Blue Table Post in Brooklyn, New York by WSDG-Walters Storyk Design Group

Article source: WSDG-Walters Storyk Design Group 

Blue Table Post, an ultra-modern video/audio post-production complex with an artisan-based creative philosophy and a high technology core is already drawing stars to its brand new, top-flight suites. A long-time dream of triple Emmy-winning editor Oliver Lief, the complex was designed to support his creative talents and, those of Emmy-winning recording mixer/sound designer Rich Cutler and senior colorist/vfx artist Begonia Colomar.  Situated in a handsomely renovated five story building, in Brooklyn’s burgeoning Boerum Hill neighborhood, Blue Table Post is a collaboration by architects Craig Shillito, Bob Kellner and Chris Inthurburn, and Architectural /Acoustic consultants, WSDG-Walters-Storyk Design Group. The first project in the door was Michelle Obama’s CNN “We Will Rise” documentary directed by Tony Gerber, for which Blue Table handled all of the editing, sound-mixing, color grading, graphics and vfx. They had the pleasure of collaborating on site with Meryl Streep for nine days of intensive writing and VO.

Blue Table Post 3D Dolby Atmos Mix Room (r-t-f), Image Courtesy © Tom Schaefer Crossley Acoustics

• Acoustic Consultants: WSDG-Walters Storyk Design Group
• Project: Blue Table Post
• Location: Brooklyn, New York, USA
• Photography: Tom Schaefer Crossley Acoustics

Blue Table Post 3D Dolby Atmos Mix Room (r-t-f), Image Courtesy © Tom Schaefer Crossley Acoustics

“We acquired the building back in 1996, a time when the production community didn’t extend beyond the borders of Manhattan,” Lief says.  “But now, not only is Brooklyn home to many production companies, it also draws clients from Manhattan.” Lief had been aware of WSDG’s studio design prowess for years, and when he was ready to move forward, he found their entire team extremely supportive.  Commenting on that working experience he said, “WSDG Partner/Project Manager Romina Larregina is a consummate pro and detailed-oriented to the highest degree. She provided outstanding input and follow through from start to finish.”

Blue Table Post Mechanical Room, Image Courtesy © Tom Schaefer Crossley Acoustics

Audio Mixing/Sound Design 

Set behind a walled-courtyard facing Dean Street, Blue Table Post occupies the building’s ground and lower floors. To insure a fully soundproof environment for the 3-D Dolby Atmos Mix Room, the original shallow cellar was excavated six feet to establish a spacious 250 sq. ft. screening room. The Mix Room is outfitted with an Avid S6 M-40 console and 20 speakers including 2 Focal Twin Be-6 Nearfield Monitors and 6 ceiling-mounted JBL 8350’s, the suite features a 5’ x 9’ screen and a full complement of high-end analog gear for VO recording in the 50 sq. ft. iso booth. All Avid systems are linked through Ardis Technologies’ award-winning DDP SAN. The suite is piloted by Rich Cutler, a veteran sound mixer/designer, with 30+ years of feature film, TV series and commercial credits.

Blue Table Post Color Grading Suite, Image Courtesy © Tom Schaefer Crossley Acoustics

Color Correction 

Begonia Colomar’s 130 sq. ft. Color Grading Suite features a Dolby PRM-4200 Monitor, an HP server, and shares a database with the neighboring 80 sq. ft. Color-Assist Room, which employs a Mac for transcoding footage and exporting ProRes renders. To expedite screening color-graded 4K picture in sync to the mix, the Mix Room and Color Grading suite are linked, and can be locked to the Pro Tools session.  Colomar’s credits range from such feature films as Minority Report and A.I. Artificial Intelligence to music videos for Vampire Weekend and other top groups.

One flight up, three Mac-equipped edit rooms are designed to accommodate editors and assistants for large projects.

Blue Table Post Color Grading Suite v2, Image Courtesy © Tom Schaefer Crossley Acoustics

Acoustic Design Development 

“We were fortunate to have been retained early on in the design stage in 2012, and construction began in 2014,” reports WSDG PM, Romina Larregina, “The 6’ basement excavation provided us with an extremely effective isolation environment, and we stipulated room-within-room construction throughout the complex. Rich Cutler can pump the volume up to 11 whenever necessary without disturbing any of the edit rooms. Crossley Acoustics’ Systems installation specialists provided impeccable connectivity. Visual contact between the VO Booth and the Mixing/Screening Room is outstanding, and Oliver Lief tells us Meryl Streep was delighted with the studio’s comfort level and functionality.”

Blue Table Post Client Lounge, Image Courtesy © Tom Schaefer Crossley Acoustics

“We are all delighted with the way Blue Table Post turned out,” Oliver Lief concludes.  “We’ve got a bright, modern, comfortable, and efficient environment, and how many NYC post houses have a fireplace and their own terraced garden?  I’ve attended Post New York Alliance meetings, and have been encouraged by members’ enthusiasm for our new facility.   They’ve emphasized the fact that Brooklyn has never had a post house with this level of technical and physical sophistication.  The fact that we’re a 15-minute subway ride from Greenwich Village doesn’t hurt either. Blue Table Post is a serious option for feature film, TV series, documentary, commercial and music video projects, and we’re raring to go.”

Blue Table Post Exterior view to lower courtyard, Image Courtesy © Tom Schaefer Crossley Acoustics

About WSDG-Walters Storyk Design Group 

WSDG, a leading Architectural Acoustic Consulting/Media Systems Engineering firm, has collaborated on over 3500 audio /video facilities worldwide. Credits include Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios (1969); NYC’s Jazz At Lincoln Center and, Le Poisson Rouge; broadcast facilities for The Food Network, ESPN, and WNET; major education complexes for NYU, The Art Institutes and Berklee College of Music, Valencia and Boston (2015 TEC winner). And, on media rooms for such corporate clients as: Hoffman La Roche, Cemex, and Sony. Studio projects include NYC’s Jungle City Studios for award winning engineer, Ann Mincieli, Green Day (CA), Jay-Z (NY), Aerosmith (Boston), Bruce Springsteen (NJ), Alicia Keys (NY), Paul Epworth’s The Church Studios (London), and film composers Carter Burwell (NY), A.R. Rahman (India), WSDG principals John Storyk, Beth Walters, Sergio Molho, Silvia Molho, Renato Cipriano, and Dirk Noy lecture frequently at universities and industry events, and contribute regularly to industry publications.  WSDG has collaborated with such noted architects as Frank Gehry, Norman Foster and Phillipe Stark.  WSDG is a ten-time winner of the NAMM TEC Award for outstanding achievement in Acoustics/Facility Design.  The firm maintains offices in New York, Miami, Buenos Aires (Argentina), Belo Horizonte (Brazil) and Basel (Switzerland) with representatives in Barcelona (Spain), Moscow, Guangzhou (China), Florence (Italy), Mexico City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Blue Table Post Exterior courtyard, Image Courtesy © Tom Schaefer Crossley Acoustics

Blue Table Post Exterior courtyard v2, Image Courtesy © Tom Schaefer Crossley Acoustics

Blue Table Post VO Booth, Image Courtesy © Tom Schaefer Crossley Acoustics

Presentation Drawing, Image Courtesy © WSDG-Walters-Storyk Design Group

Presentation Drawing v2, Image Courtesy © WSDG-Walters-Storyk Design Group

Tags: New York, USA

Category: Music Hall

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