2022 TOKYO OLYMPICS

NBC SPORTS

EMMY AWARD WINNING

The 2022 Tokyo Olympic Games would mark the 4th Olympic Games I’ve worked on with NBC. Over what has developed into an incredibly rich creative relationship, the workflow with the team at NBC has been refined to a point where logistics can be taken out of the equation. Our main priorities lie in achieving the perfect balance of sonic characteristics for the event. To say I’m proud to be a part of this team, the work, and the Emmy we won for doing said work, would be an absolute understatement. Read more about the process below!

 

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Tokyo is a host of some of the most unique, colorful, dynamic, and visually stunning cultures on the planet. Japanese art, especially through cinema, has always struck me as incredibly different from art and culture in the US — in the best way possible. The approach to designing the sound for the Olympics is always rooted in what suits the broadcast best, but also one that harkens to the cultural details seen throughout the host countries. With Tokyo, we had a lot to choose from. Key elements stemmed from items that permeate life in Japan — such as Furin Chimes, Botokani, Sensu Fans, Origami Paper, Kyudo Bow, and so much more. All of these elements were sourced and recorded to create bespoke sound effects for the event. The composites created may very well be combinations of all of these elements, manipulated after the recordings, but when the source material is authentic and customized for the project, the end product is ALWAYS more effective.


This was an honour to be a part of.

 

[slide-right]2022 Tokyo Olympic Games

Production Company: NBC Sports

Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

STILLS

 

 

CHILLIN ISLAND

ELARA PICTURES

New York City natives and rap personalities Alec “Despot” Reinstein, Ashok “Dap” Kondabolu, and Aleksey “Lakutis” Weintraub invite their friends to join them at the edge of nature. Why? To commune in deserts and swamps in a valiant effort to reveal unknowable truths from the dreamstate of the shared human existence. Chillin Island features music industry icons, including Young Thug, Lil Yachty, Rosalía, Gunna, Killer Mike, Ski Mask the Slump God, Lil Tecca, and Coi Leray, plus Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koening. Watch the series on HBO Max HERE.

 

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This project all started as an idea 4 years before we aired on HBO max. I got a call from my friend Oscar about a pilot being shot out in Monument Valley, UT. The team was lean. The budget was small. So I decided to jump in and record the production sound to give this pilot as much of a fighting chance as I could. 4 years after chasing around Alec, Dapp, Lex, and Ski Mask in the desert, we’ve found ourselves with something that was bigger than we had initially imagined — a 6 part series featuring incredible guest talent, in a variety of intriguing locations, with original music, beautiful cinematography, and VFX to boot.

The approach to Chillin Island had to be different. I didn’t push for an over commercialised sound scape. I didn’t want the show to feel like a giant trailer. It was to feel real, placed, and intimate when it needed to be. Yet, the soundtrack could stretch to feel huge when the time was right. The conversation is the show, and highlighting that was the main objective.

 

[slide-right]Chillin Island

Production Company: Elara Pictures

Client: HBO Max

Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

STILLS

 

 

TYPE 7 - SHORT FILM SERIES

PORSCHE

Type 7, the creative agency through Porsche, takes a road less travelled approach to branded content. The auto manufacturer has bridged the gap into creating bespoke content that highlights artists excelling in their craft, as opposed to highlights of their cars, which we see encompassing the marketing material of so many other companies. They are tangentially connected to these artists, but straying away from placements we often see permeating the ad space. We were tasked with bringing a cinematic quality to these short - doc style pieces, to enhance the stories being told. Check out the rest of the episodes HERE!

 
 

[slide-right]Type 7 Films Presents

Production Company: Elkin Editions

Client: Porsche

Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

STILLS

 

 

ALL THE STREETS ARE SILENT

ELKIN EDITIONS

In the late 80s and early 90s, the streets of downtown Manhattan were the site of a collision between two vibrant subcultures: skateboarding and hip hop. All the Streets Are Silent brings to life the magic of the time period and the convergence that created a style and visual language that would have an outsized and enduring cultural effect. From the DJ booths and dance floors of the Mars nightclub to the founding of brands like Supreme, this convergence would lay the foundation for modern street style. Paris Is Burning meets Larry Clark’s KIDS, All the Streets Are Silent is a love letter to New York—examining race, society, fashion, and street culture.  

 

+ READ MORE


From EB — ATSAS exists as one of the most extensive and detail oriented documentaries I’ve ever worked on. The sheer amount of sound we utilized in creating the soundscape for this film was massive. From sourced material, going into the field and recording our own ambiences, to completely recreating environments from the 80s-90s in NYC, there was never a shortage of a challenge when it came to finding the right sound for the image. A lot of documentary sound design lately has come across as being a bit "one size fits all". The sound effects used to sonically portray the imagery, whether it be archival, b-roll, title animation, etc, seems to be coming from the same place. Yet, the image wasn’t plucked out of a library, so why should the sound be?

Every sound effect used for pictures, titles, etc were created for this film — utilizing vintage camera equipment, modern camera equipment, DJ equipment in the digital and analogue domains, and so much more. And sure, there are moments where leveraging a huge sound library can be beneficial. Instances where layers were of the utmost importance to create depth in our sonic image were great opportunities to find sounds that played well together, but never leaning on singular sounds in these scenarios. The goal was to create a collage, as can be heard in this film, that transports our audience to the 80s and 90s in NYC. The mix should feel vintage in many aspects, and do nothing but scream, or whisper, the originality and bespoke design that exists and was created for an incredibly special film about this subject.

+ CREDITS


Directed By: Jeremy Elkin
Produced By: Dana Brown
Co-Produced By: Khyber Jones
Associate Producers: Allen Grant, Josh Stewart, Samuel Gursky, Ted Newsome, Eric Brown
Executive Producer: David Koh
Original Score: Large Professor
Mix Facility: Harbor Picture Company

 

[slide-right]All The Streets Are Silent

Directed By: Jeremy Elkin

Produced By: Dana Brown

Distributed By: Greenwich Entertainment

Task: Associate Producer + Supervising Sound Edit and Mix[/slide-right]

STILLS

 

 

THE SUBJECT

LANIE ZIPOY


The Subject follows Phil Waterhouse, a successful white documentary filmmaker as he deals with the fallout from his last film, which caught the murder of a Black teen on tape. While working on his newest documentary project for a major TV network, someone films Phil’s every more, threatening his idyllic life.

The Subject marks Lanie Zipoy‘s feature film directorial debut. The film stars Jason Biggs (Orange Is The New Black, American Pie), Emmy nominee Aunjanue Ellis (If Beale Street Could Talk, The Clark Sisters), Anabelle Acosta (Ballers, Quantico), Carra Patterson (Straight Outta Compton, Broadway’s Jitney), Nile Bullock (Chicago Med, Orange Is The New Black) and Caleb Eberhardt (Black Christmas, Betty). The script is written by Chisa Hutchinson.

Find The Subject on IMDB

 
 

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The Subject grounds the audience in a variety of realities. A large challenge when it came to the sound for this film was the transitions + switches between those realities. From DV footage, to real world, to archival doc style, we built out environments that would support the edit and seamlessly move us through one world to the next.

+ CREDITS


Directed By - Lanie Zipoy
Written By - Chisa Hutchinson
Director of Photography - Darren Joe
Executive Producer - Megan Kingery
Sound Designer and Mixer - Eric Brown
Audio Post Provided By - Waterline NYC

 

[slide-right]The Subject

Directed By: Lanie Zipoy

Production Company: Prorachaine Films

Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

STILLS

 

 

INVERTED HELI

RED BULL

 

Teaming up again with Red Bull, we built the soundscape for their Inverted Heli spot which was released digitally to coincide with events and airshows that showcased their sponsored pilots. All of the helicopter sound effects heard in this spot were sourced directly from the 4 propellor German heli they use for their stunt work. Some of these sounds have been manipulated in our edit, but they all sourced from the authentic machine that brought this wonderful and awe striking spectacle upon NYC an early Saturday morning. 

See what people are saying HERE!

 

Title: The Inverted Heli

Production Company: Red Bull Media House

Task: Sound Design and Mix

 

STILLS

 

IN THIS LIFE

BAT-SHEVA GUEZ

Grief is unavoidable and universal; a painfully physical experience in which language is often inadequate and where words are often unable to convey loss or to comfort it.  In five acts, this film illustrates the stages of grief, exploring the language of loss through dance, narrative scenes, and performance art, conveying the complexity of grief in the often wordless way it impacts all our lives.

After every major loss, we must grieve for the person we used to be, for the future we thought we'd have. The journey to accept this new version of ourselves is often fraught with rage and pain as we shed our old skin to make way for the new. This film is about that journey.

Collaborating with director Bat Sheva Guez on this impactful short film, featuring Robbie Fairchild and illustrating the stages of Grief through movement and music.

 

 

+ READ MORE


In This Life posed specific challenges for sound that related directly to its relationship with movement throughout this touching film. Much of the sound design created for this film pushes in the direction of creating as much synergy with the music as possible -- sometimes to the extent that which you're hearing is indiscernale. Approaching a highly conceptualized track has its risks, but its the relationship with the writing and enhancement of the overall story arc that we leaned on heavily to carry those ideas and deliver them in the most emotive way possible.

+ CREDITS


Directed by: Bat-Sheva Guez
Bat-Sheva Guez

Written by: Bat-Sheva Guez & Robbie Fairchild

Starring: Robbie Fairchild

Choreographers: James Alsop, Warren Craft, Robbie Fairchild, Andrea Miller, Christopher Wheeldon,

Cinematography: Giacomo Belletti

Production Design: Karen Weber

Performers:
Kathleen Laituri, Heather Lang, Rico Lebron, Martha Nichols, Michael Rosen, Ahmad Simmons, Ryan Steele, Abby Stephensen, Cassandra Surianello, Julien Valme

 

[slide-right]In This Life

Directed By: Bat-Sheva Guez

Written By: Bat-Sheva Guez + Robbie Fairchild

Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

 

LINDSEY VONN: THE FINAL SEASON

HBO FILMS / TETON GRAVITY RESEARCH

Working alongside HBO Films and Teton Gravity Research, we handled the sound design and mix on HBO’s latest film about Lindsey Vonn, which chronicles the Olympic champion alpine skier’s last World Championship. The film gives us an intimate look in to Lindsey’s training and personal life as she attempts to break the record set by Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark for most World Cup wins. We’ve attached a sneak peak of the film above, but the full program can be found HERE.

 

 

+ READ MORE


+ CREDITS


 

[slide-right]Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season

Production Company: Teton Gravity Research

Music By: Andrew Sorge

Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

 

WATERLINE 2020 SOUND DESIGN REEL

 

 
 

 

 

HOW ARE WE DOING

ALEX COPPAGE

 

[slide-left]Bill Swanson always expected life to work out with a cushy sales position with his cleaning appliance brand, Thrift-O-Lux. However, in the midst of a divorce and declining career he blames shortcomings everywhere except of his own doings. During a final business trip to save his career he finds failure every step of the way while he and his hotel maid inadvertently wage war on one another. Working with Alex Coppage, we built a soundtrack that highlights the isolated environment we watch Bill venture through. Enjoy a small excerpt from the film above, and view the whole thing on Amazon Prime HERE[/slide-left]

 

 
 
 

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The environment we witness Bill Swanson navigating through for his work travels is one we want the audience to feel hates him. One that conspires against him to make his life more miserable than it already is. We wanted his surroundings to feel bleak, lonely, and alive all at the same time. Setting contrasting elements free in to the soundscape, like the music we hear in the lobby of the hotel, are all attempts at sonic irony with the core of our story. Isolationism was a key theme throughout the approach for the film — an overarching idea that Bill is alone and abandoned.

+ CREDITS


Directed By - Alex Coppage
Written By - David Barron
Sound Designer and Mixer - Eric Brown
Audio Post Provided By - Waterline NYC

 

[slide-right]How Are We Doing

Directed By: Alex Coppage

Production Company: Tagline Films

Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

STILLS

 

 

RAMMELLZEE: IT'S NOT WHO BUT WHAT

RED BULL MEDIA HOUSE

 

Rammellzee is a name many in New York have not heard, yet one that is representative of a large amount of street art and cultural influence we see today throughout this city. We designed a collage of sounds to accompany this short film honoring Rammellzee and bringing to light Red Bull’s newest exhibit showcasing his vast body of work.

 

 
 

+ READ MORE


We took a collage approach to the sound design, as is reflected in so much of his work — we thought it would be interesting to mirror his influence stylistically in to a piece about him. Thus, a combination of different voice overs, songs, and sound design elements were cut and pasted to together in a quickly changing edit that engages listeners and pulls in the audience’s attention. With the endless risks Rammellzee took throughout his body of work, it felt as if there wasn’t anything off limits regarding our design. Effected VO, electronic stutters and sweeps, and city sounds were a few elements integrated throughout the film.

More about Rammellzee:

Rammellzee was born in 1960 in Far Rockaway, to an Italian mother and African-American father who worked as a transit detective, and grew up in the borough of Queens in New York City near the Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue A train terminal station. His graffiti work started to show up in the 1970s on New York City’s subway cars and stations, specifically on the A-train since it was his local train.

FULL BIOGRAPHY

+ CREDITS


Written and Directed By - Oscar Boyson
Editing and Motion Graphics By - Nate DeYoung
Produced By - Elara Pictures
Presented By - Red Bull Arts New York
Animation By - Sammy Harkham & Chris Cornwell
Producer - Mary Beth Minthorn
Executive Producers - Luke House and Mac Concordia
Assistant Editing - Erin DeWitt
Directors of Photography - Doug Durant, Chris Messina, Jake Saner
Camera Operators - Alex Huggins. Ben Elias
Camera Assistants - Rachel Federkova, Luke Provenzano
Sound Recordists - Patrick Southern, John Paul Lopez
Music By - George Langford
Sound Designer and Mixer - Eric Brown
Audio Post Provided By - Waterline NYC
Color By - Jason Crump

 
[slide-right]RAMMELLZEE: It's Not Who But What
Directed By: Oscar Boyson
Client: Red Bull Media House
Production Company: Elara Pictures
Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

STILLS

 

 

“NINJA NEW YEARS"

RED BULL

[fade]This one moves fast. We worked with Red Bull on their New Years Eve spot featuring the E-Sports star Ninja and his near 12 hour long gaming marathon, taking place on New Years Eve. The Red Bull sponsored athlete will be live streaming the 12 hours to one of the jumbo-tron screens in Times Square during all of the NYE festivities. We created a sound design palette reminiscent of the electronic world along with large crowd swells and sweeps to move us from one shot to the other quickly. Its the fastest 30 seconds ever. We’ve also included a sound effects version only above as well. Sometimes it’s tough to pick out all the detail in the full mix, so we’d like to make it easy!  [/fade] 

 
 

[slide-right]Ninja New Years - Red Bull

Client: Red Bull

Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

STILLS

 

 

COUNTDOWN

A SHORT FILM SERIES

 

 Working with director Nathan Breton on his short film series, Countdown, we provided end to end sound services including production sound as well as post. This series called for a variety of realistic soundscapes to accompany the character driven narratives of each film. With minimal uses of dialogue throughout, this project was extremely explorative for sound. Take a look at a few excerpts from the films above that display some of our favorite sound moments from the films.

 

 
 
 
 

[slide-right]Countdown: A Short Film Series

Directed By: Nathan Breton

Task: Production Sound, Post Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

+ READ MORE


This series is based on the motivic device of time, whereas every episode is framed by a ticking clock counting down to an inevitable action. With what seems like a format that would invite excitable music, big swells, and a loud payoff, we quickly learned that the grounded realism this series lives in rejected those, almost expected, tools prominently seen throughout the sound design world. In our opinion, that is precisely why this series is sonically unique - the soundscape we created aims to expose the characters by staying out of the way.

We painstakingly searched for sounds that reflected our environments in the most effective, visceral and realistic way. Everything needed to feel natural, diegetic, and within the ordinary confines of our characters' lives.

+ Excerpts explained:


Overslept - The excerpt we've chosen exhibits a ground up rebuild of an environment in post production. The scene we see was filmed without ANY sync sound on set, which introduced a challenge for us in post that required a rebuild of the scene from scratch, whilst still making it believable. All footsteps, traffic noise, vocal tracks, clothing rustles, key jingles, and more were dubbed after the fact. If you watched the excerpt prior to reading this...we hope we fooled you.

Morning Paper - We chose to include the first minute of Morning Paper to portray the development of an environment and character without the use of dialogue. Vocal tracks make character development more approachable, but in this case, we were left without conversation. No monologue to help us understand who this man is. Rather, we use his surroundings to build the perception of his character up. We had to ask ourselves questions like -- what music would he be playing in the background? Would he go so far out of his way to set up an extension cord to keep his coffee maker closer to his seat at the window? Is he the type of person to have a grandfather clock in his home? It was the use of these devices that helped us sonically frame who our main character is as an indivudual, and set a foundation for the plot of the story to build from.

Hitched - This film is all about the relationship between two characters -- Chelsea and her Grandmother. In attempts to get to a wedding on time, Chelsea must find parking on a packed street while her Grandmother back seat drives and attempts to pre-determine her every move. We chose the excerpt above to display how we used sound to build tension between the two characters, and accompany the clock counting down alongside the drama.

+ CREDITS

Overslept -

Directed & Produced By - Nathan Breton
Written By - Joseph Killeen
Produced By - Samantha Glovin
Co-Produced By - Joshua Pies
Assistant Director - Nikolai Basarich
Camera By - Andi Obarski
Assistant Camera - Charlee Harrison
Gaffer - Ben Hunt
Swing - Kristin Dushaj
PA - Mike McCabe
Editing By - Nathan Breton
Titles - Andy Sheffield
Color By - Evan Kultangwatana
Sound Designer and Mixer - Eric Brown
In Association With - C47 Film Associates

Morning Paper -

Directed & Produced By - Nathan Breton
Written By - Joseph Killeen
Produced By - Samantha Glovin
Co-Produced By - Joshua Pies
Assistant Director - Nikolai Basarich
Camera - Andi Obarski
Art By - Tanmaya Shekhar
Editing By - Nathan Breton
Titles - Andy Sheffield
Color By - Evan Kultangwatana
Sound Designer and Mixer - Eric Brown
In Association With - C47 Film Associates

Hitched -

Directed & Produced By - Nathan Breton
Written By - Joseph Killeen
Produced By - Neal Dhand
Co-Produced By Joshua Pies
Camera - Andi Obarski
Assistant Camera - Anthony Zagarella
Key Grip - Nikolai Basarich
Super PA - Jason Wilber
G&E Swing - Caroline Vana
Art PA - Larissa Keer
PA - Tomás Green, Ash Lavacca, Veronica Zin
Editing By - Nathan Breton
Titles By - Andy Sheffield
Color By - Evan Kultangwatana
Sound Designer and Mixer - Eric Brown
In Association With - C47 Film Associates

STILLS

 

 

SHAWN MENDES

YOUTUBE ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

 

 Well produced films don’t necessarily need to land on broadcast networks, Hulu, Netflix, and the like. Platforms like YouTube are breaking norms as well, and we’re proud to be along for the ride. In collaboration with Casey Neistat, Zachary Treitz, and Brett Jutkiewicz, we handled the mix on a short documentary about the one and only Shawn Mendes. As part of YouTube’s Artist Spotlight series, the film highlights the splash Shawn is making in the mainstream music scene, all at the age of 19.

 

 
 

+ READ MORE


The film integrates a variety of Shawn's music, sourcing concerts and performances from all around the world. A large challenge on this mix was to create seamless transitions between the songs to create a smooth edit that connected the various scences together. The stitching was done with a variety of treatment to the tracks to achieve a cohesive feel to the music, as if the show was all being performed at once, all around the world. In addition to this, it was important to us that Shawn's voice felt as sonorous as possible. Vocal treatments can be tricket, but we did our best to have the interview with Shawn live on top of the mix whilst avoiding any type of VOG nuance.

Sound design for this piece was minimal, but important overall to maintain cohesion throughout. The audience is taken to so many different locations all over the world through the film, it was important to have a sonic character that lived through to tie it all together. This wasn't accomplished by using the same sounds over and over again, rather, utilizing composites of sounds unique to the location/ scene and designing them all in a similar way. Less was more, but no less powerful in it's relationship to the footage.

+ CREDITS


Directed By - Casey Neistat
Produced By - Zachary Treitz & Brett Jutkiewicz
Production Company - 368 Productions
Producers - Paul Leys & Kelsey McWilliams
Directors of Photography - Brett Jutkiewicz
Camera - Casey Neistat & Zachary Treitz
Editor - Zachary Treitz
Assistant Editing & GFX - Gordon Bell
Titles - Nate DeYoung
Sound Recordist - Zachary Treitz
Music By - David Leinheardt for duotone
Sound Designer and Mixer - Eric Brown
Audio Post Provided By - Waterline NYC
Production Manager - Jordan Sirek
Picture Finishing - GOLDCREST POST NY
Color By - Nat Jencks
Finishing Artist - Jordan P.H. Stein
DI Producer - Anna Kelman
Production Coordinator - Ethan Leight
Production Services - ALL CAPS

 

[slide-right]SHAWN MENDES: Youtube Artist Spotlight

Directed By: Casey Neistat

Produced By Zachary Treitz & Brett Jutkiewicz

Production Company: 368 Productions

Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

STILLS

 

 

2018 PYEONGCHANG OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES

NBC OLYMPICS

 

We teamed up with David Barton and his creative team over at NBC Universal to design the sound for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games. It’s (naturally) an honor to create work that will literally reach people all over the world, and it was an exciting challenge to find the textures that communicated the specific feeling of winter from a sonic standpoint. We’ve put together a reel featuring clips from the Olympics broadcast earlier this year. Hopefully this helps to give a sense of how the sound design was integrated in to the show. Our team’s goal was to have the design flow naturally in to program, almost feeling like the environment was responsible for the sonic nature of the animations we see on screen. 

 
 
 

[slide-right]The 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games

Production Company: NBC Olympics

Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

+ READ MORE


Characterizing a feeling like "cold" in sound means considering its dimension- does it feel "heavy" or "light"? Is it a howling wind or a distant breeze? As we developed samples for the Pyeong Chang package, we perfected this aesthetic while creating the design to support the Winter Olympic-level precision of fast-moving graphics.

While the geography of the games was not included in the original creative direction, the resulting toolkits heavily incorporated environment-specific sound design including field-recorded winds and fire crackling (ironic, right?)- creating a unique, naturalistic soundscape. Our intentions always fell back on wanting to make people feel cold based on the sounds we created. And to provide NBC with something new, fresh, and unique to the games our team went out in the field and recorded a toolkit comprising of nearly 200 unique elements from hockey skates, to glass breaking, and everything in between.

The sound effects we created needed to ride a fine line - that of avoiding fatigueing the listener from hearing them over and over again, whilst still offering something sonically interesting to draw ones attnetion to the animation. The detail we incorporate to do this requires a large amount of time to perfect.

SCOOBY DOO  

THE MYSTERY OF MAYHEW MANSION

WARNER BROTHERS

 

Warner Brothers and Amazon were partnering to create a Choose -Your - Own - Adventure style radio play on the Amazon Alexa, and the agency came to us.

_

We helped WB figure out how to guide listeners through a physical/mental space with natural prompts for verbal decision making and, in the process, created 75 minutes of playable content. The slate was blank at the outset and it was up to us to create the world we navigate through from the ground up. We learned a lot.

For instance, we discovered that stripping away the (very expected) soundtrack from the original franchise created something that felt new, modern, and worthy of investigation. We also employed a minimal use of music so it could impactfully serve as a unique “vehicle” from scene to scene.

_    

In making sure the experience was intuitive, we designed a variety of specific environments to emphasize context and location, while the mix accommodated an all-seeing Narrator and carefully chosen SFX to guide our very-young listeners through both the story and interaction. This about-face was especially exciting to us from a narrative standpoint, because even if this is reminiscent of old radio plays, those shows never asked for answers.

_

The result was an immersive, highly-imaginative storytelling experience on a cutting edge platform. The client was excited and we were thrilled to create something that could challenge and hopefully inspire kids to dream their own stories. Plus Scooby Doo is awesome, c’mon.

_

Find and enable the skill HERE if you have Alexa!

38852123-scooby-doo-wallpapers.jpg
 

[slide-right]Scooby Doo - The Mystery of Mayhew Mansion

Client: Warner Brothers

Directed: Nathan Breton & Jaclyn Gramigna

Task: Sound Design, Music Composition and Mix[/slide-right]

 

 

 

WHAT

YIELDSTREET

Working with Launch and in collaboration with Houses in Motion, we created the sound for Yieldstreet’s latest commercial showcasing the benefits of their company. A monochromatic 3D animation introduced the opportunity to add subtle sound design elements throughout to accompany the spot. With the focus on the voice over, care needed to be taken when considering the elements used overall. The overall goal was not to interfere, rather add supportive texture to the piece as the company’s mission is introduced to the world.

 

 

 
 
[slide-right]WHAT - Yieldstreet
Client: Yieldstreet
Agency: Launch
Graphic Design: House In Motion
Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

STILLS

 

 

GAMING WITH ALEXA

AMAZON

AWS is one of the highest-profile events in the gaming community, and Amazon wanted to inspire developers about the Alexa’s limitless potential in the gaming space.

We brought movie-trailer urgency and excitement to a high-concept video while weaving half a dozen discreet sonic experiences (games) into one anthemic tapestry. Because the Alexa itself is sound-driven, it was especially important for it to sound modern, captivating, and inspiring at a live event.

 

 
 
[slide-right]Gaming With Alexa
Client: Amazon
Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

STILLS

 

 

MIGUEL COTTO - A RETROSPECTIVE

HBO BOXING

Miguel Cotto is one of the most iconic boxers of all time, and HBO wanted to look back on Cotto’s storied career before his farewell bout at Madison Square Garden.

We took a fast-moving project with a fast-approaching deadline and created a soundscape as emotive, gripping, and passionate as the singular character it celebrates. Respect.

Check out an excerpt from the film above.

 

 
 
[slide-right]Miguel Cotto - A Retrospective
Client / Production Company: HBO Boxing
Task: Sound Mix[/slide-right]

STILLS

 

 

 

TIDES OF FATE

THE 34TH AMERICA'S CUP

DIRECTED BY FRITZ MITCHELL

Working closely with Director Fritz Mitchell, we handled audio post on the suspenseful and exciting feature documentary Tides of Fate. The film follows the enthralling story of the 34th America's Cup Regatta in San Fransisco, when Team Oracle USA came back from a 7 race deficit to overtake the kiwis and claim the cup. Narrated by Jeremy Irons, the story unfolds through the lens of the sailors themselves, and the audience gets an inside look at the dedication and detail put in to every aspect of these incredible regattas.

Take a look at a few scenes we've selected from the film above. 

 
 

+ READ MORE


The approach taken for the film, having worked alongside Mitchell on other projects, was that of expanding the pallett of what was given to us. We worked to make the races hit harder, the music push through when it needed to, and the environment to live with the picture in a way that supported this great story. Pulling from our library, as well as going out and doing a bit of field recording, the goal was to capture a variance of winds and water that would flesh out different sequences of timelapse footage, race footage, and B roll. A composite of the sounds we captured and sourced were the answer to creating a unique sonic character for the film, bringing a tonality to scenes that enhanced the pace and excitement of the imagery.

 
[slide-right]Tides of Fate
Director: Fritz Mitchell
Production Company: Skydance Productions
Task: Full Audio Post Production[/slide-right]

S T I L L S

 

 

JOE PERA TALKS YOU TO SLEEP

ADULT SWIM

Joe Pera is a funny, strange man. He has a show on Adult Swim called Joe Pera Talks You To Sleep. It’s very funny and strange.

We mixed a sleepy, drifting soundscape meant to soothe, relax, and otherwise belie the oddly specific angst underneath this grim, dry facade. 

 

 
 
[slide-right]Joe Pera Talks You To Sleep
Client: Adult Swim
Production Company: Chestnut Walnut Productions
Task: Sound Mix[/slide-right]

STILLS

 

 

"5 FOR 5"

THEIRWORLD

Did you know that 90% of the human brain fully develops before the age of 5!? We didn't either. That was until we teamed up with our friends over at RAIN Agency on Theirworld's latest 5 for 5 campaign, bringing life to the little guy above with our sound design. The campaign encompasses the importance of early stage development in children, and urges world leaders to take action to make sure all children, especially the poorest and most marginalized, have access to the full range of nurturing care.

More details about the campaign can be found on the Theirworld website at theirworld.org.

Head HERE to sign a petition for the cause! 

 

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We don't remember much about the first few years of our life - but they are vital in making us who we are. Before we've even mastered standing up, our brains are developing at an incredible rate. By the time we're five, the brain is 90% developed. If we've had the right nurturing care - including the five key areas of health, nutrition, play, learning and protection - we should be on the right road to fulfilling our potential. But millions of children are not getting the best start in life - particularly in some of the poorest parts of the world. They are missing out on that crucial early care and stimulation because their leaders have not invested properly in early childhood development. That's why Theirworld launched the #5for5 campaign - to put pressure on world leaders to take urgent action to make sure all children, especially the poorest and most marginalised, have access to the full range of nurturing care.

 
[slide-right]Theirworld.org - 5 for 5
Agency: RAIN
Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

S T I L L S

 

 

THE EDNA COLLECTION

PIXAR

Director Oscar Boyson had a fun idea for 2017’s Pixar Summit: an irreverent and hilarious mockumentary-style short profiling revered (and fictional) fashion icon Edna Mode.

We took an in-progress project with an extremely tight turnaround and wove raw interview audio with audio from actual Pixar films. The biggest challenge was matching the cinematic quality of the movies with quickly-recorded dialogue (it turns out Kendall Jenner has other things to do), along with translating a 5.1 mix to a special mix for a live hall.

 

 
 
[slide-right]The Edna Collection
Client: Pixar
Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

STILLS

 

 

25K SKILLS - AMAZON DEVELOPERS

AMAZON

2017 was a huge year for Alexa, and Amazon wanted to celebrate their developers with a video thank-you.

We created a sonic landscape that balanced the sleek, modern capability of Alexa with the user-centric approachability that sets Amazon apart in the tech space. The mix had to make an approachable VO live alongside the sleek confidence of cutting-edge-tech sound design.

Despite a quick turnaround we were able to execute 3 rounds of review that resulted in a slick piece of film and a very happy client.

 

 
 
[slide-right]25K Skills - Amazon Developers
Client: Amazon
Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

STILLS

 

 

"THE HOLIDAYS"

CUDDL DUDS

Cuddl Duds is a company who's mission is to arm a woman with layers of style and comfort so she feels confident to go where the day takes her while looking and feeling great. We teamed up with the folks at RAIN Agency, shaping and sculpting the sound for their 30 second spot for the brand. Telling a story in 30 seconds is not easy, but the creatives at RAIN crafted a wonderfully shot commercial, that follows a woman braving the terrors of a long trip home for the holidays.

 
 
[slide-right]Cuddl Duds - The Holidays
Agency: RAIN 
Task: Sound Design, Sound Mix[/slide-right]

 

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"MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS"

FACE THE ISSUE

Working closely with the director Nathan Breton, we crafted the soundscape for 6 spots (3 shown above) supporting Mental Health Awareness month through Face The Issue. Riding the line of sonic realism, we wanted to support the sentiment of breaking a stigma that surrounds mental health problems by promoting healthy conversation.  A dominance of the soundscape overtaking the picture was the result of that goal. The swells are derived from the sonic reality our subjects live in, and act as a vehicle for portraying negativity in the absence of communication. To illustrate the impact of conversation, we swell to a moment of clarity in the form of a text message. 

 

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About Face The Issue

Our goal is simple: to break the stigma and resulting silence that surrounds a wide range of mental health issues by promoting healthy, productive conversations.

This site serves as resource for those with a friend or loved one who is suffering alone. Starting a conversation is the first step in supporting those with mental illness and helping to guide them toward recovery. Face the Issue first launched in 2003 as an online resource for mental health sufferers. With animated shorts narrated by celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Halle Berry and a forum for anonymous group support, the site was a huge success both in building a community and raising awareness around mental health issues.

 
[slide-right]Face The Issue
Director: Nathan Breton
Agency: RAIN Agency
Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

S T I L L S

 

 

"INTRODUCING ALEXA"

AMAZON

“All you have to do is ask”, A slogan that simplifies the functionality of Amazon’s Echo. We collaborated with RAIN designing and mixing the sound for this short sizzle. We wanted to reflect the responsiveness in our design, and give space to the voice. We integrated many light windy and metallic elements that give presence to the animation, and highlight Alexa as being a sleek, and highly functional tool for people’s homes.

 
 
[slide-right]Introducing Amazon Alexa 
Agency: RAIN
Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

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Sound design for spots like the Alexa commercial above is all about discretion. Giving character to a piece of technology is a large responsibilty because people base their views on said tech off of their sensory reactions to it. We mentioned above wanting to make Alexa sound sleek, highly functional, and responsive in our design. But how did we arrive on the design we did? Discretion.

We searched for sounds that did two things: stayed out of the way, and cut through the mix when they needed to. This led us to the more airy sounds we hear -- almost futuristic in nature. A combination of whispy airs, metals, and glasses helped us arrive at our goal of simply making the Alexa sound easy to use.

 

S T I L L S

 

 

2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES

NBC OLYMPICS

With sound design, comes a responsibility to create an environment that’s representative of a place, object, person, or emotion.

We put our heads and ears together with the folks over at NBC Olympics for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Our sound design package for this particular property was geared towards authenticating the broadcast of the games, and bringing to life sonic characteristics of Brazil. Take a look at the short sizzle above for some samples of our work caught during some important moments in this year's broadcast. 

 
 
 
[slide-right]The 2016 Rio Olympic Games 
Production Company: NBC Sports
Task: Sound Design, Sound Mix[/slide-right]

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With sound design, comes a responsibility to create an environment that’s representative of a place, object, person, or emotion.

Places on Earth are not only defined by their visual aesthetic, but by their smell and sound as well. When we design sound, weather it be for a film, or even a lower third, we have what people connect with emotionally in mind. Have you ever heard something that immediately transported you back to that memorable vacation you took with your family 10 years ago? Our job is to put you there, weather you realize it or not. And we take it upon ourselves to make sure these connections are translating through our work, and the research we put in to Brazil for the Rio Olympic games, shined through in our sound design for NBC’s whole graphics package tailored to their coverage of the momentous bi-annual event.

We dove in to the indigenous natural characteristics of the city first. What does traffic sound like? What does a marketplace sound like? What do the birds and the water sound like? And, if you were able to catch any of the Olympics, you may have noticed that the NBC Olympics team did a wonderful job connecting the visuals we experienced to the environment. Mosaic tiles and natural elements that play off of the heat of the city and the athletes. We harnessed these details and expressed them sonically — through glass, tiles breaking, and a hand running through a bucket of water. We hope you enjoyed the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, because we sure as hell enjoyed the process of creating a sound for them.

 

 

"SLIM AARONS - THE HIGH LIFE"

IMG FILMS | M2M

We collaborated with the folks over at IMG and Made 2 Measure once more to help craft the soundtrack for their documentary outlining the life of Slim Aarons, a wonderful and defining photographer who was visually ahead of his time. We provided full sound design and mix for the film, incorporating an array of natural and unique elements, which we recorded and authenticated for the piece ourselves. Recordings ranged from ambiences to more specific material, such as the first excerpt of the film you'll see in the clip above.

 

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+ CREDITS


 
[slide-right]Slim Aarons - The High Life 
Agency: IMG | M2M 
Task: Sound Design, Sound Mix[/slide-right]

[fade]S T I L L S[/fade]

 

 

"COUNTERPUNCH"

NETFLIX

Working with Director Jay Bulger on his film Counterpunch for Netflix, Waterline was tasked with creating the soundscape within which the story of three up and coming amateur boxers is told. Our work included an extensive amount of field recording, playing to the realism of the fight footage we see dispersed through the film. Our goal is to be invisible, as always, and tell this great story about these young men with sound. 

Take a look at the trailer, as well as a short excerpt from the film featuring Peter Quillin, above.

Watch the full story HERE!

 

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Discipline, sweat, heartbreak and triumph are all on full display in director Jay Bulger’s look into the world of boxing. Despite the odds, these young boxers are determined to make a name for themselves alongside the sport’s most remembered and revered champions. With an unflinching look at the pain and pride needed to achieve greatness, CounterPunch will surely knock you out.
Now streaming!
Watch CounterPunch here: https://www.netflix.com/title/80049873

 
[slide-right]Counterpunch - Netflix
Director: Jay Bulger
Production Company: Mandalay Sports Media
Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

S T I L L S

 

 

"COLLEGE, UNFILTERED"

FLOCK U

[fade]The Flock U College Unfiltered spots celebrate the fun and humor that come with being a college student. We watch our hero character, the sheep, venture through many of the common situations a college student may encounter -- from parties to being bored in class. We were tasked with creating a soundscape for all of these spots to live in, and ultimately strived to bring the sonic realism you would hear in such environments to each spot.  [/fade] 

 
 
[slide-right]College Unfiltered - Flock U
Agency: RAIN
Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

 

 

"JEFF KOONS"

MOCA

Working alongside director Oscar Boyson, Waterline took over the sound mix on this short film honoring Jeff Koons at this years MOCA Gala. The film gives a peek into the enigmatic artist's early life and includes some fun facts about him, like the fact that he listens to at least an hour of Led Zeppelin a day.  

 

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Ever wonder who is responsible for the giant installations outside 30 Rock these past few years? A 40 foot dog covered in flowers, a ballerina the size of a yacht? We did too. And working with director Oscar Boyson on his short film for MOCA about Koons cleared up any coonfusion. We take a dive in to the world of Koons' art, his background, inspiration, and perspective on the uniqueness of his portfolio in this short film. VO by Scarlett Johansson and Led Zeppelin -- what better elements to play with in the sound mix!

+ CREDITS

Presented by MOCA
Director/Writer - Oscar Boyson
Editor/Graphics - Nate DeYoung
Assistant Editor - Erin DeWitt
Color Correct - Irving Harvey
Post Sound - Waterline
Producers - Ways & Means

 
[slide-right]Jeff Koons: MOCA
Direcotr: Oscar Boyson
Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

S T I L L S

PRESS

  • One Small Window - Stellar Shorts  ///  http://onesmallwindow.com/stellar-shorts/weekend-watching-17-06-17/
  • Hollywood Reporter  ///  http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/rambling-reporter/moca-gala-jeff-koons-performance-by-john-legend-miguel-998970
  • High Snobiety  ///  http://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/06/16/jeff-koons-moca-documentary/

 

 

"LEGACY"

UFC

A short documentary we mixed in collaboration with Director and Producer Jason Hehier, recapping the sale of the UFC to WME | IMG for 4 billion dollars. This is the biggest deal to be made in sports history, and we're proud to have sculpted the soundtrack that tells the story behind the business we see today. 

 
 
[slide-right]UFC - Legacy 
Director: Jason Hehier
Task: Sound Mix[/slide-right]
 

S T I L L S

 

 

"THE SPECTRUM"

L'OREAL

We Collaborated with the folks over at RAIN Agency to showcase the initiative demonstrating L’Oreal USA’s focus on the “beautiful pursuit” —the celebration of the strides toward improvement rather than only the end goal. The scientists at L’Oreal go above an beyond in regards to their research, surpassing common beauty brand presumptions. 

 

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Beauty comes in many shades. Balanda Atis shares the story of her journey to create the perfect match for each one. Learn how L'Oréal USA is transforming beauty here: http://www.lorealusa.com/ L'Oréal chemist Balanda Atis knew there was a problem, so she put together a team to answer the question, "Why doesn't makeup match every skin tone?"

 
[slide-right]L'Oreal - The Spectrum
Agency: RAIN Agency
Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]
 

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GRAPHIC SOUND DESIGN SAMPLER

WATERLINE REELS

We compiled a variety of animations and title sequences we recently got our hands on in a short sizzle. We hope that these short sample reels showcase the creativity and authentication integrated in to each property we work on, and our attentiveness to sonic details relating to the visuals.

 
 
[slide-right]Waterline Reels
Motion Graphics, Title Animation
Sound Design Samples[/slide-right]

 

 

"THE BATTLE AT VERSAILLES"

WMG | IMG

We collaborated with the folks over at WMG | IMG and Director Fritz Mitchell, to tell a story that's been told in the past --but in a new way. Within the narrative style our role was to be present while staying discreet. This was Made 2 Measure's first original long-form documentary. It follows an event in 1973 at Versailles in France that pitted France's best designers against the best America had to offer. It was the first time in fashion the world's gaze was fixated on American Design.

Take a look at the trailer above, the full film can be found on the Made 2 Measure website.

 
 
[slide-right]The Battle At Versailles   Documentary 
Production Company: IMG Films
Task: Full Sound Post Production[/slide-right]

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+ CREDITS


Directed by: Fritz Mitchell
Producer: Wendy Yamano
Executive Producer: Mark Shapiro
Cinematography: Peter Franchella, Taylor Morrison
Narration: Stanley Tucci
Writer: Jeff Sarokin
Art Direction/Styling: Kindra Predmore
Associate Producers: Rose Stevenson, Brooke Gibson

Music Composer: Brian Keane
Music Editor: Jeff Frez-Albrecht
Consulting Producer: Bethann Hardison
Sound Design and Mix: Waterline
Post Production Facility: Molehouse Post
Video Editors: Paul Carruthers, Chris Mole
Post Production Engineers: Keith Blackmore, Eric Zeller
Post Director of Operations: Sari Speiss-Bickford
Additional Editors: Collin Beattie, Steve Murphy

GFX: Chris King, Will Rahilly
Color Grade: Vladimir S. Kucherov, Seth Applebaum

For Made to Measure
General Manager: Jonathan Dube
Producer: Giselle Rodriguez, Jill Caytan
Associate Producer: Chloe Richards, Jordan Backhus, Missy Walker, Victoria Chamlee

[fade]S T I L L S[/fade]

 

 

"EXIT INTERVIEW" 

A SHORT FILM

We had the pleasure of working with Director Jaclyn Gramigna for the first time and put our heads together for the mix on Exit Interview. The film, written by Tomas Delgado explores the psychoanalysis of a boss experiencing the turmoil of firing one of his employees. Although this film is a live action piece, we had a lot of fun with textural, conceptualized elements that didn't necessarily pertain to the image, but supported the overall tone of this film. The conversation between Dave (boss) and Christian (employee) constantly pivots and transports the audience in to alternative worlds, both visually and sonically. 

*IMPORTANT* This film is currently making it's way through festivals. Thus, it hasn't been publicly released as of yet. BUT, we're happy to send private links to those who are interested in hearing our work. Please email info@waterlinenyc.com for a link for private viewing. 

 

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+ CREDITS


 
[slide-right]Exit Interview - A Short Film
Director: Jaclyn Grimagna
Written By: Tomas Delgado
Task: Sound Mix[/slide-right]

S T I L L S

 

 

"KAREEM - MINORITY OF ONE" 

HBO SPORTS

SOUND DESIGN AND MIX

HBO Sports and Mandalay Sports Media, in association with Iconomy Multi-Media & Entertainment, present the much anticipated documentary about Hall of Fame member Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the National Basketball Association's all time leading scorer with 38,387 points, and six-time MVP and World Champion.

 

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+ CREDITS


 
[slide-right]Kareem Minority of One - A Documentary
Production Company: HBO Sports
 Director: Bentley Weiner
Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

 

 

"DOWN IN THE VALLEY"

30 FOR 30

A 30 for 30 documenting Kevin Johnson's fight to keep the Sacramento Kings basketball franchise in it's home city. We worked closely with the team from 30 for 30, and director Jason Hehier, to craft the soundtrack of this film documenting a story of a team and some of the most passionate basketball fans to date. Enjoy the excerpt above to get a better idea of the drama we saw in Sacramento as this story unfolded.

 

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+ CREDITS


 
[slide-right]Down in the Valley - 30 for 30
Client/Production Company: ESPN
Task: Sound Design | Sound Mix[/slide-right]

[fade]S T I L L S[/fade]

 

 

"SLEEP ON IT" 

A SHORT FILM

We worked closely with Director Nathan Breton on his short film sleep on it, which came to us with NO sound whatsoever. It was up to us to create the world we witness Doug (our main character) venturing through, as he discovers the peculiar nature of a new mattress he buys. 

 

 
 

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As we looked at the silent footage, we quickly realized our job was to animate what we were seeing with sound — to truly bring life to the picture. We needed to thread the needle of reality, as the film presents a variety of surreal sequences, playing off a raw New York City soundscape.

We created a character out of Doug’s bed through sound — as it plays a larger part in this piece than one may think. We dug in to foley and were thourough in our approach to hit every detail of motion we see on screen. As the color and visuals are very descriptive in their own way, we knew the relationship sound had to a visual shift in atmosphere was vital. Thus, our design changed depending on the type of day our main character was having. The sheets on his bed sounded different, we rolled of brightness of certain soundscape characteristics, even the tone of people around our main character were altered. Our sound and music supports story, and we're proud to never have lost sight of that during this project.


+ CREDITS


CAST

Doug: Tomas Delgado
The Barista: Samantha Glovin
The Big Boss: Mike Roche
Waitress: Linda Elizabeth
Newspaper Guy: Giovanni Colantonio
Huge Client: Don Downie
Less Interesting Barista: Mike McCabe
Mattress Guys: Jacob Cohen & Sylvan Carlson-Goodman


CREW - PRODUCTION

Directed and Produced: Nathan Breton Written By: Joseph Killeen
Cinematography: Andi Obarski
Production Coordination: Samantha Glovin
Gaffer: Henry Gretzinger
First AC: Morgan Smith

CREW - POST PRODUCTION

Video Editing: Nathan Breton & Joseph Killeen
Sound Post Production: Waterline
Original Music: Nathan Breton and Eric Brown

 
[slide-right]Sleep On It - A Short Film
Director - Nathan Breton
Task: Full Sound Post Production[/slide-right]
 

[fade]S T I L L S[/fade]

 

 

"US OPEN - DAY 1"

ESPN FEATURES

SOUND DESIGN AND MIX

We teamed with the ESPN Features unit to open the 2015 US Open Championships the right way. The feature highlights shots of New York City, and our narrator explains that to survive here, you need to fight.

 
 
[slide-right]US Open - Opening Day Tease
Production Company: ESPN Features
Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]

 

 

"MUHAMMAD ALI - IN REMEMBERANCE"

HBO SPORTS

Our way of saying goodbye after hearing of his passing, was taking part in the creation of an obituary piece from HBO for the late great Muhammad Ali. Working closely with the team at HBO Sports, we mixed the short film that documents some of the most memorable moments and outline of Ali’s life. A force that kept us driving forward, and who’s confidence instilled an ideal in our heads that acted as a catalyst to many of our riskiest choices, our team was proud to have this collaboration with HBO, and highlight a few of the many important moments in his life and career within this piece. 

 

 
 
[slide-right]Muhammad Ali — In Remembrance
Production Company: HBO Sports 
Task: Sound Design and Mix[/slide-right]
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