Margarita Mix Hollywood, a FotoKem company that has been providing award-winning audio post services to the entertainment and advertising industries for 34 years, has developed a unique post production finishing workflow that includes the addition of two color suites and an upgraded hub for media management. The expansion and inventive new process enable content creators to complete audio and video work simultaneously at a single facility, adding speed and cost efficiencies to the workflow.
The new color suites are completely integrated with the existing audio bays, utilizing Nucoda Film Master color grading systems to ensure unmatched Avid integration with direct connectivity to the ISIS and Avocent network. Through this network, the experts at Margarita Mix are able to access audio and video elements from multiple terminals at the facility.
As part of the expansion, Margarita Mix has added colorists Troy Smith and Michael Mintz, and online editor Adam St. Clair, to their family of artists and engineers.
Margarita Mix clients that utilize ISIS media servers from FotoKem‘s Nonlinear Services Division can now tap into the high-speed fiber connection between facilities, eliminating the need for transporting tapes and drives across town. Addressing the frequent need for shot replacement and other creative changes during the finishing process, this direct connection to the client’s servers allows new media to be prepped and incorporated quickly.
A variety of content creators have utilized Margarita Mixes’ augmented capabilities in the last 18 months. Their projects include Ridiculousness, Top Gear U.S.A., Life Below Zero, Fantasy Factory, Breaking Pointe, The Glee Project, and Richard Hammond’s Crash Course.
Dustin Montez, Post Supervisor for Ridiculousness and Fantasy Factory, was one of the first clients to utilize the new color capabilities and expanded services offered by FotoKem and Margarita Mix. “With our space and equipment rented from FotoKem, the streamlining of our services made perfect sense. The fact that the buildings are connected via fiber saves us, literally, hours of time. When there are fixes, everything is instantly sent back and forth. In our business, it ultimately comes down to the people, and we love our team at Margarita Mix – our colorist, sound designer, the engineers, everyone we work with is top notch. The workflow is easy, saving me time and money, and I don’t have to worry about anything. Any type of show would benefit from collaborating with Margarita Mix.”
Margarita Mix brings award-winning sound services to the pipeline, with four full mixing suites featuring 5.1 surround sound, as well as stations where sound design and pre-lay can take place. The facility’s talented mixers frequently contribute to animated and reality shows, as well as gaming and long- and short-form projects.
Rand Gladden, Senior Vice President of FotoKem, explains, “We knew that combining the power of our network with one-stop audio/video finishing would result in some major advantages in cost and time. This is especially a game changer for reality TV productions that may not have previously had access to high-end workflows at an
