much anymore, color correction for the film was completed in Final Cut Pro 7 using the 3-way color corrector filter. Having extensive years of experience in color grading and a technical understanding of which software is the best fit for each project, colorist Sean Stack created a specific look and tone in the interviews with ex-gang members.  “I'm not shy about using the built-in color correction tools Final Cut Pro 7 has to offer if they are doing what I need them to do”, said Stack. Even though it’s no longer a shipping product, the client edited in Final Cut Pro 7 with the material being in good shape from the beginning. Those two facts combined with a limited budget led to the decision to stay in Final Cut for the color correction.

Beyond having a good tool set to work with, the talent the colorist brings to a project as an artist is an important key factor in post-production. Impressed with how much the interviews revealed about the personal accounts of what it was like being gay in a Latino gang, Stack was able to convey the emotion in the interviews by enriching skin tones of the subjects and in highlighting body tattoos that were a key part of the story.  Stack explains “Color grading adds to the storytelling by directing a viewers eyes to notice subtle differences between warm and cool shadows, or in making the red pop out of a tattoo making a good story more interesting visually.”

AlphaDogs also made enhancements to audio in the film by using Waves and Cedar DNS One plug-ins.  Audio plugs-ins makes it possible to isolate specific tracks of audio and remove any background sounds that can take away from the dialogue in the story.

Homeboy was Directed and Produced by Dino Dinco.  The film made its US premiere at a sold out screening during Outfest 2012 in Los Angeles. Designers Against AIDS/DAA also presented the European premiere at Cine Zuid in Antwerp, Belgium. For more information visit www.homeboyfilms.com
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About AlphaDogs: Founded in 2002 by acclaimed editor and colorist Terence Curren, AlphaDogs is an independently owned post-production facility located in the center of Burbank's Media District. AlphaDogs' skilled team brings a dynamic combination of creative talent and technical expertise to clients' projects. Paying extra attention to detail, AlphaDogs prides itself on delivering the quality of a large post-production facility with the personal attention of a small boutique. State-of-the-art editing bays, color correction, audio mixing, motion graphics, visual effects, production offices and equipment rentals are available. Since 2003, AlphaDogs has been giving back to the post-production community through its Editors' Lounge series of discussion panels and product demonstrations. To learn more, visit www.alphadogs.tv and www.editorslounge.com

AlphaDogs Brings Out The Color In "Songs From The Farm"

Burbank, CA—The sudden loss of a family member or loved one may be one of the most difficult and painful experiences that will occur at some point in your life. How grief is handled is a very personal choice with family traditions and culture playing a big role. While there is no right or wrong way in dealing with these types of painful emotions, sometimes they are dealt with in ways that don’t always make sense to everyone else.  In the documentary Songs From The Farm, Director and Producer Alice Ho, examines the lives of a rural fur farmer and his wife living in Shandong, China as they struggle to cope with life after their son’s suicide, each managing grief in very different ways.

Director, Alice Ho had just moved to Los Angeles after living in Singapore four years and was uncertain where to begin when choosing a post facility to complete the finish on her film. Ho began e-mailing and calling several post-production companies when she found AlphaDogs. “I felt very comfortable when expressing my specific concerns about the film, said Ho. “Not only is the staff friendly and accommodating, but they also made sure I was happy with the end result.”

Songs From The Farm was shot on location in rural China thus creating very distinct challenges when finishing the film during post-production. AlphaDog’s colorist Sean Stack, was in charge of trouble shooting and fixing specific problems during the color correction process. Stack’s technical expertise combined with his creative skills and years of experience as a colorist allowed him to correct colors that were over saturated and mismatched shots that were causing the color to be out of balance due to shooting entirely on location in an uncontrolled environment with regard to lighting.

The biggest challenge Stack faced during color grading were the interior scenes where the only lighting was the dim illumination of a flashlight.  When color grading it’s important that the colorist stay within the context of the film or it can have a negative impact on the storytelling.  Alice Ho explains “During production there were consecutive days where we did not have any electricity, as we were shooting on a mink farm in rural China. I specifically remember one evening where the characters of my film shared an intimate scene together where Uncle Wong was making fun of his wife’s singing skills.  Ho continues “The DP and I quickly grabbed our cameras to capture the moment and wasn’t sure if the scene would even work because the only source of light in the room besides one LED off camera was from Uncle Wong’s flashlight. I knew this scene would need professional color grading to help me bring out the details in such a dimly lit environment without making the screen too noisy or taking away from the emotion in the scene.” 

The film was edited in Final Cut Pro 7 with Stack using Apple color to brighten scenes while still maintaining the effect of low lighting, as to not take away from the sentiment of the story. Apple’s color grading application provided ample control of the images allowing detail to be revealed in some of the darker scenes. Using this application along with use of power windows and matte selection allowed Stack to add just enough brightness in areas without increasing the grain, therefore keeping the quality of the picture. Scenes where the camera iris adjusts automatically making a scene lighter or darker were also minimized to the point of being unnoticeable to the audience. Stack comments, “I loved the general look of the film that already had some really nice saturated reds, particularly in the beginning where there is a nice copper-like tone. I worked on maintaining that unique look throughout the film during the color-correction process. My goal was to highlight the story told by the filmmaker Alice Ho, leaving the audience with as much of an emotional impact as possible.

Songs From The Farm has won the NYU Tisch School of the Arts Asia Achievement In Documentary Award and the Alan Landsburg Documentary Production Award.

For more information visit www.ahofilms.com
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About Alpha Dogs:  Founded in 2002, AlphaDogs is an independently owned full service post-production facility located in the center of Burbank’s media district.  AlphaDogs gifted team brings a combination of both creative talent and technical expertise paying extra attention to detail in delivering projects with a personal touch. State of the art editing bays, color correction, audio mixing, visual effects, production offices and equipment rentals are available. To learn more, visit www.alphadogs.tv

AlphaDogs Post Curbs The Shopping Addiction

Burbank, CA—Shopping sprees.  We’ve all been guilty at one point or another of overspending and making impulsive purchases. But what happens when shopping becomes a main source of escape and entertainment to the point of causing financial distress and problems in one’s personal relationships?  Oniomania, or more commonly known as shopping addiction has become a common problem in America today.  On Tuesday, October 9tt at 10pm ET/PT The Oxygen Network will premiere a new docu-series that takes a closer look at this problem titled My Shopping Addiction. Each hour-long episode will profile two different shopping addicts who with the help of a clinical psychologist delve into the causes of their compulsive spending and learn how to get their lives and finances under control.

Jeff Kuntz, Executive Producer for My Shopping Addiction didn’t hesitate to call upon AlphaDogs once again to complete the post-production finish on the series.  Kuntz has worked with the AlphaDogs team on past projects, always receiving excellent results in the look, sound and delivery of shows.  Now into their tenth year of business, AlphaDogs is more than just a conventional post-production facility providing the same services larger companies offer without the inflated costs.  Working in a collaborative environment with a team of talented artists. clients are made to feel at home with the personal service and attention that has become the hallmark of AlphaDogs Post Production.

Color Correction was handled with use of Avid’s Symphony Nitris DX hardware under the careful scrutiny of President and lead colorist at AlphaDogs Post, Terence Curren.  Executive Producer Kuntz required a rich look and feel for the docu-series to help convey the emotion and tone for the show.  Curren’s tools of choice to bring this look to life included use of the Tektronix WVR7200 waveform rasterizer and the Sony Trimaster OLED evaluation monitor.  Video scopes assist in ensuring the look and legal ranges of the video signal. Color correcting using Sony’s OLED evaluation monitor provides extreme accuracy by using new technology that is superior to LCD monitors. This allows the utmost precision for working with detail in the highlights and shadows. Curren explains, “It’s extremely important to maintain consistency in the color and look of the show.  When color correcting your eyes can have a tendency to drift over the course of the day when spending consecutive hours in the edit bay. With the use of these tools, I can be confident that color is one-hundred percent accurate and within deliverable specs, therefore meeting the clients expectations with the desired look.” 

Marcus Pardo, VP of Audio for AlphaDogs was in charge of all audio aspects for the series. Reality shows present unique challenges in post when it comes to audio.  The majority of footage is shot on location in uncontrolled environments that can be more difficult and time consuming to fix versus shows that are shot within a studio setting. In order to fix problems such as hollow room tones and distracting background noises, Pardo uses the ProTools HD2 system accompanied by Waves plug-ins and Cedar DNS One. Audio plug-ins makes it possible to isolate tracks of audio and allows the mixer to hear specifically what needs to be fixed. “It’s important that the viewer is not distracted by background sounds that can take away from the dialogue. In my years of experience in working with reality shows I have found the combination of Pro Tools, Waves and Cedars DNS One to be the most proficient in fixing these type of tricky audio scenarios in both an efficient and time saving manner.” 

Episode highlights for My Shopping Addiction include a woman who borrows money from friends and family just to fill up her house with items from the 99-cent store, an heiress who spends 30,000 a month, and a woman who refuses to settle for less than designer labels. For more information visit www.my-shopping-addiction.oxygen.com

My Shopping Addiction is being produced by Screaming Flea Productions with Matt Chan, Jodi Flynn and Jeff Kuntz serving as Executive Producers.
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About Alpha Dogs:  Founded in 2002, AlphaDogs is an independently owned full service post-production facility located in the center of Burbank’s media district.  AlphaDogs gifted team brings a combination of both creative talent and technical expertise paying extra attention to detail in delivering projects with a personal touch. State of the art editing bays, color correction, audio mixing, visual effects, production offices and equipment rentals are available. To learn more, visit www.alphadogs.tv

AlphaDogs Digital Service Station Takes Off In The Great White North

Burbank, CA—In today’s world of post-production, it is not uncommon to feel overwhelmed by all of the different delivery specs, not to mention making sure you have the correct tools in place to deliver projects on time within the allotted budgets.  Most independent content producers are not given the luxury of owning expensive decks and working with a limited production and post-production team in getting projects completed makes things even more challenging.  AlphaDogs Digital Service Station® has been providing an alternative solution for delivering content in both an easy and affordable fashion since its inception in 2004 and has now expanded services to include Toronto, Canada.

Created by Terence Curren, Owner and Founder of AlphaDogs Post, the Digital Service Station works as a one-stop solution to capturing or transcoding camera source material into Avid or Final Cut edit-ready media with tape or drive outputs using the latest high quality HD and SD equipment.  Clients have the option of completing their own work on site, or in working with one of the many talented post professionals that are available in-house. Quality assurance checks are performed with extreme diligence to ensure each project that goes out the door looks its absolute best and meets the required network specs.  Curren explains “Digital Service Station was created to take the worry out of project deliverables and to save time and money for the client. It’s expensive to rent a deck for just a day or two, not to mention the hassle of installing and having the technical know how for proper configuration of the equipment. At AlphaDogs everything is set up and ready to go with the option of the client doing their own work, or simply just dropping off what needs to be done and having our team take care of it.”

AlphaDogs has teamed up with a number of partner post-production facilities in order to provide an affiliate network of Digital Service Station centers in cities across the United States that include a wide range of professional services in delivery of top quality entertainment.  Recently added affiliate Urban Post Production is currently the only Digital Service Station location in Canada.  Urban’s Al Mitchell comments “We are very excited to provide these services to our clients. At Urban Post we pride ourselves on creative and technical excellence and now take it one step further by offering an alternative in making content delivery easier and more affordable.” Located in the heart of Toronto’s film studio district, Urban Post has been helping clients with top notch post-production services for over 15 years. Specialties include, Mixing, Sound Design and Editing, ADR, Foley, Picture Post, Production and Editorial Support.  Currently Urban Post is working with the picture editing team on the highly anticipated remake of the horror classic Carrie. For further details visit www.urbanpost.ca

Offering services in multiple locations across the United States and Canada, The Digital Service Station continues to expand and has become well known amongst industry professionals as the “personal post-production assistant” that helps to get your finished project out to the world.  All clients need to do is shoot and edit.

For more information go to www.digitalservicestation.com
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About Alpha Dogs:  Founded in 2002, AlphaDogs is an independently owned full service post-production facility located in the center of Burbank’s media district.  AlphaDogs gifted team brings a combination of both creative talent and technical expertise paying extra attention to detail in delivering projects with a personal touch. State of the art editing bays, color correction, audio mixing, visual effects, production offices and equipment rentals are available. To learn more, visit www.alphadogs.tv

AlphaDogs Serves Up Award Winning “Portion” At San Antonio Film Festival

Burbank, CA—Burbank based AlphaDogs Post Production is excited to announce that the feature film Portion has been awarded the Grand Prize at the 18th Annual San Antonio Film Festival.  The film stars Bruno Bichir who also won the Santikos award at the festival for his outstanding performance as leading actor. Portion tells the story of Mexican illegal immigrant Luis (Bruno Bichir) who is faced with a tough choice when his mother—who lives in Mexico—falls gravely ill right before his final immigration interview.  Luis is torn between risking a border crossing to care for his ailing mother, or leaving his wife and child behind in the United States and possibly not being allowed back into the country.

Executive Producer Juan Villarreal was just two weeks away from starting post-production on Portion when an industry peer highly recommended that he use AlphaDogs to finish the film. Villarreal was concerned about the problems he might encounter in post due to the film being shot with two different cameras.  Technical issues arose on the third day of the shoot when the Red camera experienced problems due to extremely hot weather conditions. This forced the crew to switch to the Sony F900 for the remainder of the shoot. “This is not something we wanted to do as we knew it could create a problem when matching the color in post, said Villarreal “I was not only happy, but relieved when AlphaDogs colorist Sean Stack was able find the perfect blend of color to smooth out the differences in shots due to using two cameras.”

As most independent filmmakers are aware, producing films on a tight budget sometimes requires hiring crew with limited experience. The end result can often be mortifying once you get into post, particularly when it comes to audio. Sound Designer and Re-Recording Mixer Curtis Fritsch was in charge of completing the sound mix for the film. Villarreal comments,  “I was extremely grateful that AlphaDogs had the experience in fixing these type of challenging situations with sound and mix that occur on set that need to be fixed in post. Curtis was able to separate and clean the audio channels without any effect on the vocals or sacrificing the sound in any of the scenes.”

For the past 10 years AlphaDogs has prided itself on helping independent filmmakers achieve their desired vision on projects.  “I was thrilled when Portion won the Grand Prize at the San Antonio Film Festival” said AlphaDogs owner and founder, Terence Curren.  “We treat each project that comes through the facility as though it’s our own.” AlphaDogs also recently expanded their design team division of the company to include Marketing and Branding for projects in addition to their post finishing services now making AlphaDogs a one-stop shop for the independent filmmaker.  Villarreal comments, “I found the facility to be first rate with an ample number of bays and mini-studios, all with top-of-the-line and up-to-date equipment with a staff that’s on top of their game in helping clients through all aspects of the post process.” Villarreal continues, “Our project was as important to them as it is for us as filmmakers. AlphaDogs understands they are holding our baby and we, as clients, trust their judgment and professionalism.   I have found a post house with all the elements of skill and experience and fully stand by AlphaDogs for my entire post house needs.” 

Portion is Written and Directed by Gisberg Bermudez and Produced by 4 Elements Entertainment.  For more information visit www.portionthemovie.com
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About Alpha Dogs:  Founded in 2002, AlphaDogs is an independently owned full service post-production facility located in the center of Burbank’s media district.  AlphaDogs gifted team brings a combination of both creative talent and technical expertise paying extra attention to detail in delivering projects with a personal touch. State of the art editing bays, color correction, audio mixing, visual effects, production offices and equipment rentals are available. To learn more, visit www.alphadogs.tv

"I Love Jenni" Spinoff Finishing At AlphaDogs Post

Burbank, CA—Burbank based AlphaDogs Post Production is pleased to announce that they have once again partnered with Blank Paige Productions to provide post-production services for the new mun2 reality series Jenni Rivera presents: Chiquis n’ Control. The new reality series is a spin off from the #1 Hispanic reality series I Love Jenni. Chiquis premiered on Saturday, July 28 on mun2 and follows the life of Jenni Rivera’s eldest daughter Chiquis and her personal life and the launch of her new business-blow dry salon in Encino, California.  AlphaDogs recently finished delivery of all 20 episodes on season one of I Love Jenni.

Finishing editor and colorist Sean Stack is using the Avid Symphony 6 to complete color grading for the series. Chiquis ‘n Control is shot entirely on location in various types of environments including indoor and outdoor settings. This poses a problem where lighting is concerned with the variance in how images appear in natural lighting versus outdoor lighting. This problem can be fixed in the post process with the use of Avid’s Symphony power color correction toolset. Color corrections can be applied by either a clip source name or using the master clip name to apply the look desired and match lighting and color balance on multiple cuts at the same time. This assists in saving both time and money.

Some of the show footage also requires a second round of color correction to keep viewers focused on the action rather than the technical aspects of the picture itself. In order to overcome these obstacles specific areas within the picture must be isolated in order to correct the color. Stack explains, “I’m able to pull down the saturation of interior walls and other objects in the background that have the potential to distract from the main characters, while at the same time enhancing the skin tones on the face with nicely saturated color and contrast helping to make Chiquis and her friends look their very best.”

The show is mastered at 1080Psf 23.98, but the network airs from a 29.97 NTSC Digibeta master. Deliverables are output to HDCAM and Digital Betacam including both texted and textless versions using Avid Symphony’s Universal feature which allows for frame rate conversion on output..

Chiquis ‘n Control is Executive Produced by Jenni Rivera in association with her Jenni Rivera Enterprises, Pete Salgado for Jenni Rivera Enterprises, Shari Scorca for mun2, and Edward Paige and Liane Su for Blank Paige Productions.
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About Alpha Dogs:  Founded in 2002, AlphaDogs is an independently owned full service post-production facility located in the center of Burbank’s media district.  AlphaDogs gifted team brings a combination of both creative talent and technical expertise paying extra attention to detail in delivering projects with a personal touch. State of the art editing bays, color correction, audio mixing, visual effects, production offices and equipment rentals are available. To learn more, visit www.alphadogs.tv

AlphaDogs Post Celebrating 70 Years Of Business

Burbank, CA—AlphaDogs Post Production is celebrating their 70th year in business.  In dog years that is! Terence Curren founded AlphaDogs in 2002 when he envisioned a future that would have a demand for more than just a conventional post-production facility.  Ten years ago, the traditional business model was just beginning to show cracks due to the falling costs of equipment and producers beginning to invest in their own gear.  Curren believed talent would be the key ingredient to thrive in the technological world of the 21st Century.  A veteran editor and colorist by trade, Curren assembled an elite team of like-minded post-production professionals that brought the perfect balance of creativity and technical know-how to the table.  A decade later, AlphaDogs continues to evolve with the ever-changing technology and needs of their clients.

AlphaDogs has built their success on the most basic of business models.  Great work with a personal touch.  From the moment you walk in the door you feel at home.  Curren explains, “At AlphaDogs our clients become part of the team working in a collaborative environment to deliver the best quality possible on every project.”  Curren continues, “With the workflows and deliverables changing at such a rapid pace, each project is carefully evaluated to determine specifically the best approach for finishing. There are no standard operating procedures in today’s world of post.” AlphaDogs has established long term relationships in the community and helps a wide base of loyal clients achieve their desired visions.  “Even though some of our clients own their equipment, they don’t have the time to learn and navigate through technology that’s changing at such an exponential rate.  Our team of specialists help make the post process less painful and a bit easier.” said Curren.

Keen to industry trends and in learning new technologies, the AlphaDogs team enjoys sharing their knowledge. The facility opens its doors to the production and post- production community each month for the Editors’ Lounge.  Beginning in 2003, the Editors’ Lounge was established to provide educational seminars and panel discussions on the latest technology and developments in the post-production business as well as a chance to network with industry peers.  Panels are recorded and available to view on The Editors’ Lounge Channel.  Curren comments,  “The Editors’ Lounge was created out of having a true passion for the business. I wanted to provide an informal environment where people could be comfortable learning new things and sharing their ideas.”

Another service offered by AlphaDogs to simplify the post process is the Digital Service Station. Serving as an inexpensive personal post production assistant if you will, it was introduced to the market in 2004 as a means for independent producers to import and export media from tape to hard drive without having to rent expensive decks. The Digital Service Station offers services in multiple locations and continues to expand to cities across the United States and Canada.

AlphaDogs will continue to evolve as new technologies continue to emerge and look forward to another successful ten years. When asked what is the future of post- production Curren commented “It’s difficult to predict right now, but as long as there is a need for quality, we’ll thrive!”

For additional information please contact Julie Leibovitz 818.456.4149 Julie@alphadogs.tv or visit www.alphadogs.tv

AlphaDogs Partners With Blank Paige Productions On “I Love Jenni” For Telemundo’s Mun2

Burbank, CA—Meet Jenni Rivera, Latin music icon with over 22 million records sold worldwide and Executive Producer of one the hottest reality television shows on Hispanic cable.  But that’s not where Ms. Rivera’s life stops.  She is also a mother of five, grandma to her first grandchild, and recently married to former major league baseball player, Esteban Loiza.  Now in it’s second season, I Love Jenni, follows the family dramas that accompany being both a superstar and having a family life. Currently it’s Mun2’s most watched original program to date.

Executive Producer Liane Su of Blank Paige Productions needed more than a typical post production facility to finish the 20 episode series. “We were looking for a post production partner that could not only get the job done well, but make the process easy,” said Su, “There are always unforeseen issues that come up in production and we needed to partner with a facility that would help us solve those problems.”  AlphaDogs extensive experience in trouble shooting the quirks of reality television was a perfect fit for I Love Jenni.  “Most of the time reality television is shot in uncontrolled environments”, said owner and founder of AlphaDogs Post, Terence Curren. “This can create many unexpected problems that later crop up in the final hours of post.  Curren continues, “Problems need to be solved quickly and efficiently in order to meet the tight turnarounds that are typical of this genre.”   The extremely thorough internal QC process at AlphaDogs also ensured that all network specs were met before final delivery of each episode.  Su comments, “The AlphaDogs team delivers a quality product while at the same time creating a fun and stress free work environment .”

Terence Curren is completing color grading for the series. A veteran colorist by trade, Curren uses the Avid Symphony Color Correction toolset to enhance the existing color, giving the raw footage a rich look without losing the authentic feel of the show.  Additional footage clean up has included removal of cameramen, boom mics, and adding blurs for legal purposes. Avid Symphony’s power and Universal Mastering features also allowed AlphaDogs to meet the various media transfers required for delivery of the show. Su comments, “We are already planning on bringing our I Love Jenni spinoff series to AlphaDogs.  Not only are their colorists talented, but more importantly we had a great time working with everyone and are looking forward to a long working relationship with the AlphaDogs team.”

Beyond selling over 22 million records worldwide, Jenni Rivera has 5 Double Plantinum, 15 Platinum and 15 Gold RIAA records in the U.S.  She is one of the most awarded Regional Mexican artists, having been a multiple Grammy nominee, and multiple winner of Premios de la Musica and Billboard Music awards.  Jenni will also be launching her fashion and cosmetic line this fall.

For sneak-peeks and exclusive videos from I Love Jenni Season 2, go to www.mun2.tv/jenni.

I Love Jenni is produced by mun2, Jenni Rivera Enterprises and Blank Paige Productions.  The executive producers are Jenni Rivera, Pete Salgado, Shari Scorca, Edward Paige and Liane Su.
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About Alpha Dogs:  Founded in 2002, AlphaDogs is an independently owned full service post-production facility located in the center of Burbank’s media district.  AlphaDogs gifted team brings a combination of both creative talent and technical expertise paying extra attention to detail in delivering projects with a personal touch. State of the art editing bays, color correction, audio mixing, visual effects, production offices and equipment rentals are available. To learn more, visit www.alphadogs.tv

AlphaDogs Plays Tribute To Glam Rock Singer

Burbank, CA—Just on the heels of both David Bowie and Freddie Mercury there was Jobriath, the first American folk and glam rock musician to declare himself openly gay in the early 1970’s. Self proclaimed as “The True Fairy Of Rock n Roll”, Jobriath’s story caught the attention of Director/Producer Kieran Turner, who devoted more than two years of his time to produce a documentary that shows how the legacy of this multi-talented musician goes beyond the labels that were hung upon him. Ahead of his time, Jobriath was a pioneer in the very early days of glam rock.

For the film, Director Turner needed to find a post facility that would provide the perfect balance of editing talent to tell the story and technical know how to fix challenges with old archival footage of performances and interviews with the artist.  That’s when he was introduced to Paul DeCham, General Manager of AlphaDogs Post in Burbank,  “He could not have been easier or more helpful to work with and got me connected with the perfect editor for the project.  Said Turner. “ Everyone was very friendly and I immediately felt comfortable. The facility had everything I needed at one location to finish the film.”

Sound Supervisor and Re-Recording mixer Lisa Baro was in charge of handling all audio aspects of the documentary.  Turner and Baro worked together identifying problem areas such as excessive reverb in certain interviews and significant ambient noise that needed to be dealt with. Baro used SPL's Transient Designer to help reduce the reverb, and Izotope RX2 to tackle broadband noise reduction.  Baro comments, “Judicious use of noise reduction plug-ins is extremely important. They are easy to over use and can become obvious to the audience, taking away from the story.”  Sound editing and mix was completed using Pro Tools and Cedar DNS plug-ins for general noise reduction.  Turner comments, “Lisa did amazing work in tweaking out the audio issues that needed to be fixed. Beyond that she is very patient and a joy to work with.”

Jobriath’s reign was a brief two years and two albums. Being the first openly gay musician of his time didn’t come without criticism. Sabotaged by a publicity machine run amok, mostly ignored by the gay community, and dismissed by the main stream press, Jobriath was excommunicated from the music business and became one of the earlier casualties of the AIDS crisis.  New generations of fans have discovered him through acts such as The Pet Shop Boys, and Joe Elliott of Def Leppard who both cite Jobriath as a groundbreaking influence.  Turner comments, “AlphaDogs has been completely supportive of the project.  They are genuine in their concern that the film not only meets my standards, but also goes beyond them.  They are a super fun group to work with. I would not hesitate to use AlphaDogs again for future projects.”

The World Premiere of Jobriath A.D. will be this March during BFI London GLBT Film Festival at the British Film Institute.  Appearances by Marc Almond, Joey Arias, Jayne County, Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields, Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters, Will Sheff of Okkervil River, Justin Tranter of Semi Precious Weapons and more.

Jobriath A.D. is written, Produced and Directed by Kieran Turner and Narrated by Henry Rollins.   To learn more please visit www.jobriaththemovie.com

For additional information please contact Julie Leibovitz 818.456.4149, Julie@alphadogs.tv or visit www.alphadogs.tv
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About Alpha Dogs:  Founded in 2002, AlphaDogs is an independently owned full service post-production facility located in the center of Burbank’s media district.  AlphaDogs gifted team brings a combination of both creative talent and technical expertise paying extra attention to detail in delivering projects with a personal touch. State of the art editing bays, color correction, audio mixing, visual effects, production offices and equipment rentals are available. To learn more visit, www.alphadogs.tv

Sean Stack Joins the Pack at AlphaDogs

Burbank, CA—AlphaDogs Post Production, a leader in providing quality post services with a personal touch, has added editor Sean Stack to their talent roster. After freelancing at the post facility for two years, he now joins the AlphaDogs team full time.

Stack began editing a decade ago as he worked to complete his Associates Degree in Film and Television Broadcasting. One of his first projects was working as Key Assistant Editor on the Tom Petty film “Running Down A Dream”, directed by Peter Bogdanovich. His career then picked up speed as he quickly moved from Assistant Editor positions into offline editorial, animation, and online finishing. Founder and President of AlphaDogs Terence Curren comments, "Sean's start in the industry was actually as an intern at AlphaDogs back in 2003. I wanted to hire him at that time, as I was impressed by his attention to detail as well as his conscientious concern for the client. But instead he decided to go out and build his skill set in a broader market. We are very lucky to finally bring Sean into the AlphaDogs pack."

Dedicated to the AlphaDogs team, Stack excels working with clients who require specific creative or technical solutions to get the project completed. His editing experience covers a wide range from documentaries, animated series and broadcast television, to color correction and grading for independent features, reality shows, UCLA short films, and commercials. “I’m excited for this opportunity to grow with the company and continue to refine my skills as an editor, said Stack. At AlphaDogs clients feel at home and this creates a positive atmosphere allowing the space to be creative with your projects. I enjoy the fact that everyone works together as a team to deliver the best service and products to our clients. I’m proud to be part of that team.”

For additional information please contact Julie Leibovitz at 818.456.4149 or Julie@alphadogs.tv or visit alphadogs.tv


About AlphaDogs: Founded in 2002, AlphaDogs is an independently owned full service post-production facility located in the center of Burbank’s media district. AlphaDogs gifted team brings a combination of both creative talent and technical expertise paying extra attention to detail in delivering projects with a personal touch. State of the art editing bays, color correction, audio mixing, visual effects, production offices and equipment rentals are available. To learn more, visit alphadogs.tv