As the industry bobs in the wake of the Big Deal, waves of curiosity and anticipation wash over the shores of the post-production community, which waits to hear of any changes in the way the new Studio will apportion its vast cargo of post and audio work.

Many of the major post-production shops who currently undertake service work for Alliance and/or Atlantis are optimistic and excited about the possibilities of new relationships and an increased volume of work coming out of the newly unified company.

On the counterpoint, there is also some apprehension which revolves around the possible scenario of Alliance/Atlantis consolidating its work within the audio and post companies in which it already has a stake.

Atlantis brings to the new merged entity two production and post facilities: Casablanca Sound and Picture Services, which it owns, and Calibre, a high-end computer animation and special effects shop, which it partially owns. Calibre has been responsible for the on-screen magic for Atlantis’ effects-heavy series The Adventures of Sinbad and Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict as well as handling commercial work and development of its own equity properties. Casablanca handles mixing and editorial for Atlantis properties, as well as for Alliance, with past feature projects including Crash and Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy. About half of the audio facility’s work currently originates out of Atlantis.

Both shops are bustling, and taking on the entire Alliance/Atlantis workload would require significant expansion or the acquisition of a new company.

[Effect on Casablanca]

For other major players in the industry, it’s a waiting game. Stan Ford, vp of sales deluxe Toronto, says the outcome of the merger in terms of post production is an unknown with two potential scenarios. ‘It could have a very positive effect or it could be a major blow,’ says Ford. Alliance represents a significant piece of business for deluxe, which does lab work and sound post for the production giant. ‘They are a major player for all of us; if they were to expand their (audio and post) facilities that would cut our post role. If they don’t, then the work still has to be done elsewhere.’

Says Alliance/Atlantis head of production Seaton McLean of the work coming out of the new company: ‘We’re talking 350 hours of television production next year. That’s busy across the board and that’s good news for the business.’ McLean added: ‘I suspect we’ll want to talk about expanding Casablanca.’

This spring, Casablanca had already announced an expansion initiative which included the addition of a new 100 seat mixing and presentation theatre and new Foley rooms. Casablanca president Steve Mayhew says it’s ‘too early to say’ whether those expansion plans will increase in scope post-merger. ‘We had already announced plans for expansion and we continue to look at drawings and new equipment, with an eye to being able to accommodate more feature work in particular,’ says Mayhew.

Mayhew cites an ongoing relationship with Alliance, the second largest client of Casablanca after Atlantis, and says Alliance Atlantis will be a ‘fairly significant client,’ but says it’s unlikely the facility will assume responsibility for the company’s total output. ‘I don’t expect Casablanca would be a sole supplier, nor are we to Atlantis,’ says Mayhew. ‘We operate at arm’s length.’ Mayhew also cites a commitment to several other independent filmmakers.

[Calibre won’t likely alter]

Calibre head Neil Williamson calls the deal ‘fabulous,’ but says it will not likely represent a major change in how the shop handles service work, nor does it alter the Calibre/Atlantis deal. Currently, Atlantis (now Alliance Atlantis) owns 50% of Calibre with the option and obligation to acquire the remaining shares of the digital imaging shop in roughly three years. ‘It will give us some additional contacts and relationships but I don’t think it will change anything significantly on the service side,’ says Williamson, citing the stated objective of Alliance/Atlantis to move to a more ‘studio style’ operation, doing less in house production and more work with independent producers. ‘We’ll have to remain as competitive if not more so; we’ll have to prove ourselves like everyone else to get the work,’ says Williamson.

Where the merger will likely impact Calibre, says Williamson is on the equity production side. ‘We’re looking to build our development slate,’ says Williamson. ‘[The deal] will enhance our ability to get our own product into production and distributed which is the primary goal of the company over the next few years.’

[Post players looking forward]

Elsewhere in the industry, post players look forward to working with a newly invigored company, and most expect a long waiting period, while the companies sort out administrative details, before any major moves are made on the audio and post facility front.

‘From a post perspective, I don’t see a change,’ says DAVE director of post production Peter Mann, but he acknowledges ‘anything can happen.’ Mann says about 6-7% of the facility’s work is derived from Alliance, including audio, video and effects work for tv and feature projects.

Jane Tattersall, president of Tattersall Sound, says the deal may facilitate opening up new work relationships for her shop. Tattersall, who works heavily in features, says prior to the Atlantis/Casablanca purchase, she had been looking toward making a deal with Atlantis. With the two prodcos now one, she is looking to increased access to Atlantis work which she had previously not had. ‘I’m hoping it will give me an opportunity to to work with people I used to work with on a regular basis.’

‘It’s a great thing for Canadian production, opening up opportunities around the world,’ says Bob Munroe, President of Toronto’s C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures. ‘It brings us unforeseen possibilities.’

Andy Sykes, partner at Toronto post giant Command Post and Transfer, looks to the new company as an opportunity for his own facility and the industry as whole. ‘The amount of work both companies do is substantial; I’d be surprised if any one facility could pull all that work together,’ says Sykes. ‘We’ve had a long relationship with both companies; they’ve been strong supporters of the post community and it’s only going to get better. It’s a great move for them and for all of us. It just makes Canada a stronger place to work.’