Everything and the Kitchen Sync

Most projects coming through the doors at Toronto’s Kitchen Sync digital audio continue to be in the documentary/reality TV realm, some of it entailing high-definition and Dolby Digital work.

One HD gig is a 20-ep extreme sports series for New York-based ‘caster Rush HD, produced by South Beach Productions. On the local front, Barna-Alper is back at the facility for its long-running series Turning Points of History, airing on History Television. The shop is also mixing The Call for Toronto’s Lone Eagle Entertainment, after having worked three seasons on the prodco’s Popstars.

Toronto’s White Pine Pictures brought over a trio of doc programs, including the History specials Arctic Dreamer and The Anatomy of Burlesque (mixed by freelance veteran Daniel Pellerin) and The World Stopped Watching, a one-hour doc for TVO. The theatrical trailer for ThinkFilm’s Love, Sex and Eating the Bones was mixed at the shop in Dolby Digital.

On its 10th anniversary, Kitchen Sync has recently undergone a major expansion, making it both a sound and picture house. It added 3,500 square feet to its facility, including three picture-editing rooms run independently by The Cutting Factory’s Michele Hozer and Steve Weslak. The shop is also equipped with three Pro Tools mix rooms, two of which are 5.1-capable. Composer Nick Dyer and sound editor Alan Geldart have recently taken up residency.

-www.ksync.ca

Lots under the Umbrella

Toronto’s Umbrella Sound Studios recently completed full audio post as well as some composition and sound design on the second season of Summerhill Entertainment’s CG Kids, airing on TVO. And remember that Rolling Stones SARS concert in town last July? Well, Umbrella relived it again, as it provided full audio post on a documentary produced by Molstar Sports and Entertainment detailing the immense organization that went on behind the scenes.

Umbrella has also performed full audio post and is gearing up for the 5.1 mix on the US$4-million Irish-mob feature One Eyed King, which shot in Montreal three years back, starring Bruno Kirby, William Baldwin and Chazz Palminteri. The shop will soon be doing sound design and audio post on Shipwrecked: The Rage of the Great Lakes for Barrie, ON-based prodco Television Renaissance and the U.S. Discovery Channel.

-www.umbrellasound.com

Many fish to fry

Toronto’s fish-fry is best known for its sound and music for spots, but it’s building up a resume in the long-form world as well.

Shop partners Greg Fisher and Derek Treffry are composing music for the zany CBC tween series the X, and have recently scored Life Network’s Crisis Zone as well as Going to Extremes, airing on Discovery Channel. Other credits include the doc Private Dancer and the short films City Kid and Like Rabbits for Toronto’s Predator Entertainment, which is eyeing the festival circuit.

The duo also did vocal work on Dog Given Rights, which won the short film competition held by Triggerstreet, the online initiative coproduced by Kevin Spacey, at the recent Sundance Film Festival.

Not ones to stay still, the fish-fry guys are busy with a number of spots and are currently composing and producing an upcoming album.

-www.fish-fry.com

Hear Leo roar

Vancouver-based HD facility Leo Sound is attracting work from near and far. Founder and sound engineer Gash Ariana reports that the shop recently finished full audio post on Paternal Farm, a war-themed film from Iran, in 5.1 surround.

Leo is also in production in the 5.1 format on the HD Indo-Canadian feature Betrayal of the Heart, from local writer/director Raj Purewal of Glasseye Films. Other Glasseye projects soon to come Leo’s way include the feature The Yeti and the Lost City of Gold and Forbidden Love. The shop will also record the music for the feature Subway Dual from Hybrid Films.

In a different vein, Leo sound designer Gael Maclean is working on a series of National Film Board animated films to air on CBC’s ZeD.

Ariana, with a background in audio suite/mixing theater design and installation, has been a lead mixer for the past six years. In keeping with the company moniker, Ariana shared a 2003 Leo Award for best overall sound in a short drama for Go Go Boy.

-www.leosound.ca