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After 40 years, the postproduction house has closed its doors – at least temporarily. Located in NYC’s Brill Building, Sound One has worked with the likes of Woody Allen, Barry Sonnenfeld, Ang Lee, Ken Burns and Brian DePalma. Nominated for multiple Oscars over the years, Sound One has nearly 100 in-house editing suites and five recording studios among other amenities. Last week Discovery Communications sold CSS Studios — the holding company that owns Sound One, LA’s Soundelux and several other sound studios – to the Miami-based Empire Investment Holdings. Today Sound One released the following statement to Deadline:
Sound One, LLC has announced that in response to the current market conditions in New York, the company is investigating strategic alternatives for its New York operations. As a first step, the company implemented a short-term temporary lay-off program, while the management team considers a variety of strategic options. This development pertains solely to Sound One, LLC in New York and does not impact CSS Studios’ operations in Los Angeles.
Deadline's Dominic Patten - tip him here.
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That’s sad. Anyone who’s spent in the Brill knows how many film greats – actors, directors, and more – have coursed through that company.
Sounds like a Bain Capital type play? Otherwise, why would anyone want to buy this company anyway? Union Labor, no growth industry and they have to compete with their own clients facilities and international facility pressure. And their employees are building their own home studios to steal the no budget work away.
Malone killed this company when he didn’t include sound in the Ascent spin off. It’s just biding its corporate time.
You obviously do not work in the post world.
No it definitely appears to be a Bain Capital type thing, and short sighted to boot. NY just passed a new tax credit which is going to bring lots of post work into NY in the near future, from what I’m hearing there’s going to be a lot of sound people heading out there soon. Something tells me this building will be snatched up very quickly by some enterprising individual(s) who will make a lot of money with it.
I had to compete with the likes of CSS and built a high-end home adr / 2-man mix stage on my first floor and believe that “Steal” is an inappropriate word to use. Thanks to piracy, market trends for DVD releases and diminishing TV ratings, Producers don’t have the money to cover the overhead of a large corporation. Any investment company that buys a service company had better keep the people because People provide the expertise and quality service not the equipment or the building.
Hopeful regards to the people at SoundOne.
I interned there… I had so much fun…..
Lee, Skip, the whole gang…. gosh I hope it survives…..what a place to hang around..
-RnsW
You’ll want to add the Coen Bros and Spike Lee to the list of filmmakers…
-RnsW
I think he was referring to Lee Dichter.
Until producers and studios realize that vendors need to make a profit to survive you will see more failed independent post facilities. Fewer options will lead to higher prices and poorer service.
Wow, did you even think before you posted that bit of touchy feely nonsense?
It’s not the studio’s job to make them a profit. Just as its not the governments job to give you anything.
Im sure the NAV on those studios alone in NYc market was worth the buyout.
Sad news… Worked with Rubin, Hein, Cheah, Fernandez many times. Hopefully they’ll transition into other facilities during this time.
This is such terrible news. The entire staff at S1 are such genuine, down-to-earth human beings and consummate pro’s. As an indie producer, I truly looked forward to every day I was in post there, walking through the hulking gold doors of the Brill Building, knowing a full day of happy and hearty work lay head with my S1 friends. It’s sad day to know this sort of thing can happen to such a beloved NYC institution.
Some information for all of you who love Sound One and are appalled by this development:
http://www.stonehengenyc.com/assets/71f2b10692c09c642414ce39ed32cdb6.pdf
I thought that the Brill was considered a historical landmark. Is this even possible?
How does this info help those of us “appalled”?
To add clarification maybe and understand what is really transpiring? I spent several years working there and at Todd A/O when it was part of SO. Very sad news but not that unseen in coming. The disruption of technology and the ability and opportunity it creates for change is what it is. And expensive NY real estate is what it is as well.
Current sound facility workflow is antiquated and geared towards maximizing billable hours. Current technology when used properly cuts out half of the revenue for a project. So the big films can afford it, everyone else doesn’t when offered the alternative.
It’s a bad situation all around.
Very sad.
Lee is 68, he will most likely be fine. The other guys will probably hop over to Sound Trax or Sound Lounge, or Sync Sound. Hopefully they will band together and start something new. It costs a lot less to build a Dolby Certified studio today then it did when those rooms were built. Good luck to them
” This development pertains solely to Sound One, LLC in New York and does not impact CSS Studios’ operations in Los Angeles” NOT TRUE. I worked for CSS Studios in Los Angeles and i was just laid off yesterday.
Its not only the big boy’s that are suffering thru this downturn. First by the ressesion and then a real sea change in technology, DVD Blu Ray and on line delivery. You don’t need a huge facility when you can do it on your laptop in your living room. Maybe though some of the more adaptable smaller facilities can pick up the slack.
My thoughts to those who have lost their jobs…
Robert – It’s the talented mixers, technical support staff, and proper display and monitoring that made Sound One the center of NY’s film work. Some, but certainly not all of that can be moved to a laptop mix model.
I work in ADR for a major post production company in Los Angeles. We connect with ADR stages all over the world. I have worked with the talented people and the great sounding ADR stages at Sound One for years. You can not replicate the sound quality and the isolation of those rooms on a laptop rig in your living room.It was sad to loose Howard Schwartz and now Sound One. These were great sound facilities with talented mixers and staff.
OK I live out of town in Ohio so I am just learning this today, in early November. It is sad shocking news. Working at Sound One was magical. The people were all first degree mensches. There is no replacing genuine sound mixes done by genius professional mixers. We did our own mix on a recent short, and, I am sorry we did. I have worked with Reilly, Chris, Dom, Robert, even with Lee in his early days, all are phenomenal professionals. And very caring people. Carol, Jim, the whole gang are great. The way the staff there will jump in and see what you need and get it for you in a pinch is also amazing. They worked with countless of my students, and those kids always came home happy and proud. Sound One was an anchor, a rock; the thought of a mix there was a light at the end of a long editing tunnel. All I can say is Thank You to anyone who worked there, especially the mixers.
Julia
Sad.
Lot’s of fond memories.
Times have changed.
I was on the set of a film yesterday where the entire budget was less than the sound budget of many of my later films. I must say there was a lot of energy and excitment.
Regards to all of you who worked there and hope you are all well.
Best
Jim
Does anyone know where Michael Barry wound up?