Company 3 has opened a Dolby Vision® and Dolby Atmos® equipped theater within its New York facility. This tech-forward space is the first theater of its kind at any postproduction company on the East Coast. The beautifully appointed theater will enable Company 3’s clients to experience their work in an acoustic environment as robust as that of any cinema in the world. The theater is equipped with the immersive sound of Dolby Atmos, which filmmakers use to pull audiences deeper into their stories through multi-dimensional sound they can place around a listener. The theater also supports Dolby Vision, including 3D capabilities, which brings characters to life with darker darks, brighter brights, and a remarkable color range.
“Company 3 is all about providing the highest quality experience for our clients,” said CEO and colorist Stefan Sonnenfeld, who just made use of the space with director John Krasinski and two-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski on the Paramount feature IF. “New York has become a production and post center for every type of show, including the biggest blockbusters. Company 3 has been, and intends to remain, a catalyst for growth in the city. With this new theater, filmmakers can view their work without compromising convenience or quality.”
The purpose-built space represents a significant architectural, design and engineering feat which was spearheaded by New York-based CTO Robert Keske, L.A.-based co-CTO Mike Chiado and Toronto-based director, sound engineering Phil Seal. It represents innovative work by acoustic architecture specialists Pilchner/Schoustal International (builder of major mixing and mastering facilities throughout the world), prestigious A + C architecture firm, Dolby and Company 3’s in-house teams of technical experts. Given the premium on space in Manhattan, the project involved intensive structural modifications to the Company 3 location in order to bring the absolute top-quality audio experience into the theater without compromising quality one iota. The theater is the perfect place for New York-based filmmakers to color grade, review or monitor sound mixes (remotely from the company’s Toronto mixing stages) or to screen their work in the same quality found at even the most high-end theaters like Dolby Cinema.
Capable of playing any Dolby Atmos mixes, for theatrical or home distribution, the room is highly isolated with heavy gauge framing and multiple layers of wall sheathing to provide the necessary density to stop unwanted sound. The ceiling system utilizes coil springs to isolate it from the overall structure, eliminating any mechanical noises from above. Specially designed acoustic panels are strategically placed within the space at varying depths to absorb specific frequency bands and provide the perfect acoustical environment.
The theater comfortably seats 10 and can be used to screen material at its absolute best, as a color grading theater and as a mixing theater via seamless connection to Company 3’s Toronto mixing stages and re-recording mixing talent.
“Company 3 has always been dedicated to the concept of serving our clients anytime, anywhere,” said Jonathan Hoffman, president of Company 3 New York. “This incredible theater, right in the heart of Manhattan, exemplifies this approach perfectly. Filmmakers know they have a one-stop shop in the city if they want it where they can bring their dailies needs, enjoy comfortable and inspiring spaces for their offline editorial, oversee visual effects creation and see their project through to final grading and sound mixing performed by top-level artists.
“With this theater, they can also hear and see their work, without compromise, at the very highest technical level.”
