West London post-production house Clear Cut Pictures is expanding its audio operation, which will give the facility six suites, including a large 5.1 room, writes Kevin Hilton. The company is looking to build on its documentary post work and move into drama, with the new studios due to go into operation before Christmas.
Clear Cut currently has what chief executive Horacio Queiro (pictured) describes as "four and a half rooms", the half being an area that contains audio equipment but has no sound proofing. "That equipment will be moved into a properly soundproofed 5.1 theatre that will be adjacent to a voice booth," Queiro explains.
Building work has begun and is being carried out by Oakwood, which has also designed the acoustic treatments. Clear Cut's head of audio, Greg Gettens, estimates that the main construction should be finished around the 20th to 23rd November, with the wiring and equipment installed from the 28th November onwards.
Clear Cut is a Pro Tools HD facility, currently running version 8.1.1. Gettens describes this as a "stable system" but adds that there will be a possible upgrade to v.10 in the future. The 5.1 theatre will have an ICON D-Command ES console, supplied by reseller Scrub, Genelec 1037 loudspeaker monitors. Gettens says the ICON was "the most logical step in terms of price and functionality". Existing suites run on Pro Controls.
Queiro says audio is still an area of post-production that brings in a "reliable" amount of work. "We're looking to grow certain areas and being out of the centre of London means we can be cost effective and put more value on screen for the clients," he comments.
