Company COO/senior editor Bob DeLano had a vision when he opened Post Central Charlotte. In order for the post house to be successful, Post Central would have to do more than just cut, color correct or mix commercials and television shows. The company had to focus on client services, as well as establish a niche for itself in the Charlotte, N.C., market.
DeLano had previously been the general manager at Creative Post & Transfer, Charlotte, which he joined as an editor in 92. After five years with the company, DeLano decided that he wanted to open his own post house. Serendipitously, a Rochester, N. Y., facilityaPost Centralawas considering expansion into a different market. Via a mutual friend, Bill Lang and Gary Knaak, CEO and president, respectively, of Post Central Rochester, hooked up with DeLano. After talking, the trio agreed on the basics: DeLano would join Lang and Knaak as a partner in the company, and, as soon as it was constructed, would head up a full-service post facility in Charlotte under the Post Central banner.
In July 97, DeLano opened Post Central Charlotte. After gulping down champagne, the staff went right to work. I had a full list of clients ready to go the day we opened, explains DeLano. The facilitys first projects included the in-house Jefferson Pilot Insurance spot Vision 97, directed by Tim Glover of Paradox Films, Charlotte; and Bojangles Restaurants Riding the Range, helmed by Billy Patete of Boulevard Films, Charlotte, via The Reimler Agency, Charlotte.
Three years after opening, Post Central Charlotte has grown its staff. Currently, six post artisans are on board, including DeLano who serves as online editor. He is joined by Smoke/Avid editor Joe Murray, who recently completed Tops Markets Sounds of Freshness, directed by Mark Kohl of Kohl Pictures, Jacksonville, Fla., out of Leslie Advertising, Greenville, S.C. Before joining the facility, Murray had been freelance editing in the Charlotte area for clients ESPN, the Disney Channel and Bank of America, among others.
Craig King, who has been doing both online and offline editing for 10 years, including a four-year stint at Virginia Beach, Va.-based Features International, is Post Central Charlottes online/Avid editor. He is credited with The Charlotte Observers Faces, helmed by Patete via agency Loeffler Ketchum Mountjoy, Charlotte. King also completed Lexcard Giveaway for Lexcom Communications via agency Tatum, Toomey & Whicker, High Point, N.C. Jim Goodman of Working Horse Pictures, Greensboro, N.C., directed the spot.
Also on board is colorist Clark Bierbaum, who formerly served in the same capacity at VTA, Atlanta. He operates the facilitys recently acquired Ursa Diamond telecine and da Vinci Renaissance 8:8:8 color corrector. With the new telecine, Bierbaum transferred the aforementioned Lexcard Giveaway.
DeLano said that after a year of testing the regional market with a Cintel Mark IIIC, upgrading the telecine was obviously advantageous. We have a strong client commitment to film transfer in the Carolinas. Now were adding the capabilities our clients asked for, explains DeLano.
Post Central Charlotte also includes Flame artist/graphics supervisor Demetre Gionis, who was freelancing in the Charlotte area for such clients as First Union National Bank, MGM/UA and Liberty Life Insurance.
The newest member of the staff is Maya 3-D artist Sid Moye, who joined the shop in Nov. 99. A recent graduate of North Carolina State University School of Design, Raleigh, N.C., Moye will help extend the shop into 3-D design and animation.
Post Central Charlottes reach has also expanded on another front. The facility, which had previously finished spots for the Southern market, recently wrapped its first national commercials, including Homepoint.coms Dog Gone, directed by John Mentzer of EMM Group, Orlando, Fla., via Erwin-Penland, Greenville, S.C. Post Central Charlotte also posted a Champion Sportswear campaign, Champion Notre Dame, freelance directed by Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Keith Rose out of Long Haymes Carr, Winston-Salem.
Dog Gone is a humorous spot about a man with dog troubles: Whenever he enjoys time alone with a female visitor, his mutt immediately tears up the furniture in the room. The man is a regular customer of Web-based furniture supplier Homepoint.com, a company that delivers more than youd expect. Bierbaum, Gionis and Murray all contributed to the commercial.
Another spot, Bell South Mobilitys Horde exemplifies the facilitys special effects capabilities. The spot was directed by Glover through Long Haymes Carr. As online/Smoke editor for Horde, DeLano created images of over 50 Pomeranians by cloning a few original shots. In segments, the dogs run about as a pack. To keep up with the demand for visual effects services, DeLano has added a second Avid suite, and additional Smoke and Flame workstations in the past year.
DeLano hopes to continue expanding further into national work. Were owned by three post guys who like to sit around, push buttons and make commercials.’
