skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Burbank, CA—The journey to your true and authentic self is something almost all people aspire to attain. Going about finding your true self however, takes a lot of courage and strength. Recently completing post services at Burbank based AlphaDogs Post Production, the documentary feature Sing Over Me explores how modern-day psalmist Dennis Jernigan went from years of depression and despair while leading a double life, to becoming a writer of some of the most popular Christian songs of all time, discovering his true identity along the way.
AlphaDogs was a perfect fit for Producer, Ashlyn Kindberg when it came to finding a facility that had extensive experience in working on documentary films and the unique challenges this genre brings to post. “We chose AlphaDogs as our post-production facility because we heard good things about their work. The team was professional and personable providing us with everything we needed for the finish, including staying within the budget we were given.” Founded in 2002, AlphaDogs provides post services for film, television, and new media projects and has completed a total of eight feature documentaries in 2013 alone. “Finishing on documentaries is quite different from other projects,” said President and CEO Terence Curren. “Working with mixed frame rates, multi-camera sources, and archival footage during the post process can sometimes seem intimidating if not impossible on the surface leaving the filmmaker wondering how they will ever get all this footage to look good. At AlphaDogs our clients become part of the team and learn how to work through these types of challenges. Skills and knowledge are gained throughout the process giving the filmmaker additional confidence when approaching post on future projects.”
Keeping the image quality consistent is one of the bigger challenges when it comes to finishing a documentary film. Before beginning the color grading process AlphaDogs Editor and Colorist, Sean Stack completed a first pass on the film, scrutinizing potential problem areas. “I like being prepared to offer the client choices when it comes to setting the look for the film, said Stack. “Color plays a vital role when it comes to storytelling, with documentary films being unique in that the story is typically told by using different types of source material.” Working one-on-one with the Director and the DP, Stack carefully matched the color of the picture images within the source footage along with the mixed formats that included SD, VHS, and DVD, giving the film a consistent look and tone for the story. Stack comments, “Color grading for documentaries cannot be approached in the same way you would a feature film. While the equipment used may be the same, the way you approach your craft in this type of genre is quite different. Finding a way to creatively match mixed images goes beyond just your standard color grading process. It’s a creative art in itself.”
Teranex workflows improved the analog picture degradation of the VHS, DVD, and other standard definition sources used throughout the film. In most cases, the Teranex conversion will seamlessly smooth jagged edges, and produce a smooth playback without any extra work needed. However, problems with source footage converted from DVD, or downloaded from the Internet sometimes become too “baked-in” to repair. Stack explains, “When this happens you can’t really repair the image, but you can still color balance and adjust contrast to make sure the overall look remains consistent throughout the film.” Stack continues, “This type of archival footage is commonly used in news broadcasts and documentaries, so as long as the color is balanced, it plays into the story nicely as was the case in Sing Over Me.”
Audio within documentary films also presents the same types of challenges when it comes to matching and balancing mixed audio formats. AlphaDogs Audio Engineer, Curtis Fritsch was conscientious in keeping a good balance between the music and the story by making sure the dialog remained the focal point without being drowned out by the various music formats. “Because this was a music based documentary, I didn’t want the music over the montage sequences to feel canned, or the live footage of the songs jarring the senses making it feel like you were the part of the audience at a concert. Working together with the clients we were able to meet this balance by carefully matching the mixed formats and giving the audio a smooth finish.” Using combinations of Izotope RX plugins, noise was also removed from varying sources including a distracting air conditioning unit, and scenes that included audio from VHS and an old cassette tape.
“We were extremely pleased with AlphaDogs services. Everything looked and sounded great and final delivery came in on time,” said Kindberg. “The work was done in both an efficient and quick manner while still giving personal attention and care to the film. We would definitely use their services again. The color and sound work was top-notch and affordable.”
Sing Over Me is produced by Ashlyn Kindberg with Free Verse Films. For more information visit their Facebook page and watch the trailer on YouTube.
_____
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.
Burbank, CA—Hollywood’s infamous Sunset Strip has a heart and soul of its very own. Just a mile-and-a-half long, the strip started as just a humble dirt road that connected Hollywood studios to a new development called Beverly Hills. This was only the beginning of what would later become one of the most recognized boulevards in the world. In the feature documentary Sunset Strip, written and directed by Hans Fjellestad, audiences are taken on a journey through time with gangsters, musicians, movie celebrities and dreamers from all walks of life that have made Sunset Strip what it is today. Recently finishing post services with Burbank based AlphaDogs, the film is now available On Demand and DVD.
Documentary films are often more complex in the finishing process than features. Although creativity still plays a vital role in color grading when polishing the final look of any film, the documentary structure is unique in that the story is told by using all types of source material. This is an added challenge for the colorist in that it requires the color to match and balance with both recent and archival footage. In Sunset Strip, interviews were shot at various venues with a change in production crew at each location. This gave every interview a very different look and style due to the changes in lighting and camera setups. In order to give the film its overall intended look, AlphaDogs Editor and Colorist, Sean Stack was careful to keep the detail in the foreground and without oversaturating, added brightness and balance to the skin tones of the interviewees, making them the primary focus as they tell the story of Sunset Strip in their own words. One very iconic interview setup that underlines the storytelling method includes two people being interviewed parked outside a nightclub sitting on their Harley-Davidson motorcycles. “Another brilliant creative choice made by Director Fjellestad,” said Stack. “When it came to the interviews, the idea of having more than one participant in the interview sessions made for lively and spontaneous exchanges that otherwise might not have happened.”
There’s no better way to immerse the viewer into the scene of an intimate venue than handheld camera work. The Sunset Strip concert and club footage features plenty of tasty camera work revealing “wild footage” shot guerrilla style. Color grading challenges are often prevalent in these type low lighting conditions. Stack took direction from Director Fjellestad in maintaining the detail in the shadows as much as possible, while working together in scrutinizing specific scenes preventing nuances of the performances from becoming lost in the darker parts of the image. The color grading focused on producing a seamless club experience within a venue by enhancing the emotion of the performances along with reactions from the fans. Although a time-consuming process, Stack used external video scopes to monitor the adjustments in order to accurately add detail to the shadow areas, increase brightness where needed, and keep color saturation within legal broadcast range. Stack comments, “This underscores importance of allowing ample time for color grading and basic corrections as well. For example, there was archival footage that Director Fjellestad wanted very little work done other than legalize for broadcast.” Stack continues, "It’s imperative that you don’t rush through and miss the crucial details. Despite the tight deadline, it's often worth the effort for a good-looking film that also passes QC.”
Post-audio on documentaries can also bring distinctive demands because they are not shot in a traditional Hollywood production environment. Sound space can differ dramatically between scenes, and the slightest background ambiance can make smooth sound transitions nothing short of difficult. In Sunset Strip, extensive amounts of interview footage that was cut to 15 seconds or less proved particularly challenging. AlphaDogs Audio Mixer Curtis Fritsch began by removing distracting background noises using plug-ins specifically designed to isolate and remove troublesome noise. Quick fades and room tones were then added to smooth out the sound quality. “This was a tricky thing to do with so many people being interviewed,” said Fritsch. “In some cases I had to steal syllables from another word to make the dialogue sound better.”
The 5.1 surround sound mix needed was required to be close as possible to the original stereo mix. Fritsch worked diligently on redesigning a total of 10 isolated tracks from some of the concert footage. Fritsch comments, “Sunset Strip was a fun opportunity in designing the placement and volume of instruments along with the vocals. A stereo mix in 5.1 is pretty straight forward, but when you have 10 tracks to mix, it becomes more of a creative process in enhancing the sound without making it sound like a different recording.”
Under the demanding deadline of less than one week, Sunset Strip was delivered on time and within budget. “This was an ambitious project on so many levels and when it came time to deliver, Sean and Curtis really helped us pull it all together in a crazy short period of time,” said Fjellestad. “But even under the gun, they never lost focus on the creative aspects of the film.”
Sunset Strip is written and directed by Hans Fjellestad and Produced by Joe Mundo, Tommy Alastra, and Donovan Leitch with 13th Sign Pictures. To learn more visit sunsetstripthemovie.com.
_____
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 alphadogs.tv and editorslounge.com.
Burbank, CA—“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” is by far one of the most recognizable quotes of the 20th Century. Although it’s been 50 years since John F. Kennedy's assassination shocked the nation, he still remains one of the most memorable presidents of our time. In the documentary JFK: A President Betrayed, filmmakers Cory Taylor and Darin Nellis shed new light on the pressures Kennedy faced during his presidency at the height of the Cold War. Without asserting liberal or conservative political agendas, the documentary focuses primarily on Kennedy’s leadership style and his quest for peace. Recently finishing post-production with Burbank-based AlphaDogs, the film also presents new facts about events that transpired during Kennedy’s fewer than 1000 days in office.
During the initial meeting with the filmmakers, AlphaDogs Editor and Colorist Sean Stack reviewed the technical requirements for delivery along with the varied video formats and aspect ratios in the edit timeline to determine a suitable workflow for the project. Taylor comments, “It was a relief to work with a team that brings a personal touch and interest to the project. The facility has a serious yet relaxed atmosphere that’s neither impersonal or factory-like.” Taylor continues, “This was such a relief as post-production often carries its own stresses and it was nice to work in a comfortable environment with people who give your project their full attention.” Once the workflow was established, Stack then focused on setting the tone for the film. The process began by completing a first pass on color correction to not only determine problem color areas, but to also view how the images play on the screen to get a feel for the story. A key scene in JFK shows classified documents being sifted through in a dark library revealing new facts and information about events transpiring during the time of the Kennedy administration. Stack comments, “This is where I found the look for what I wanted to do with the color grading by making the choice to surround subjects in the film with more shadows in the background, making them appear brighter in the foreground.” Stack continues, “In JFK it was important to not oversell the color work, but instead create a consistent look and feel to the story overall.” Extremely pleased with the final color delivery, Taylor comments, “Sean is a talented and hard-working colorist. Certain images that previously lacked luster literally popped from the screen after Sean finished the color grading. This was particularly gratifying because we didn't think it was possible to get as much out of those images as he did.”
While creative choices of color play an extremely important role in storytelling, often there are other elements in post-production that require creative solutions. In the lock picture of JFK there was an original clip of a nighttime exterior shot of the White House where the American flag was seen flying at half-staff in which Director Taylor was concerned that it would be inappropriate, but didn’t have any other options. “The one night we had a permit to film B-roll of the White House just happened to fall on a day when the president had ordered flags to half-staff,” said Taylor. “Since this is a sacred tradition for honoring the fallen, we felt it would be disrespectful to use it in the film.” In post-production, Stack was able to set the flag to full-staff by isolating and masking off the flag within the scene, making it possible to move the stars and stripes to the top of the frame. Elements were then added to complete the missing section of the flagpole along with careful shading around the seams making it undetectable to the viewer that the waving flag had been moved from its original position. “It might seem counterproductive to work so hard to have your work go unnoticed. It’s part of the creative process, coming up with solutions in post that get the desired look the client has for the project,” said Stack.
Extra time and attention were given to the details of the sound design due to the historical nature of the film. AlphaDogs Audio Engineer Curtis Fritsch brought archival footage to life using the extensive sound library available at the facility, taking time to carefully select specific sounds conducive to the environment and time period. Fritsch explains, “It’s important to use historically accurate sounds. For instance, the camera flashbulbs of that time period have a very different sound and feel than present day cameras. Although a bit more time-consuming it was imperative that I conduct proper research to ensure the sounds used were as close to authentic as possible.” Extra care was taken to ensure that there would be no distractions from Morgan Freeman’s distinctive narration by background noises. Fritsch used the Izotope RX Declicker to remove small nuances, such as the rustling of pages and the acoustics of areas with breathy vocal quality. Taylor comments, “This attention to detail is one of the things that makes AlphaDogs such an exceptional post facility. Curtis is an inspired and adept mixer with a great ear. We recently had the pleasure of screening the film at a high-end studio theater and the audio mix was outstanding! We would absolutely use AlphaDogs again for future projects as the team is professional, courteous, attentive and highly-qualified.”
JFK: A President Betrayed is produced by Cory Taylor and Darin Nellis of Agora Productions. The film will premiere Thursday, November 7, 8:00 PM on DirecTV's Audience Channel for the documentary series Something To Talk About, as well as theatrical screenings across the US.
For more information on screenings or to watch the trailer visit www.jfkapresidentbetrayed.org.
•
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 www.alphadogs.tv.
Burbank, CA—Being a pioneer in any field is at the very least daunting, but imagine if what you are doing not only deals with a taboo topic of the era, but could also earn you some time in jail? In the documentary film I Always Said Yes: The Many Lives Of Wakefield Poole audiences are given an inside look into the life of overlooked gay liberation and independent film pioneer, Wakefield Poole. Directed by Jim Tushinski and sponsored by the San Francisco Film Society, the film will screen at selected film festivals later this year and into 2014.
Tushinski spent numerous hours collecting archival footage for the film that include excerpts from Poole's lushly photographed films, along with entertaining and illuminating interviews with Poole's contemporaries and colleagues. It was from this that AlphaDogs Editor and Colorist, Sean Stack found his inspiration in creating the look for the film. “I always look for an inspiration to drive my color grading in a creative direction beyond just the technical aspects and was moved by the archival footage shot years ago by Mr. Poole himself,” said Stack. “The idea was to enhance the native look of the old film footage, keeping the old archival feel, but with a little more contrast and accurate skin tone than the one-light transfer provided in the original footage.”
While including archival footage in documentaries can add legitimacy and realness to a film, it also comes with a particular set of challenges during post-production. Varying degrees of color space require adjustments before beginning the color grading process to be certain that the colorist is working within the true color space of the image. The human eye adjusts to incorrect colors after time, therefore tricking the vision into a false reading of black, white and neutral colors. With the use of external color scopes Stack completed a technical analysis of the video signal with extremely accurate adjustments being made before color grading. Stack explains, “If one stares at a tinted image long enough it can begin to look normal and color corrections will begin to stray from a consistent balance throughout the program,” Stack continues, “I avoid this by relying on the scopes for technical monitoring that protect the intended creative choices and look of the color from human error during a color correction session.”
Teranex workflows were used for standard definition source material conversions. Automatic source detection allowed for seamless conversion of SD archival and interview footage into HD footage. To improve the image quality the film was resized with no additional loss of resolution. Stack comments, “Not only was the Teranex successful at smoothing aliased edges around Wakefield Poole’s fine rimmed glasses, it also did a great job at smoothing out any motion jitters. The Teranex is one of the best tools available for converting SD archival footage into HD for the final delivery.”
In charge of sound design was AlphaDogs Audio Engineer Curtis Fritsch. Distracting background noises and other technical glitches within the interview and archival footage were removed with the use of Izotope RX Decrackler and Denoiser before Fritsch began work on the sound design itself. In the case of I Always Said Yes: The Many Lives Of Wakefield Poole, it was important that the sound design had a muted feel. Fritsch comments, “The challenge was in creating a sound design that didn’t interfere with the dialogue or sonic quality of the music. My focus was on designing a consistent smooth sound throughout the film that wasn’t overdone or distracting and instead directed the focus of the viewers further into the story of Wakefield Poole’s life.” Fritsch worked closely with Tushinski and the music composer on the film with no details being left unscrutinized. "AlphaDogs is a great collaborative environment, said Tushinski. I brought in my composer, Jack Curtis Dubowsky, to consult on the final mix because I knew he'd love working with the folks here. I'm always recommending AlphaDogs to my colleagues mainly because while working here, I've never felt like my project was treated as any less important than the higher profile ones."
I Always Said Yes: The Many Lives Of Wakefield Poole is produced by Jim Tushinski of Gorilla Factory Productions and sponsored by the San Francisco Film Society. For more information visit www.ialwayssaidyes.com.
•
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.
Burbank, CA — Burbank-based AlphaDogs Post Production is pleased to announce the release of the docufilm American Empire on Amazon instant-streaming and DVD this July. The film is also available on iTunes, Vudu and Xbox. American Empire sets out to trace a common cause of our problems in finance, food, medicine and social justice. The hard-hitting documentary looks at the Federal Reserve and the American food and pharmaceutical industries, and investigates connections between federal financial policy, corporate lobbying, legislative agricultural policy, the genetically modified food business, copyright law and more. The film also interviews a number of educators and activists who are trying to bring greater public awareness to these issues in order to enact positive changes.
When Producer Jack Tucker secured distribution for the film, he turned to none other than his trusted source in post-production to complete the DVD encoding and authoring. “We chose AlphaDogs based on our long personal association and professionalism of the company,” said Tucker. I’ve worked with the team of artists at AlphaDogs on several different projects over the years and have always been exceptionally pleased with the results.”
AlphaDogs was founded in 2002 when CEO, Terence Curren selectively hand-picked a team of multi-talented artists. Curren was keen to recognize from the company’s inception that talent would be the key factor in the longevity of post-production houses in the 21st century. “It has to go beyond just the gear and the post-production routine,” Curren said. “We strive to create a fun experience for our clients by making them part of the creative process. Each of our artists has their own unique style and talent that they bring to the table, which not only keeps our clients coming back, but also puts our artists in demand.”
Tucker and Director Patrea Patrick worked with AlphaDogs VP of Design, Sean Williams in creating the DVD menus for American Empire. While on the surface DVD encoding and authoring may look like a routine process without much involved, it can actually help in the branding of the film. Williams comments, “The layout and design of the DVD menu is an important part of the viewer experience. While a good design may go unnoticed, a poorly designed menu can make a good film look amateurish and less credible. Williams continues, “With American Empire, I suggested to the client that we repurpose the original digital artwork from the movie poster when designing the menus. I created a design that not only made sense for the subject, but also tied into the brand image of the film.”
American Empire, inspired by filmmaker Patrea Patrick, has received unanimous acclaim in pre-release screenings around the world. Veteran filmmaker Oliver Stone said, “A provocative film. It makes you think.” After its premiere at the 2012 Abu Dhabi Film Festival in the United Arab Emirates the Huffington Post called it, “A revolution in film.” At the 2013 Worldfest Film Festival in Houston where it won the Gold Remi Award, Nick Nicholson said, “American Empire is essential viewing.”
American Empire is directed by Patrea Patrick and produced by Jack Tucker, Brian Jamison, Frank Johnson, Sharlene Sullivan, and Patrea Patrick of Heartfelt Films. To learn more visit www.americanempirethedocumentary.com
_____
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 www.alphadogs.tv
Burbank, CA — Mixed frame rate media has become a common headache in the post- production profession. With the abundance of affordable cameras now available on the market, and more filmmakers producing their own content using a variety of methods, post-production facilities must not only stay relevant, but also stay flexible to the clients needs when delivering projects.
Recently completing work on the feature documentary titled FrackNation, Burbank based AlphaDogs Post Production provided the solutions needed for the mixed formats filmmakers Phelim McAleer, Magdalena Segieda, and Ann McElhinney were working with when completing the finish on the project. “We generally had very few issues during post-production,” said Co-Director, Magdalena Segieda. “The team at AlphaDogs came highly recommended. Their expertise and knowledge helped us make the film we wanted to make.” Offline was completed using one of AlphaDogs Avid Media Composer 6.0 editing suites, with large volumes of mixed formats, including AVCHD (Advanced Video Coding High Definition) being easily separated, and then converted into a single timeline in preparation for color correction and audio mixing.
Multi-camera sources ranging from professional cameras to cell phones, and stock footage made color correcting no easy task. AlphaDogs prides itself on their skilled team of artists that have a technical acumen for helping clients through the tedious process of working with mixed format footage during post-production. Terence Curren, President and lead colorist at AlphaDogs comments “Fortunately our extensive experience in working with mixed format programming allowed us to quickly assess the project and find the best approach in finishing the film. On the surface post-production can seem intimidating to most people. It’s our job to not only offer smart solutions, but make the process go as smooth as possible for the clients.”
Vice President of Design Sean Williams and Senior Animator Russell Frazier, designed and animated the cartoon sequence within the film that answers the question “What is Fracking?” The goal was to create and informative but entertaining piece that avoided the feel of a technical presentation. Additional graphics created by the AlphaDogs design team included animated documents, charts, headlines and maps, and an image of George Washington in a swamp. Segieda comments, “We were extremely happy with the quality of their work and would definitely use AlphaDogs again for our next project because of their broad skill base. We were able to source talent such as graphic artists and animators in addition to the other post-services we required. I trust AlphaDogs in that they will deliver the vision we have for our projects.”
FrackNation takes a closer look at hydraulic fracturing, or more commonly known as “fracking.” To learn more visit http://fracknation.com/
_____
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 http://www.alphadogs.tv
Burbank, CA- Zombie bigfoots have taken over AlphaDogs in the comedic/horror film Love In The Time Of Monsters. Directed by Matt Jackson., this outrageous tale of love follows two sisters as they travel to a cheesy tourist trap and battle toxic monsters dressed in bigfoot costumes to save the ones they love. While violent and scary at times, the premise of the story is about sacrifice, courage, and forgiveness. www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY4Nx8O39rU
When it came down to finding a post-production facility that could be trusted to deliver the vision the filmmakers had in mind, Post Supervisor Katrina Reiniers-Jackson looked no further than AlphaDogs. “I had a previous experience with AlphaDogs, and from that I trusted that they would do a great job with our movie,” said Reiners-Jackson.” An ample amount of preparation was given to the project before the post-process was started. AlphaDogs colorist Sean Stack who was in charge of color grading on the film comments, “Thanks to Katrina and Matt the project arrived well-organized and ready to start color grading.” Detailed documents with screen grabs were provided along with a description of the look the filmmakers wanted to achieve. This gave Stack the opportunity to get a head start on color grading some of the targeted setups before the color session with Director Jackson. “I really liked the fact that they had taken time to prepare for a color session in this way,” said Stack. “When we were ready to set the looks on the first day of color grading, the session went very smoothly and I was able to move forward quickly in grading the film in its’ entirety.”
Color played a vital role in telling the suspenseful, yet humorous story of zombie bigfoots traipsing through the dark woods of Northern California. The color choices used in a film are important for both the plot and subtext of the story. Skillful selection of color palettes were used in Love In The Time Of Monsters to set the mood with cooler darker tones creating a feeling of suspense and fear, and bright pink and yellow shades bringing out the comedic side of the story. Stack’s “eye for color” and proficiency with the most subtle details brought out the ambiances in the film with even the most difficult scenes. Stack comments, “The humorous and scary plot had several scenes that were shot in a forest in the evening, so footage was dark to begin with. My challenge with these scenes was to lift the dark areas up so the detail could be seen, yet avoid making the footage grainy as a result of pushing the shadows too far. The 4444 ProRes media had enough extra color information so that the subtle shadows were available to be enhanced just enough so we could see what was going on, yet it still looked like late night in the woods.”
Editor on Love In The Time Of Monsters Todd Zelin, prepared for the final online by organizing the ProRes4444 timeline sequence before delivery to color. Stack then broke the film into six parts scaling down the full duration of the film into 20-minute segments. This allowed the files to open quickly, with better performance in the color application. “Our setup at AlphaDogs for this workflow is top-notch and the results are consistently fantastic,” said Stack. Near the end of the color grading process, sixty-five visual effects shots were delivered that Stack then edited into a separate sequence carefully matching all the clips with color looks that were already set for the picture earlier during the color grading process. Stack comments, “Often, clips that go through After Effects to create visual effects return with gamma shifts in the color. Those need to be corrected in the final sequence so they match similar scenes that had no effects.”
For over 10 years, AlphaDogs has been earning loyal clients by providing both a collaborative and friendly work environment, with Love In The Time Of Monsters being no exception. Reiners-Jackson sums it up best by saying, “AlphaDogs really went above and beyond and helped us through the post-process with our film, offering advice and support when needed. They were a pleasure to work with. Every time I walked in the front door I was greeted warmly by everyone, and that kind of atmosphere is a rarity in this business. I would use AlphaDogs again for my next project because I trust the team there.”
Love In The Time Of Monsters is directed by Matt Jackson and Produced by Andy Gunn and Allison Vanore with TBC Films.
To learn more visit: www.loveinthetimeofmonsters.com
For fan information and daily updates visit: https://twitter.com/uncleslavko
_____
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.
Burbank, CA—Hawaiian naming practices are steeped in tradition and carry many different meanings. Origins of the name given at birth can range from dream or spiritual inspirations to family names that are passed down, or an event that happens around the birth of the child. The documentary film E Haku Inoa: To Weave A Name, follows filmmaker Christen Marquez on her personal journey to reconnect with her estranged mother and find out the meaning of her 60-letter-long Hawaiian name. The story touches on Hawaiian culture and the struggle to support traditions in a world where there are many forces working to erase them. The film will screen as part of the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival on May 7th and May 11th, 2013. asianfilmfestla.org/2013/
Before beginning post-production Director and Producer, Christen Marquez and Editor, Regina O de Freitas consulted with AlphaDogs editor and colorist Sean Stack. Stack comments, “I knew this would be a fun project to work on, the clients were nice, the images were beautiful and it was an interesting story filled with family drama, Hawaiian culture and a positive point of view.” Working collaboratively, the team scanned through the film to find a creative approach that would best convey the up-close and personal story of Marquez. “I was surprised at how extremely welcoming AlphaDogs was in wanting to work on an independent documentary project for public television. They were great in explaining the post-production process, and in making sure delivery went as smoothly and efficiently as possible,” said Marquez.
To keep costs under control, the consultation included instructions for film editor, Regina O de Freitas on preparing the Final Cut Pro project for audio and video finishing. Several different formats in the offline edit needed to conform to ProRes422(HQ), along with the timeline being optimally organized in preparation for the online. O de Freitas re-organized the timeline with the majority of video on track one, while moving the graphics—including lower thirds and subtitles created in After Effects—to upper tracks, saving substantial time and cost in the color correction process. “The sequences were delivered ready to Send To Color with the video footage that needed color correction on the lower tracks. The upper levels didn’t need correction, so I removed them from the timeline, pasting the graphics and text layers back in after color correction was completed,” said Stack.
Archival black and white film footage of Hula dancers in Hawaii—including Marquez’s mother as a young Hula dancer—had artifacts and glitches in the images resulting from the film-to-video transfer. Using masking techniques, Stack was able to get rid of intermittently appearing horizontal lines. “Sean cleaned up some very glitchy areas on the archival video footage. I didn’t even ask because I figured it was beyond repair, but he went above and beyond and fixed it. It was wonderful. Sean is not only a great colorist, but skilled with fixing other problem areas,” said Marquez. Clean-up restoration dramatically improved picture quality without any of the glitches being noticeable to the viewer. Stack comments, “I loved the reaction when the clients saw the improvement.”
Audio Mixer Curtis Fritsch used Isotope RX plugins to remove noisy parts of the audio shot on older equipment removing any undesirable sounds without making the voices of the characters in the film sound altered. Marquez comments, “Curtis did some really amazing things with cleaning up audio that was pretty rough in spots.” The soundtrack included a lot of singing tracks requiring Fritsch to make sure the songs flowed together smoothly throughout the documentary. Fritsch comments, “I made sure that the singing on camera sounded as good as the singing in the title sequence along with the audio from other sources including a clip of grainy Hawaiian TV footage, that was treated separately from the rest.”
Stack also performed secondary color correction to fix iris shifts and automatic color adjustments that occurred in the handheld camera footage. Digital Heaven Reincarnation plug-in filters were used to fix dead pixels in the picture, with final delivery output to 1080i HDCAM for PBS Network. “I am very happy with the final delivery and didn’t have to worry about the technical specs at all,” said Marquez. “The artistic help with color and sound design was great and I would most definitely use AlphaDogs again because they were very supportive all the way through the project. Their customer service just doesn't quit, and by far exceeds my past experiences in working with other post facilities.”
E Haku Inoa: To Weave A Name was produced in partnership with PBS Hawaii and is supported by the Independent Television Service (ITVS), Pacific Islanders in Communications, and the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, and an incredible amount of family and community support. The film will screen at, The LA Asian Pacific Festival in May of 2013, and on PBS nationally in May of 2014. To learn more visit: www.hakuinoa.com
_____
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.
Burbank, CA—Burbank based AlphaDogs Post Production is currently working on season three of the late Latin music icon Jenni Rivera’s reality show, I Love Jenni. The final season of I Love Jenni premiered on April 14 on mun2, and has reached 2.3 million total viewers since its premiere. The series-to-date finished the month in the #1 spot among all Hispanic cable networks and beat English-language cable networks Comedy Central, FX, TBS, A&E, Family channel, Lifetime and AMC, among others, for both Hispanic adults 18-34 and Hispanic adults 18-49. The final season is the series’ most successful season to date. I Love Jenni airs Sunday evenings at 9e/8c on mun2.
Executive Producer Liane Su of Blank Paige Productions teamed up once again with AlphaDogs to complete the finish on the tribute and the series. “Alpha Dogs has been a great partner. We had a great experience working together on season two of I Love Jenni and the spinoff series, Chiquis n’ Control. There was no doubt we would work together again on this final season,” said Su.
AlphaDogs President and lead colorist, Terence Curren is color grading the series using Avid Symphony. "After working on an entire season of I Love Jenni, I felt like I knew her intimately. Her untimely passing in a plane crash came as quite a shock. While working on the memorial special, and now on the new season, it feels like we are keeping her with us in some way. Each new episode opens up a whole world of emotions in everyone here at AlphaDogs."
Jenni Rivera was 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. She sold over 22 million records worldwide, 5 Double Plantinum, 15 Platinum and 15 Gold RIAA records in the U.S. Prior to her passing, Jenni was set to star in an ABC sitcom and was preparing to launch her own fashion and cosmetic line.
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.
_____
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.
Burbank, CA — The biggest fans of My Little Pony are not limited to little girls anymore and may be surpassed by adult men, or otherwise known as “Bronies” who now are presumably one of the fastest growing fan bases of the franchise. Business professionals from all walks of life (including some women) are finding the true meaning of “friendship is magic” in a community that allows men to be sensitive and compassionate, without being viewed as weak.
In the feature-length documentary Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans Of My Little Pony, filmmaker John de Lancie follows the cultural phenomenon of “Bronies” around the world as they make their way to My Little Pony conventions in Germany, England, and BronyCon in the United States. Challenged with a limited budget for audio but not wanting to compromise on quality, Executive Producer Michael Brockhoff called upon the expertise of AlphaDogs in providing a creative solution for the documentary’s tight post-production budget. Having worked with AlphaDogs on previous projects, Brockhoff felt confident in bringing his project to the facility once again. “AlphaDogs consistently offers high quality services on time and within budget,” said Brockhoff. “The AlphaDogs team took the time to get to know what our project was about and understand what we were trying to achieve.”
Curtis Fritsch, Audio Mixer at AlphaDogs, approached the post process in a strategic way by working simultaneously on the various audio aspects of the film. Fritsch comments, “I worked on a few things at the same time, when I would normally just dedicate myself to doing one specific task at a time. I wanted to make sure that the clients deadline was met, and by working on multiple aspects at once I was able to finish both the film and the extra features on time.” Dialogue cleanup, adjustments in music levels, and sound effects were all finished in a timely manner delivering high quality audio in a cost-effective manner. “We were happy with the sound design because of the attention to detail and dedication to get it right. We will continue to use AlphaDogs as our post facility of choice because they care about the quality of our product as much as we do.” said Brockhoff.
Directed by Laurent Malaquais, Bronies is the 5th most successfully funded film and video project funded on Kickstarter raising a total of $322,000. Executive Producers include; Michael Brockhoff, John de Lancie, Lauren Faust and Tara Strong.
Blu-Ray and DVD discs as well as digital downloads can be purchased at bronydoc.com
To see the official trailer visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohnuyqJyEW0!
_____
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 http://www.alphadogs.tv and http://www.editorslounge.com.
Burbank, CA—It takes more than just having the latest up-to-date equipment to deliver a quality project. Effective communication in post-production is more important now than it’s ever been. With the wide variety of media and codecs being in a constant state of change, it’s crucial to not just stay educated on the latest technology, but to practice good communication skills with clients from the beginning to end of each project.
Los Angeles based Whirled Creative turned to AlphaDogs once again to complete color and audio on the 30 second pre-roll for Fireside Hangouts With The President. “We already had a great experience with AlphaDogs colorist Sean Stack, and positive results in the delivery of Google’s Zeigeist 2012 Year-In-Review, so it was really a no-brainer that AlphaDogs was our facility of choice to complete the finish for Fireside Chats.” said Executive Producer, Jenna Cedicci. The first presidential hangout was held in January of 2012 where five people were selected to ask the president a question during a live Google hangout. Brett Fallentine, Commercial Director at Whirled Creative, likened the event to FDR’s Fireside Chats, thus coining the term “Fireside Hangouts.”
Cedicci and AlphaDogs colorist Sean Stack teamed up once again to decide the best approach for completing the finish on the picture. “Sean is a pleasure to work with. His knowledge and experience help us in achieving the best possible results,” said Cedicci. Fireside Hangouts required Stack to work with footage from a variety of locations throughout the United States. The clips included an urban street setting, a University campus, workers building a housing subdivision, the view from inside a hotel room, and finally a typical office. “This project was a great example on how important it is to communicate with the client,” said Stack. “My first instinct was to have the shots flow together with consistent color tone from scene to scene. But that was the opposite of Director Fallentine’s idea, who chose those shots with the intention to have the viewer jump around from place to place all over America.” To create the desired look and offer appeal to a variety of audiences, Stack added different tones and contrasts to give each setting its own personality and feel. Stack comments, “I may have gone down the wrong road without the consultation and discussion that took place with the director.”
AlphaDogs Audio Mixer Curtis Fritsch was in charge of fixing some tricky audio clips that included various sound bytes from the original FDR Fireside Chats that spanned a little over a decade. Less than stellar quality of the radio recordings, changes in FDR’s voice as he aged, and evolving technology of the time period, made fixing the audio particularly challenging. Executive Producer Cedecci was quick to recognize the audio mix could be a potentially time-consuming process. “ We alerted Curtis of the issue ahead of time, and when we came in to start on the mix, he had already smoothed it out considerably,” said Cedicci. “He was very passionate about working on the project, and we appreciated his attention to detail. The final result was clean, concise audio, and a beautiful picture. We’ve had two solid experiences with AlphaDogs and look forward to using their services beyond audio and color for future projects.”
Fireside Hangouts With The President is produced by Los Angeles based creative agency, Whirled. To view the chat in its entirety please visit: getwhirled.com/work/fireside-hangouts/ More of Whirled Creative’s work can be seen at www.getwhirled.com/
_____
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.
Burbank, CA—AlphaDogs Post is excited to announce the premiere of the new film by Director Junya Sakino at SXSW South by Southwest beginning on Friday, March 8, 2013. Sake-Bomb is the comedic story of a sarcastic and self-deprecating Asian American who takes his naive Japanese cousin on a road trip along the California coast to find his ex-girlfriend, while meeting colorful groups of characters along the way. sakebombmovie.com
Director Sakino’s decision to use AlphaDogs services to complete the audio mix came after consulting with Audio Mixer, Curtis Fritsch. “When I talked to Curtis about the film, he was very supportive and confident he could fix the problem areas within the tight deadline we had finish the mix. Though it was my first time in working with AlphaDogs, I felt very comfortable in bringing my project to the facility.” Sakino and Fritsch worked collaboratively from the beginning to figure out the most efficient approach in completing the job in a speedy manner, without compromising the audio quality. “Director Sakino pointed out some problem areas, as well as details on how the film was shot on days where they had problems with location sound. This really helped speed the process along and helped me determine the workflow ahead of time,” said Fritsch.
Using Pro Tools HD Fritsch imported the audio from the picture and identified where the most troublesome areas were. Director Sakino had specific concerns about a scene that was shot outdoors in windy conditions. Combinations of Izotope RX plugins combined with the Cedar DNS One were used on the best takes to remove wind noise. Sakino comments, “I originally thought we would need to ADR the entire scene because you could not hear what the characters were saying due to the wind. Curtis was able to remove all wind interference, and saved us the cost of having to do ADR.”
New music from the composer was also added near the end of the mix. Waves Renaissance Compressor and EQ were used in fixing the timing and audio levels allowing the higher quality music from the composer to really shine with the other elements in the film. “Curtis was very enthusiastic and we worked together well. Before I came in, he had done a couple of passes so it was easier for me to get to the part where I wanted to spend time fixing,” said Sakino. Pro Tools HD ability to record multiple audio stems at the same time allowed Fritsch to record the different elements all at once instead of one at a time. Delivery of the film was completed on time and within budget. “Paul DeCham, General Manager of AlphaDogs really cared about the project, and was very accommodating in providing a good pipeline between Curtis and I,” said Sakino. “They did not treat this as just another job, everyone at the facility took pride in their work and I was very happy with the final delivery.”
For a full list of screening dates at SXSW South by Southwest visit: sakebombmovie.com/screenings/
_____
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.
Burbank, CA—AlphaDogs Post Production is pleased to announce they have completed work on the AFI Thesis Film, The Trestle At Pope Lick Creek. Based on the play by Naomi Wallace, the film is a coming-of-age story with a wicked twist that reaches into the depths of a nation and asks, "what lies beneath?" The film premieres at the American Film Institute on Saturday, March 9th with two screenings at 8:00pm and 9:30pm. www.trestlethemovie.com
AFI directing graduate and Director of the film Vuk Mitrovic, came to AlphaDogs upon recommendation of a friend’s client who had used the facility for their project. “Other companies I contacted didn’t seem to care much about the film,” said Mitrovic “At AlphaDogs they worked on finding the best solution first, and then we easily found common ground on everything else, including budget. It became my second home and I could go there anytime of the day without an appointment to work on the film.”
Sean Williams, VP of Design at AlphaDogs, worked on a number of visual effects for the film. Plans to shoot interior scenes on a location set involving a window looking outdoors, were scrapped for a stage set with the use of a jury-rigged green screen that didn’t have optimal lighting. This presented a unique challenge during post-production, as the cinematographer had also used several close, medium, and wide set ups with dramatic depth of field. Using After effects, Williams was able to key and rotoscope background exterior plates into the interior scenes carefully matching focal blur, scale and camera movement while preserving details in the scene, as well as the characters’ hair and clothing. “Working with Director Mitrovic was a breeze. Initial discussions and ongoing communication went very smoothly,” said Williams. Another particularly challenging scene required Williams to match two locked-off shots where a character is stepping off the tracks, just as a train roars by. Unintended camera drifts in one of the plates made the compositing quite complicated. Williams comments, “Once again, I used After Effects and a great deal of rotoscoping and tracking, matching the main character of the film into the train plate. I was able to complete about 31 shots and meet the client's high expectations, while staying within the budget and time constraints.”
The project was lensed with the RED camera and offlined in Avid Media Composer 6.0 . Then founder and lead colorist at AlphaDogs, Terence Curren, worked collaboratively with Director Mitrovic and Director of Photography Yong Jin Kim, to achieve the desired look for the film. “The Director and DP had a very specific vision of the look they wanted, and it took some work to really dial in each scene,” said Curren. “One major issue we dealt with was a series of pickup shots that were done months later when all the green vegetation had died off. This took a combination of tricks to hide, but in the end it isn't noticeable.” With Avid now offering native support of Avid RAW files, Curren chose to complete all the color correction in Avid Symphony. Curren comments, “We did a lot of work affecting each part of the frame using the "Spot Color Effect" which allows you to color correct isolated sections of the frame without affecting the rest. This is great for focusing attention to specific areas, or fixing uneven exposure in the frame.”
AlphaDogs Audio Mixer, Curtis Fritsch, was in charge of the audio mix. Inconsistent background noises were a hurdle with some scenes being shot at different times of the year. A good part of the film was also recorded next to a river with airplanes passing over on occasion. To fix the drop out in the audio, and keep the scene transitions smooth, Fritsch used Pro Tools HD and AlphaDogs extensive sound library. Mitrovic comments, “The project was always the most important thing. The quality of the product was never compromised, which is great, and rare these days.”
Since the train was essentially a character in the film, it had to have it’s own unique voice. Making the train sound loud and menacing without distracting from the characters dialogue and film scoring proved challenging. “In the final 5.1 mix we achieved the desired result giving the film a rich sound that would not have been possible without Director Mitrovic’s help and collaboration during the post-production process” Fritsch said.
To see more of Director Mitrovic’s work visit www.vuk.la
_____
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.
Burbank, CA—As any good indie filmmaker knows, post-production is an extremely important part of the puzzle when it comes to creating a great independent film. The process can often become overwhelming however, and leave the indie filmmaker unsure of how to begin post-production or find a facility that caters to the specific needs of independent filmmaking.
When Director Matthan Harris was ready to finish his film titled The Inflicted, he began searching for an indie friendly post house that would deliver the same quality as a big budget film. When he learned that AlphaDogs not only caters to the independent filmmaker, but that they have also worked on award-winning movies, he knew he had found the perfect fit. “Everyone at AlphaDogs is really professional and down to earth. The team is very passionate about their work and that’s really inspiring for the creative process,” said Harris.
Post-production initially began with AlphaDogs editor and colorist Sean Stack working one-on-one with Harris to decide the best approach to meet the desired look for the film. After the final edit was completed, Emmy Award nominated Cinematographer Cira Felina Bolla, joined the team to review master shots and help shape the cool dark feel of the story. Stack created this vibe by adding just the right amount of contrast and shadow consistently throughout the film, with secondary color grading applied to balance and even out skin tones of the characters.
Scenes shot with different camera angles required careful attention during post to make certain they matched surrounding shots. Stack explains, “Sometimes errors happen during a shoot, or an effect shot comes back from graphics with a gamma shift. With the use of powerful color correction tools, external video scopes and professional monitoring, those rare but extreme problems are technically analyzed and repaired so the actors' performance is saved.”
In charge of audio for the film was AlphaDogs Emmy Award nominated VP of Audio, Marcus Pardo. Harris comments, “I was pleasantly surprised when Marcus salvaged some less-than-stellar ADR lines by seamlessly combining the necessary parts with the original dialogue." Junior Audio Mixer Curtis Fritsch supervised the background sound effects, adding suspense to the film. Fritsch comments, “I worked on finding a good balance of realistic and scary sounds to make sure they complimented the film. The biggest challenge was in making sure places like the hospital and the farm didn't interfere with music or dialogue.” The film’s Italian composer Marco Werba (Dario Argento’s Giallo) visited from Rome to assist Marcus and Matthan with the final audio mix.
The Inflicted stars genre veterans Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects), Sid Haig (House of 1000 Corpses), Doug Bradley (Hellraiser) and Giovanni Lombardo Radice (The Omen), as well as Director Matthan Harris. This edge of your seat thriller takes audiences into the dark world of troubled medical student David O’Hara (Matthan Harris), who kidnaps, and murders young women. Attempting to replace the family he lost as a boy he impregnates one of his victims. Once the victim is rescued by police, the troubled student goes on a murderous rampage to get his family back. "The team at AlphaDogs worked very hard on the film with everyone going above and beyond the call of duty,” said Harris. “I can confidently say that we made The Inflicted as good as we could within the budgetary limitations.”
The film will be released May 21, 2013 by Osiris Entertainment on DVD, and has already premiered in four countries: USA, Italy, Germany, and South Africa with screenings at Texas Frightmare Weekend, Fantafestival, South African HorrorFest and Weekend of Horrors.
Watch the trailer at youtu.be/0HignwEKYsQ
To find out more visit www.theinflictedmovie.com
_____
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.
Burbank, CA—Burbank based AlphaDogs Post has completed post-production services for Google’s annual video titled Zietgeist 2012 Year-In-Review. Airing recently on broadcast television and going viral on the Internet with over 13 million views, Zeitgeist, which means “the spirit of the times” tells the story of 2012 through the eyes of Google Search.
Jenna Ceddici, Head Of Production with LA-based creative agency Whirled, came to AlphaDogs with a late-hour need to finish the video set to air before the end of 2012. To add to the challenge of the tight deadline, key players on the project were traveling for the holidays, or working from offices based in locations other than Los Angeles. For over ten years, AlphaDogs has offered a wide complement of post-production services, from offline facility rentals, color correction and audio mixing to visual effects and motion graphics design. Remaining true to their company motto “Ahead Of The Pack”, AlphaDogs rose to challenge delivering Zeitgeist in a completely virtual environment.
AlphaDogs Editor and Colorist Sean Stack, had his work cut out when it came to color correcting. The year of clips included source footage from a variety of camera types, all with different frame rates, resolution and out-of-the-box look. Before Stack began the color correction process, source clips were converted into a common frame rate and resolution to play in a single timeline. Stack scrutinized each clip carefully, adding just the right amount of contrast and color saturation enhancing the images, while keeping the viewers focused on the subject at hand giving Zeitgeist a consistent look overall. With some clips only being a half-second in length, color played a big role in catching attention of the audience and pulling them in. “Directing the viewer’s attention becomes a critical goal oriented task”, said Stack. "I worked in creating a look with the color that would keep the audience focused, not missing a moment even when the editing pace becomes rapid.”
Review and approval were all done digitally, with Stack sending JPEG screen grabs and low resolution H.264 format QuickTime files via the Internet. Zeitgeist was delivered on time without it being necessary for the clients to visit the facility in person.
Produced by Whirled Creative for the third consecutive year, Zeitgeist 2012 Year-In-Review is directed by the company’s founder Scott Chan. www.getwhirled.com/
Watch Zeitgeist 2012 Year-In-Review by visiting www.google.com/zeitgeist/2012/
_____
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.
Burbank, CA—Real friends can be tough to come by. In a world where social media has become the norm in connecting with others it’s easy to be under the false pretense of having lots of friends. But how many of these friends do you really know personally and more importantly, how many of these people will become loyal friends that span an entire lifetime? In the new feature-length documentary, The Bronx Boys-Still Playing at 80 fifteen men who first met in kindergarten while living in the Bronx show it’s not only possible to stay close friends for over 75 years, but that you can still have just as much fun as you did during your youth. Age, after all, is only a number and nothing holds these boys back from anything short of having a good time.
Benjamin Hershleder, Director and editor for the film, first became acquainted with AlphaDogs Post when he met lead editor and president of the company, Terence Curren while visiting the online Avid community. During this time Hershleder learned about AlphaDogs Editors’ Lounge, a monthly event held at the facility that provides education for the post-production community. While attending the lounge events, Hershleder got to know the talented people behind the AlphaDogs name. Hershleder comments, “When it came time for post production on the film, I felt confident that AlphaDogs would not only meet my high standards, but also give the personal attention you don’t always receive at a larger facility.”
Audio Engineer Curtis Fritsch was in charge of creating the 5.1 surround sound mix for the film. “Director Hershleder did not want any changes made to the existing audio mix which was unusual since that’s the primary request I get from most clients”, said Fritsch. “Bronx Boys was an entertaining project to work on when it came to producing a surround sound mix. I really had fun in creating the sound and sensation in the rollercoaster scene and in giving the audience the impression of actually being there on the ride.” Fritsch used the Izotope Denoiser plug-in to isolate problem areas within the audio including removing hissing noises from microphones used during interviews in the film. Facilis Terrablock storage made it easy to create audio output stems in a quick and efficient manner, saving both time and money for the client.
For the final color correction, Terence Curren took on the project himself. “I knew how personal this project was to Benjamin, and how much of a perfectionist he is,” Curren said. “I wanted to make sure that his hard work on this project was rewarded with a great final product.” Hershleder edited the project in Avid’s Media Composer, so the natural course for finishing was Avid’s Symphony finishing system. “Besides using Avid’s toolset, I leaned on the Boris Continuum Complete plugin package to handle cleaning up a lot of the older DV footage. They have some great noise reduction tools that really came in handy on this project.”
The Bronx Boys- Still Playing At 80 is based on the award-winning short film, The Bronx Boys-Hosted by Carl Reiner which captured the childhood friends 70th birthday reunion in 2001. In this new film, hosted once again by Carl Reiner, we catch up with the boys ten years later for their 80th birthday celebration that’s full of fun and sage advice for those of all ages.
The Bronx Boys is directed by Benjamin Hershleder with George Shapiro and Howard West as Executive Producers. For more information visit www.contactben.com/thebronxboys/
_____
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.
