In the world of commercial audio post according to Pirate Radio & Television, it’s the age of the facility – the all-in-one, full-service shop where the ever more rigorous musical and sonic demands of client and agency can be met. But that facility doesn’t just represent a broader array of technical capabilities, says Pirate’s Tom Eymundson. It also incorporates the care and feeding of a broader talent pool – both inside the shop with young production talent, and outside with emerging Canadian voice talent – as well as providing an always escalating level of service.

Toronto’s Pirate has embraced the facility concept, expanding recently to include casting in its comprehensive sound and music service lineup. The shop also recently added Chris Tait, ex of Tantrum to its roster. The shop’s existing partnership aggregate, which includes Eymundson, Kerry Crawford, Rick Shurman, Robert Armes and Terry O’Reilly.

Pirate offers full-service audio post from music creation and sound design to recording and mixing for multiple formats including television as well as Dolby Digital for theatrical release, and casting and talent resources.

The facility includes Lonesome Pine Studios, comprised of three digital recording rooms tailored to the shop’s client base and designed to provide a light-filled, comfortable environment for those involved in the process. There are also four music writing suites, each presided over by a specific composer.

The casting arm incorporates a recording facility which provides digitally recorded talent captured on cd rather than a tape-based casting process. ‘All of this just means convenience for the end user,’ says Eymundson.

And while the shop is technically ‘as leading edge as it gets at this point,’ Pirate emphasizes a diverse array of talent and a service ethic as factors which have ensured its growth as technology changes the way sound is created.

Eymundson says the five partners have specific areas of expertise but can also work effectively in other areas, which provides a broad base for consultation on projects if necessary.

Beyond a base of seasoned talent, Eymundson says a key factor at the company is the balance between experienced and new talent.

‘There are people here who have been doing this for a lot of years, then there is a new generation,’ he says. ‘It’s valuable to clients knowing that there is such a depth of experience here – they know no one here will allow the ball to be dropped. But at the same time we provide an environment for the newer kid on the block to take a full run at it.’

And while the approach pays off for clients, the application of new ideas, says Eymundson, means the advancement of audio post as a whole.

Eymundson also points to the increasing importance of service as one of the key elements and a factor in the evolution of the audio post facility.

‘It’s no longer just about being a good musician or director; agencies now need and demand a certain level of service,’ he says. ‘Technology allows us to do more things, but it’s also to some degree eliminating the idea of the guy behind the piano. You have to now be able to create full-up orchestration, full-up electronica techno tracks, full-up sound design moments that as recently as five years ago were difficult to say the least. Now they are expected.’

And while the audio process used to occur in two parts, with music and sound elements taken to a recording studio, that capability now has to effectively be ‘in your back pocket,’ says Eymundson.

Pirate has brought that one-stop approach to its base of commercial work, including a recent campaign for Canadian Pacific and an audio extravaganza to match the extensive visual effects for a spot for the Lake Las Vegas resort community through Nevada agency Merica.

‘[Lake Las Vegas] was a huge technical endeavor but also had to be something that was approachable,’ says Eymundson. Pirate interpreted music and sound design to match the cgi approach which brought to life an as-yet non-existent place, thereby taking it above and beyond reality.

‘The net result was a ton of orchestration and sound design; at any moment there were probably 60 tracks of audio information rolling at the same time,’ says Eymundson. ‘They wanted it to be every bit a movie as a commercial.’

Pirate also created the audio component for the opening logo for Robert Lantos’ Serendipity Point Films.

The shop has also been devoting resources to exploring Canadian voice talent. Part of the mandate of the casting department, says Eymundson, is finding and developing voices, with Pirate people scouting all the likely and unlikely venues to find a new commercial voice.

‘There is somewhat of a trend to (going) to the u.s. to find fresh voices, but that only exists because the talent pool in Canada, albeit wonderful, is small.’

Upon discovering a voice, Pirate also offers help in assembling demo reels, finding agents and generally boosting voice talent toward getting actra recognition and establishing a commercial presence.

‘We don’t benefit from it on a business strategy level,’ says Eymundson. ‘But the net [result] is that we put out what we think is a superior product in the voice department.’