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Windmill Lane Unveils New Audio Studio

08/11/2022
Post Production
Dublin, Ireland
161
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The new studios feature Avid and Genelec equipment installed by Big Bear

Windmill Lane Dublin, Ireland has unveiled major upgrades to its world class multi-room audio facility, including the installation of Dolby Atmos – a revolutionary spatial audio technology providing the most immersive sound experience. The new studios, featuring Avid and Genelec equipment installed by Big Bear, ensure Windmill Lane will continue to operate at the highest standard of post-production.

Trading since 1978 in Ireland – Windmill Lane encompasses a number of creative production entities including; Commercials, Film, TV, VFX and Animation. New consoles have been integrated into two state-of-the-art mixing rooms designed to support Windmill Lanes audio post-production services. Studio 1 is fitted with a new Genelec speaker system for Dolby Atmos immersive mixing.

Mick Creedon – head of audio at Windmill Lane – spoke of his delight with this investment & upgrade, “We have just completed a full re-fit of all five surround studios. We look forward to immersing ourselves in all things ‘Dolby Atmos’. We have also fitted out all our voice booths and studios with cameras for the increased demands on our ADR work from all corners of the world. We have a busy run to the end of 2022 with the return of Smother and series 2 of KIN, alongside a busy slate of documentaries and a beautiful animation project for Disney.”

“We have a couple of new faces in Audio too. Tom Morris joins us from a seven year run of TV commercials in New York and Michelle McCormac brings a wealth of experience to Windmill in dialogue and FX editing! So we look forward to the year-end and into 2023 and beyond with our upgraded studios!”

Having recently gone to press discussing Windmill Lanes global ambition in VFX CEO Dave Quinn felt it imperative to invest in-house and is excited about what this investment means for the business moving forward.

“We are accelerating investment in innovation to deliver new gains in artistry and output for creators across all our key sectors; VFX, Film, TV, Animation and Commercials. As leaders in the Irish market we aim to heighten artistic potential, empower our staff and enhance their productivity. This will mean better results for our clients.”

We spoke with Michael Browne, managing director of Big Bear Sound, on what this installation means for Windmill Lane. Having built his own recording studio over 10 years ago Michael is fascinated by the latest advancements in sound technology and has established Big Bear as one of Ireland’s leading professional audio services company.

“The modern obsession with content means Windmill Lane have to be kitted to the highest level if they wish to compete globally. This Avid equipment will improve speed, efficiency, workflow and delivery for the business” says Michael.

On a technical level – I was curious to understand what this means day to day. Michael explains, “We have created a compatibility across all Windmill Lane studios so an engineer can move from one studio to another and work with the same equipment. You’ve now got a Dolby Atmos, Genelec monitoring system in Studio 1, 11 speakers and a sub-woofer. It’s a far more immersive experience. Plug ins are the same across all studios so the workflow is essentially the same.

Windmill Lane have developed an impressive slate of new and growing business with clients globally such as HBO, Netflix, AMC, Sky, BBC, Paramount and more. With a mission statement of ‘Making Great Stories’ it’s crucial that the business works with technology that is cutting edge, innovative and collaborative. Luckily Avid’s mission is to ‘empower media creators with innovative technology solutions to entertain, inform, educate and enlighten the world’ which means their desire to empower creators fits in with Windmill Lane’s long-term objectives.

Francois Quereuil, Avid’s VP of audio product management put aside some time to discuss this partnership.

“It’s long been Avid’s privilege to support such an iconic brand as Windmill Lane by providing the essential tools used on their outstanding creative work for marquee clientele across film and TV. Their recent technical upgrades and innovations set the stage for increasingly powerful and dynamic storytelling—and we’re thrilled to be a part of this exciting future.”

I spoke with Tom Morris, Sound Editor, who explained how this investment will impact his day to day.

“Our new Dolby Atmos mixing studio brings state of the art surround sound capabilities to Windmill. The comprehensive 12 speaker setup creates height and depth, delivering a truly immersive, three-dimensional mix”.

Mark Henry – senior mixer – was also kind enough to offer some insight, “We’re already feeling the benefits of our new system while we complete mixing on Smother Season 3 for RTE and BBC. Workflows have been streamlined allowing us more time to get creative in the mix. Exporting of files for remote approval has never been quicker and easier which is so helpful post Covid as we’re all adjusting to newer and more efficient ways of working.”

“We’re really excited about starting season two of Kin for RTE and AMC shortly.”

“Our newly upgraded ADR/VO booths with dedicated lipstick cams and Zoom feeds for the talent make it easier to run remote sessions and we’ve already ran ADR and animation record sessions for an impressive roster of clients including HBO, Netflix and Paramount.”

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